Do you happen to buy larger cuts of cured meats rather than those already sliced? It is certainly more satisfying to slice the ham yourself before lunch or dinner in addition to the lower expense.
It also allows us to have a product that is always fresh and better than the one already sliced. A home slicer can be handy and would certainly allow you to recover the initial investment in a short time.
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But how to choose the best slicer?
What features should you look at to buy one suitable for home use? Let’s find out together.
Materials
When you have to choose the slicer, you will realize that it may happen to find materials that are not really of the highest quality in the cheaper models. The cheaper the models, the more plastic parts will fit. Some may even give off an unpleasant odor. The more you are willing to spend, the more you will increase the level of professionalism. At this point, your machine will practically be totally made of metal.
So make sure this is not the case with your slicer. Read the reviews available online carefully. In the case of purchase in the store, you can instead verify yourself with your eyes and your hands, even if you will be seen only at the time of the test and after some time of use.
Engine
When it comes to choosing the slicer, the engine issue is critical. Many budget models will come with low or otherwise mediocre wattage. Exclude machinery below 100 Watts. In addition to not excelling in cutting performance, delivering a less than perfect product, they could overheat and need to be paused due to their limitations. In addition to discomfort, the high temperature could release toxic substances present in the materials.
Cleaning
As often happens, kitchen products characterized by different pieces assembled require considerable cleaning for obvious hygiene and food safety reasons.
Here, among the different models on the market, the level of depth accessible to cleaning is often the most important criterion. If this is too uncomfortable and not very effective, the product will risk falling into disuse or no longer being used.
When choosing the slicer, make sure it is as easy to clean as possible. This way, you will often use it without problems and always keep it in optimal hygienic conditions.
Price
When you have to choose the slicer, you also choose cheap products, and in many cases, you make more than the right choice. Many products are not worth all the money they require for home use. We often pay the cost of advertising and the fame that the product enjoys. This is normal, but this can go beyond the objective characteristics of a product.
As for the slicers, we advise you not to go below $150. These are delicate machines that will be in close contact with what we are going to ingest. Better not to risk it. Also, a too cheap product will often have a shorter average life, unlike a higher-end one that will guarantee us reliability over time, allowing us to recover the investment without spending any more money later to choose the new slicer.
Below you can see the ranking with the meat slicers: