Slicers feature a rotating blade on a movable carriage in either a gravity-fed angled or spring-loaded upright configuration.  Angled models are designed to drop slices directly onto a receiving table, while upright slicers commonly use a lever arm to stack products in various patterns.  Manual versions require unit staff to move the carriage, while automatic models use a motor.  Vegetable cutters are built with a slower RPM and razor-sharp blades to retain the cell structure of the product, which extends shelf life and guarantees a superior end-product.  End-users can choose from a variety of discs to replicate virtually any hand-cutting style.

Since slicers help guarantee portion sizes; they are extremely useful in controlling food costs.  In addition, slicers present the dual benefit of cutting both faster and potentially more safely than knives.  Product temperature does affect the quality of the slice.  For this reason, end-users should take note of the product temperature range at which they get their best quality slices.  To reduce cross-contamination fears, some high-volume operations, such as delis, will look to employ two slicers, one for meats and another for cheeses.

End-users should reserve slicers only for deli meats and cheeses, as well as fruits and vegetables.  Both deli meats and cheese should be sliced cold, with unsliced portions returned quickly to refrigerated storage, as cross-contamination can occur at 40’F or warmer.  A slicer constructed out of aluminum can be more likely to collect scratches and pits in the casting that can collect pathogens.  Stainless steel works well and decreases the odds of contamination.  To best maintain food safety, a slicer blade and table should be thoroughly cleaned before switching to any foods that will be eaten raw.  Machines should also be cleaned and sanitized after each use.  The most efficient use of a slicer is to pre-portion foods in larger quantities, reducing the number of times a unit must be disassembled for cleaning.