If you have ever seen a butcher at a meat market, there is a high chance that you have also seen a meat slicer in action at some point. These machines are essential for slicing meats for deli use and personal requests from customers. But not all meat slicers are the same. In fact, there is quite a large difference between an average meat slicer and a professional-grade meat slicer. Here are the features to look for in a professional meat slicer.

No-Voltage Application

When dealing with equipment as dangerous as meat slicers, you need to have certain safety applications in place. Fortunately, most, if not all, meat slicers should have built-in no-voltage applications. This allows the machine to safely remain plugged in at all times, as the device will not work without the operator. An example of this is having a power outage. When power comes back on the grid after a power outage, most appliances would resume working immediately. However, professional meat slicers with no-voltage applications will not resume working until an operator initiates operation.

Automatic or Manual

How you will be using your meat slicer will determine what grade or type of instrument you should invest in. If you work in a commercial kitchen or butcher shop, it would be wise to invest in a professional-grade meat slicer for its dependability and the level of work it can produce with little effort. A manual slicer, on the other hand, would be good for home applications or instances where you plan on entertaining a group of friends and need to cut large portions of meat.

Gravity Feed

Having a gravity feed as a key feature in your food slicer is something that most people forget about, but such a feature is essential for several reasons. Typically adjusted to a 45-degree angle, this feature allows the meat to pass through the slicer perfectly for an even, smooth slice in every slice. It also means that gravity works with the operator to reduce the amount of friction the device creates. This reduces the risk of harm for the user and allows you to output more product at a faster pace. Because the device is angled in such a way, you can also easily see what is in front of you instead of having to look over the meat to see whether you have made the individual cuts correctly.

Removable Carriage

Any quality meat slicer will have a carriage, which is necessary to keep your shop tidy and free of debris. It’s difficult to keep your butcher shop spotless as is, but with a carriage in place, you will be able to catch most of the excess trim that comes with grinding and slicing. Having a removable carriage is even handier, as it serves its initial function (to catch the excess) and allows the operator to thoroughly clean the slicer and the carriage separately. With the carriage in place, cleaning becomes very difficult. Cleaning is something that is crucial with butcher shops to prevent bacteria from growing and causing illness.

Product Pusher

These items aren’t always included in every meat slicer, though they should be. Having a product pusher lessens the likelihood of injury to a great degree. A product pusher is simply an appliance that is either built-in or sits on top of the meat that needs slicing to prevent it from coming into contact with the hands of the operator. This is a great feature that prevents slippage and accidents that occur in the workplace. The product pusher creates a shield between the butcher and the blade. This becomes especially important as the cut of meat withers from cutting, and the butcher’s hands come closer to the blade of the meat slicer.

Removable Knife

The blade is one of the primary aspects of the entire appliance. Having the ability to remove and clean the blade means that you can personally ensure that all the fats and gristle that come with cutting meat for hours on end have been safely removed. That build-up of bacteria and meat tends to slow down operations if the blade hasn’t been maintained recently. So, it is always a good idea to sanitize and clean the blade daily without fail. This will ensure that your shop stays up to code and that your machine will operate correctly, allowing business to continue running smoothly.

Self-Sharpening Capabilities

Some meat slicers come with a self-sharpening feature that sharpens the blade whenever put into that selected mode. This allows for a perfect sharpening every time and prevents harm to the owner and operators. It also makes for a much speedier means of getting started. Just imagine having to take the machine apart, sharpen the blade, then reassemble and test it out to see if it’s sharp enough. In some cases, blades may need several rounds of sharpening to achieve an edge that’s sharp enough to handle hours of work as the orders for meat add up.

Horsepower

If you’re in the market for a professional-grade meat slicer, you will also want to check the power that the device can generate. The blade size and horsepower alone will make or break what the meat slicer can handle. For instance, most meat slicers work at ¼ horsepower, while professional-grade slicers work at ½ horsepower. If you’re going to invest a good deal of money into this product, it’s important that you realize what kind of power it has and ensure that it will be able to keep up with the requirements of the job. This could mean the difference between a full day’s work and calling it quits early because the machine can’t handle all the customers’ demands.

When it comes to the features to look for in a professional meat slicer, there are many things that are worth your consideration. Having the proper knowledge before going into such an investment should be one of your main priorities. Hopefully, this blog has provided a sufficient primer on the subject. Keep these things in mind, and you should have a successful experience, no matter whether you are entertaining guests or feeding the community with your business as a local butcher.