HAHA STOP Chef!

I just was with a group of people discussing this very thing. They said that none of the $100 and under units are worth the money. Also that if the blade wasn't at least 10" in diameter (5" cutting height) that it wasn't useful. That already gets into big bucks big appliance, however. A good quality slicing knife with a granton edge (divots, which prevent sticking) is a better use of $100.

I own a slicer--a recent gift--but I don't actually have it yet and can't tell you anything about it. All I know is that when I was given it I did a big gulp and wondered frantically where I was going to put it! I think it's getting the corner where the paper towels have been living. Sigh. I'm told it's the smaller of two commercial slicers, therefore called "compact". Said the man who insisted that the blade had to be big enough for ripping down lumber--I guess he thought it was puny compared to his table saw. I'm sure I'll love using it. I'm not so sure about living with it... I'm pretty sure there are slicers that are made for residential use that are better than the cheapies but without some of the heavy duty construction that a deli requires....

I checked Ebay, there are used Hobart countertop commercial slicers in working condition for $300 to $600. They do weigh a lot and take up a fair amount of counter space. Maybe you could find one on Craigslist.

do they not have delis where you live?

HerrProfessorDoktor... The $1 per slice price tag that is becoming the norm is not really interesting... Similar to the problem of buying ground beef and finding that it is gray in the middle. After a certain point you feel the need to have much more control over the meats you eat.....

If you slice so much meat/cheese that you need an electric slicer then go with the Hobart. Anything else will just be frustrating. I can't imagine needing an amount of cold cuts for home use that I can't just slice with a knife.

FWIW, hamburger turns red when exposed to oxygen, the myoglobin converts to oxymyoglobin which is bright red. If you want it red break it up and make sure it's exposed to the air. If it's been carefully sealed and well handled it should be gray-- supermarkets typically use air permeable packaging to tun the outside surface red.

I make my own cheese and don't really buy lunchmeat. I'd like to slice leftover roasts etc. I wouldn't be using it on a daily basis but I have often wished I had one. Slicing myself with a knife doesn't yield thin even slices.

Well, I do know that mine isn't a Hobart. The box says Italy. :) I'll tell you more next week. :)

I'm impressed with your cheesemaking. Do you have your own milk givers? I've made simple cheeses from bought milk, but I have nowhere for a cave, and transporting liquid milk to the city to make cheese sort of defeats the purpose of cheese for me. ;) I would so love to do it for real, though. What kinds of cheese do you make?

Pill, I do not have my own milk givers. I wish! I live in a subdivision in the city. While I think my neighbors would be ok with me having a cow since I would share with them, I think the city may frown upon it :). I make mozzarella and ricotta. I am in the process of making Colby and cheddar. I want to make Romano and Parmesan but am having trouble figuring out how to maintain 85% humidity for 10 months. I have sources for raw cow milk and could probably source raw goat milk too, but right now I'm using store milk. Strangely, the store milk works better for my yogurt and butter.

am having trouble figuring out how to maintain 85% humidity for 10 months

I know several people who pick up used wine fridges to use as cheese caves and it seems to work well, if you have any place to put one. There are always some on CL. Just be sure to look for a model with a humidity control as well as temperature.

I have a wine fridge for cheddar and Colby. It just needs 55 degrees. The wine fridge is only just I've 50% humidity. I checked. Not enough for Romano or Parmesan.

Thank-you, Debbi, for the details. You're lucky to have the milk sources. Here's an interestingblog post about putting a humidifier in a fridge.

I've mulled over getting one of those "beverage" fridges that's meant to be at 50 degrees, but in the end I can buy such great cheese without even going out of my way, and have ethnic stores and several cheese shops within getting to distance, so it's really not practical without at least a goat, which is definitely not allowed in my city. :) I can pay big bucks for excellent quality, organic, pasteurized but non-ultra liquid milk, which is "local" but still shipped hundreds of miles, and that just feels silly to do for hard cheeses. I will make ricotta now and then when I want it to be very light, but for lasagna I can also buy truly excellent. The one time it really pays off is for a friend who is on low FODMAP. It works fine with Lactaid milk. :) If I could find a really good recipe/directions/equipment for fresh (not aged) hoop cheese--once the most common cheese to buy--I might go for it still.

OTOH, when I see this new slicer, I might change my mind... Maybe it'll want feeding...

. The wine fridge is only just I've 50% humidity. I checked.

FWIW, there are some that go to 85%, but I don't know exactly which brands. Getting back semi on topic, some meat curing requires 85%, too, and people also use wine fridges for that.

I know most of the posters on this forum prefer the Hobart. It must be a very good slicer; but it is expensive. Several years ago I was looking for an inexpensive gift for my daughter and her husband. I had a flyer from Harbor Freight that had a meat slicer listed. I could afford it so I gambled and got one for them. They love it. It slices everything they want and hasn't broken. I know, it is Chinese junk; but I have gotten lucky on some stuff from there. If you want to gamble I suggest a look at their website.

Okay, it's on my kitchen counter now, and I can tell you it's a Chefmate by Globe 10". It's the, ahem, "compact", "economy" model. It's meant for a sandwich counter. It comes with a safety poster for the wall. I'm still in the instructions reading phase.

Holy crap Plll! That's expensive! And it notes that it is not recommended for cheese :(

I have borrowed and used one of the cheapo slicers with a serrated blade several times. It works fine on a ham over about 1/8" thick slices but you wont get deli thin slices for sure. I use it mainly for beef jerky which needs to be partially frozen to get good results. I think I have used it for cheese and it worked ok but I'll eventually get my own slicer in the $400 range.

Whoa! I hadn't gotten that far--I see it's right there in the description. It says nothing in the book about how to use it--just the basic mechanical operation and how to clean it at great length. I really don't want to hurt the man's feelings--it was a gift after all (and I've been very carefully not looking at anything that mentions the price)--but I may have to see about sending this thing back.

That's one heck of a gift! Who was this man, if you don't mind divulging? I'm interested to know how someone gets this type of gift, at this expense!!

LOL! There are cultures that give gifts and ones that don't. I come from the former. Unfortunately, the table saw is going back. :( It's just not usable unless one is running a deli, no matter how nice a machine it is.

Darn! That's still a really large ($$$) gift! Good for you, but sorry it didn't work out.

It's the thought that's important to me, not the money. The table saw went back today. Typical man who works with tools story. He got it in a place where there's a big display of flattops and salamanders right when you walk in. They do also have things that are meant for residential use, but are seriously set up for smaller food service.

What I learned before I took a walk around the store while they were doing the transaction, is that the reason this slicer isn't recommended for cheese is that it has a smaller motor. I would have thought that cheese was easier to cut through than meat, but apparently it takes more oomph. That's something for you to keep in mind while you're looking.