Commercial meat slicers play a vital role in improving kitchen efficiency. These slicing machines are not only designed for butcher shops and delis. As a matter of fact, restaurants, diners, cafeterias, hotels, and sandwich shops can reap the benefits of a commercial meat slicer.
Advantages
Commercial meat slicers will provide many benefits to your food preparation duties. These units offer quick slicing, enabling you to increase output. Furthermore, these machines provide easy adjustability for thickness, achieving consistent slices of meat and vegetables. This level of consistency means more accurate portion control and less food waste. What this means for you is more savings in the bank.
Types
Not every commercial meat slicer operates the same, nor do they all come with the same set of features and capabilities. It is essential to determine exactly what ingredients your foodservice operations will need processed, and how often before purchasing a high quality, stainless steel slicer.
Light duty
Light duty meat slicers are designed for no more than 2 hours of operation per day. These machines generally operate with 9-10” blades and a smaller work surface, making it ideal for low volume productions. Light duty machines have a lower horsepower motor, so it is essential to keep machine usage low to avoid risk of burning out the motor.
As a result, these slicers are not ideal for raw meats or frozen foods. However, they perform well on deli meat and cooked meats. These machines also perform well when it comes to slicing vegetables.
Standard duty
Standard duty meat slicers are designed for approximately 2-3 hours of operation per day. These machines use a slightly bigger blade, ranging between 10-12” in diameter. Compared to light duty machines, standard duty units will have a higher powered motor, making these machines ideal for a variety of meats and minimal cheese slicing capabilities.
Heavy duty
Heavy duty meat slicers are designed for long durations of operation; 3+ hours per day. Heavy duty units utilize a larger blade, ranging between 12-14” in diameter. This makes this type of slicer ideal for big restaurants, butcher shops, and catering businesses. This is because these machines can achieve high production volumes. As a result, it is important to ensure that your business requires a high volume of slicing as these machines can be very costly if not utilized often.
Heavy duty commercial slicers are ideal for many types of food. These machines are a great option for raw and cooked meats, frozen foods, and vegetables. These units are also great for slicing cheese. Many heavy duty slicers even come available with automatic features that can slice ingredients on its own.
Considerations
When integrating your new commercial meat slicer in your kitchen facility, it is important to take into account critical considerations.
Firstly, safety is of the utmost importance. As a result, it is vital to ensure that all back-of-house staff is fully trained prior to utilizing the slicer. Training will help your staff understand and be aware of all safety risks associated with operating a slicer. Furthermore, proper training will teach staff how to set up and shut down the machine before and after operation.
Finally, implementing proper sanitation procedures is crucial. While commercial slicers are easy to clean, it is essential that your staff knows how to properly and safely deep clean these machines.
Your Next Slicer Is Waiting For You
Whether you’re operating a busy restaurant, butcher shop, hotel, catering business, deli, or sandwich shop – a commercial slicer will go a long way in helping you cut production time, increase output, and save you money in the long run.
Babak Food Equipment offers a variety of commercial meat slicers for any size of business. Browse our website, or drop in to inquire about your next kitchen upgrade. Backed by over 20 years of expertise in the restaurant equipment and supply industry, we have the know-how to help you set your kitchen up for success.