7 Best Deli Slicers Save Time and Make Perfect Slices
Best deli slicers for home and commercial use – Beswood, KWS, Anescra top choices. Consider durability, safety features, motor strength, and value when choosing. Top brands offer quality blades, powerful motors, safety features, and durability.
Not every household has a deli slicer in the kitchen, but for families that do a lot of food preparation for school lunchboxes, packed lunches for the office, or do a lot of slicing for any other reason, one of these appliances is a huge time- and labor-saver. We’ll check out the best deli slicers for making those perfect slices of meat and cheese.
Not all deli slicers are the same, but they all perform the same function – the slicing of meat, cheese, vegetables, and bread. So, the differences that result in some of these appliances making it into our list of Top Ten slicers while others don’t make the grade are highlighted below.
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1. Beswood 250 Classic Deli Slicer
This slicer is designed to handle commercial and restaurant activity levels but is also perfect for home kitchens. Recommended for its quality and higher-than-average-specifications, including:
- Available with 9” or 10” chromium-plated high-carbon steel blades that have been high-temperature treated to increase strength and durability.
- The powerful 240W motor is enclosed and runs very quietly.
- There is a built-in two-stone sharpener that hones the blades as they work.
- Relatively heavy, with non-slip rubber feet, means it doesn’t shift around the counter while slicing.
2. Vevor 10″ Meat And Cheese Slicer
Similarly-spec’d to the Beswood, with slightly different features but also built to last and suitable for both commercial and home kitchen use. With a 240 W all-copper motor, it can handle up to 50 slices per minute, with thickness ranging from paper-thin to 0.47”.
The Vevor has some excellent features, including a fixed transparent safety shield to prevent accidental contact with the blade and a food pusher with a handle to ensure easy control and consistent slices. In addition, a waterproof on/off switch, dual-covered whetstones, accurate thickness adjuster, and compact size make this an excellent choice for a deli slicer.
3. Anesca 200 W All-Purpose Deli Slicer
I’ve included the Anesca because it’s exceptional value for money at around $109 – $119. That’s one-third of the price of Beswood and Vevor. Not suitable for anything more than occasional use in the home kitchen, but in that situation, it does its job well enough to earn a place in the Top Seven.
- Solid cast aluminum body and compact, so it is a lightweight device.
- Comes with two 7.5” 304 stainless steel blades, one of which is serrated.
- The food carriage is also stainless steel, making it more hygienic.
- The blade is adjustable to cut slices from paper-thin 1/32” to ½.”
- Easy to clean, with all movable parts easily disassembled, and won’t rust or corrode.
- 200 W motor is powerful (but quite noisy).
4. KWS 10” MS-10NS Premium Slicer
The KitchenWare Station (KWS) slicer is a winner because of its almost industrial-strength quality. While it is pricey at just under $400, it will outlast most other home kitchen slicers.
The 320 W motor is one of the most powerful available in this range of slicers, making it suitable for commercial or heavy-duty home use and perfect for slicing meat as well as cheese, vegetables, and fruit. While powerful, the motor is also noted for its remarkably quiet operation making the KWS a pleasure to work with.
The 10″ blade is made from high-quality stainless and is kept sharp by built-in dual whetstones. It is protected by a ring guard, making the slicer safer by eliminating the chance of accidental contact.
Sturdily built and constructed from cast aluminum, with a weight of 32 lbs, the KWS also has rubber suction pads to prevent it from shifting on the counter.
5. Ostba 7.5” Deli Slicer With Child Lock
The top choice if you’re looking for a quality entry-level slicer, the Ostba is a winner at under $100. Experts often advise against buying cheaper slicers because of their limited power and lack of durability, but this one is an exception.
One of the most significant selling features of the Ostba slicer is the built-in child lock that prevents little hands from accidentally switching it on. It’s available with a 200 W motor and an additional blade for $120 or with a 150 W motor and a single serrated blade at $99 – the choice is yours. There are other Ostba slicers in their range, but we’ve chosen this one as the best budget deli slicer.
With a 7.5” stainless steel blade and a cast iron body, this compact slicer can slice meat, cheese, bread, and vegetables, adjustable up to 3/4″, but is not geared up for heavy use. If you’re going to use it occasionally in your home kitchen, though, it’s well worth considering.
6. Elite Gourmet EMT-503B Slicer
Another contender for the best low-cost slicer, the Elite EMT-503B, is available at under $90. With a cast-aluminum body, it’s rust-and-corrosion-resistant, and compared to other cheap slicers, it’s remarkably sturdy.
It’s also very versatile, coping well with meat, cheese, and bread, with adjustable slice thickness up to 0.4”. It comes with a single serrated 7.5” high-quality stainless blade, which is easily removed for cleaning.
Bearing in mind that you get what you pay for, this slicer is not the most powerful nor the most durable, but at the price represents excellent value. This slicer, by saving you money that you would have spent on ready-sliced meat and cheese from the delicatessen counter, will pay for itself long before it stops working.
7. Techwood 9” Electric Deli Slicer
The Techwood slicer offers many of the features of the more expensive brands. It backs up its quality claim with a no-hassle 30-day return policy.
- A powerful 200W motor coupled with a 9″ blade makes this slicer capable of handling meat, cheese, bread, and vegetables with ease.
- The die-cast aluminum body is rust-free and corrosion-resistant.
- Child-proof on/off switch and blade guard make this slicer one of the safest.
- Easy to disassemble and clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Best Meat Slicer Brand?
It’s not easy to decide on the best meat slicer brand, as it depends on several factors, including quality, price, durability, and ease of use.
It also depends on your needs and how often it will be used. There’s no value in buying the most expensive and most durable slicer if it’s only going to be used on the rare occasion that you want to provide a professional-looking plate of sliced meat.
So, of the various deli slicers we’ve examined, which brand is “the best”? My choice would be KWS. It happens to be the most expensive of our Top Seven, but it’s not that much more than the Vevor or Beswood slicers, and it has the edge when it comes to durability. So, while you will pay a little more initially, you won’t have to replace your KWS for years.
The KWS slicer also scores top points in terms of noise – it works quietly, which is an essential factor in any kitchen especially in an open-plan living room/kitchen.
In addition, KWS slicers have ETL and NFS sanitation mark certification, which means they comply with safety and hygiene standards and regulations in the US.
Are Deli Slicers Worth It?
Yes, deli slicers are worth it, IF (and it’s a big if):
- You are buying meat and cheese in bulk regularly. Some butchers will slice meat for you without additional charge, but the most significant saving is the price per lb for large bulk purchases.
- You like your meat and cheese sliced thinner than you can cut with a knife.
- You’re making a lot of cold meat or cheese sandwiches for the family daily or maybe for a charity.
- You’re prepared to clean the slicer thoroughly after every use. Bacteria love raw meat, and many slicers are difficult to get spotless.
- You have the space in your kitchen to store it when it’s not being used – the average slicer is bulky.
Many people buy a slicer for home and then find they seldom, if ever, use it. They then advertise them for sale, so you might find a real bargain in your local paper, Marketplace, or other marketing platforms.
What Should I Look For In A Deli Slicer?
The experts warn against going for the cheapest deli slicer, even if their advertising is appealing – they are almost sure to disappoint you. The crucial aspects to look at when choosing which slicer to go for include the following:
- The blade should be made of high-grade stainless steel. While bigger is not necessarily better, anything under 6″ in diameter is probably impractical. Non-serrated blades will also give a cleaner cut, particularly on raw meat, than a serrated one. If the slicer has built-in whetstones, the blade, for it to be honed, should not be serrated.
- The motor must be powerful enough to slice through meat or hard cheese blocks. If they are rated under 150 Watts, the motors will have to work hard and may not last long. 200 Watts and above will give you all the power you need in a home kitchen.
- The materials used will be a good indication of durability. While most slicers have cast aluminum bodies, some have plastic gears that are prone to wear and plastic food trays that are unable to carry the weight of large pieces of meat or cheese without flexing and will eventually crack.
- The heavier, the better – the lightweight slicers at around 8lbs are prone to sliding around the counter even with rubber feet, while the slicers like the KWS are going to stay in one place – they’re a lot safer as well as being easier to work with.
Can You Cut Raw Meat With A Deli Slicer?
Yes, most deli slicers can slice raw meat quite easily, but some critical steps must be followed.
- Never slice frozen meat. You can put meat in a freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm it up or thaw frozen meat until it begins to soften before slicing it to get perfect slices.
- Never slice cooked food after using the slicer on raw meat until you have thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the slicer and the blade. You need to use hot, soapy water on every part of the machine, remove all traces of raw meat, and then spray with a sanitizer before drying all affected components.
- If you’re slicing raw meat for jerky, your slices are going to be thick, so you don’t need to semi-freeze the meat.
- Use a smooth blade to slice raw meat for a clean cut – serrated blades tend to tear the meat while cutting it.
- Never try and slice through a bone. If there is a bone in the joint you want to cut, you will have to remove it beforehand. Trying to slice through a legbone for example will not only damage the blade but could possibly do serious harm to the machine itself.