What Do You Want To Slice?
When purchasing a commercial food slicer, it's important to take into consideration exactly what (and how much) you intend to slice, as different slicers have different capabilities for slicing meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
While standard or light duty slicers offer a significantly lower price tag than larger, heavier duty models, they will quickly burn out if consistently pushed beyond their capacity.
In general, following these guidelines should help you find the perfect slicer for your facility:
- Standard duty slicers are ideal for cutting deli meats, but are not recommended for slicing cheese or frozen products.
- Medium duty slicers can slice cheese for only an hour or two each day at most. These slicers are great for slicing deli meats, but still are not recommended for slicing frozen product.
- Heavy duty slicers can slice any amount of meat, cheese, or frozen product without restrictions.
- Specialty slicers are designed more for show than functionality. They are typically found in high end meat shops where slicing is done as part of the purchasing experience.
Horsepower
Determining the overall capacity of a commercial food slicer begins with horsepower; units with a higher horsepower are designed to withstand more rigorous use.
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Cutting Blade Size
Another factor to consider when determining slicer capacity is the size of the cutting blade. Medium duty and heavy duty slicers usually have larger cutting blades (12"-14") for all-around use, whereas standard duty slicers often use smaller cutting blades (9" and 10") for lighter use.
*NOTE: Industry-wide, a 12" cutting blade is the most common size.
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Carriage Size
In addition to horsepower and cutting blade size, the size of the carriage will help to determine the overall capacity of your slicer. Essentially, the carriage size determines the size of product that your unit can handle.
Most slicers can hold products that range from 7 1/2" to 12" in diameter within the carriage. If you plan to slice products larger than 12", it is important to verify that the slicer's carriage will accommodate it prior to purchasing the slicer.
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Manual vs. Automatic
| Manual |
Automatic |
- Requires operators to manually move the feeder tray back and forth past the slicing blade to slice product
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- An electrically powered pusher controls the movement of the food carriage to slice product without the aid of an operator
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- To ensure that the product is in the proper position to slice on each pass (past the slicing blade), most manual slicers feature a gravity fed feeder tray
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- Convenient when slicing large amounts of product because it can slice continuously without constant staff assistance
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| - |
- Most automatic models also carry the option to operate the slicer manually
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- Most automatic models also carry the option to operate the slicer manually
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- Require a higher initial investment, but saves operator in both time and labor
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- Great for use in restaurants and delis
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- Great for use in large-scale operations such as supermarkets
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- All slicers allow you to adjust the slice thickness
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Speed
When purchasing an automatic commercial food slicer, it's important to consider the number of speeds you'd like your food slicer to have. Most automatic slicers offer a single operating speed, but, webstaurantstore.com also offers several models with two, or even three speeds.
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Cleaning and Maintenance
To keep your slicing blade in tip-top condition, many slicers come factory-standard with a built-in sharpening stone. These stones keep your blades extremely sharp to provide fast, even slicing, so providing your staff with a good pair of cut resistant gloves should not be out of the question.
As proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures dictate, commercial food slicers should be sanitized on a regular, daily basis. This can best be accomplished by using a properly mixed commercial sanitizing concentrate and water, as well as one of our handy slicer cleaning tools.
As a final maintenance precaution, it is important to properly lubricate each of the moving parts within the feeder tray, as well as the carriage assemblies. By using a food-grade lubricant regularly, you will ensure that your slicer operates as smoothly as possible and lasts for years to come.
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Slicer Organizer
Standard Duty Slicers
Standard Duty Slicers
| Brand |
Vendor
Item Number |
Type |
Usage |
HP |
Blade
Size (in.) |
Cut
Thickness (in.) |
Carriage
Size (WxH)(in.) |
SL309
823E
|
Manual
Manual |
Less than
1 hour
per day
|
1/4
1/4 |
9
9 |
1/16 -
1/2
Up to
9/16 |
Up to
7 1/2 x 5
Up to
7 1/8 x 6
or 6 in dia. |
SL310
825E
|
Manual
Manual |
Less than
1 hour
per day
|
1/4
1/4 |
10
10 |
1/16 -
1/2
Up to
9/16 |
Up to
8 x 6 1/2
Up to
7 1/2 x 6 |
SL312
827E
|
Manual
Manual |
Less than
1 hour
per day
|
1/3
1/3 |
12
12 |
1/16 -
1/2
Up to
9/16 |
Up to
9 x 7
Up to
8 3/4 x 7 1/4
or 7 in dia. |
Heavier Duty Slicers
Heavier Duty Slicers
| Brand |
Vendor
Item Number |
Type |
Usage |
HP |
Blade
Size (in.) |
Cut
Thickness (in.) |
Carriage
Size (WxH)(in.) |
829A
 |
Manual |
4 hours
per day |
1/2 |
14 |
Up to
3/4 |
Up to
11 x 8 1/2 |
2612
 |
Manual |
4 to 5
hours per day |
1/2 |
12 |
Up to
1 |
Up to
12 wide
or 7 1/2
in dia. |
2812
 |
Manual |
5 to 8
hours per day |
1/2 |
12 |
Up to
1 |
Up to
12 wide
or 7 1/2
in dia. |
Specialty Slicers
Specialty Slicers
| Brand |
Vendor
Item Number |
Type |
Usage |
HP |
Blade
Size (in.) |
Cut
Thickness (in.) |
Carriage
Size (WxH)(in.) |
330M
 |
Manual |
- |
- |
13 |
Up to
3/16 |
Up to
7 1/4 x 11
or 7 3/4
in dia. |
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