The 8 Best Meat Slicers
Updated by · How we research
Eight home, heavy-duty and manual meat slicers compared on blades, motors, safety and cleanup. The OSTBA SL-518 leads, with two blades and a two-year warranty. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A home slicer earns its space only if you buy whole roasts, hams or cheese blocks, because sliced deli meat keeps just a few days in the fridge. Home machines also run small motors that cut best through chilled meat, not frozen blocks. These picks serve home cooks, jerky makers and hot-pot fans, with one hand-powered option.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The OSTBA SL-518 is our new first choice. It ships with both a toothed and a smooth blade, starts only with a two-button press, and carries a two-year warranty. Six earlier picks didn't survive this update. The Co-Z MCM-TS25, SuperHandy, Chef's Choice 615 and the old Best Choice Products slicer can't be bought anymore, and the Berkel 825 A-Plus and Hobart HS7-1 are restaurant machines, so those two makers now appear as honors instead.
The Cuisinart Kitchen Pro FS-75 stays, listed under its correct name this time, along with the Nesco FS-250, the Elite Gourmet EMT-625B and the befen Manual for hot-pot slices. New picks add a two-blade VEVOR 8.6-Inch for less money and two 10-inch machines, the KWS MS-10NS and VEVOR JK-250A, for people who slice game or jerky in bulk.
We weighed motor power, blade sets, thickness range, safety locks and stated warranties across 18 slicers, and read the CDC's Listeria advice on deli meat, since a home slicer is only as safe as its last cleaning.
Earlier notes
November 3, 2020, by Taber Koeghan:
With regard to updates, three products have been removed from the list and there are three new additions. The Vollrath 40952 and Techwood Precision got the ax due to quality concerns and availability issues. The Chef's Choice 615A has been replaced with an updated version, which boasts a similarly durable build and stylish appearance. One of the highest quality options out there, the Co-Z MCM-TS25, has been added because of its clever safety features and impressive processing ability. For home cooks who require portability, the Superhandy Portable, another new addition, folds up for easy transport and storage.
So, what happens when you've processed more deli meat than you can consume in one sitting? Storage, of course. But regular plastic sandwich baggies won't preserve freshness for long, so a vacuum sealer is necessary for storing more than just a couple slices. These devices can extend the life of your lunchmeat by years if you throw it in the freezer. Busy folks and fitness enthusiasts may also want to review our list of life-simplifying meal prep containers.
May 1, 2019, by Taber Koeghan:
Whether you own a restaurant or simply want to prepare deli slices by the batch at home, this list has a model to match your needs. There are electric as well as manual options, and every entry is adjustable to accommodate meat of different sizes and shapes. Some useful features to watch for include suction cup feet that curb slippage, dishwasher-friendly parts, and built-in sharpening wheels that help keep maintenance to a minimum.
The Chef’s Choice 610 was taken off the list due to its outdated design, and the Hobart Edge 13 was removed due to its similarity to the Hobart HS7-1. The Techwood Precision has been added to provide shoppers with another high-performance, yet reasonably-priced option. The Befen Manual is another new addition, included because of its effectiveness on frozen meats.
Special Honors
Berkel Berkel traces its slicers back to an 1898 machine by W.A. Van Berkel, and its hand-cranked flywheel slicers are still the classic choice for prosciutto. These are pricey, heavy machines meant for display as much as use, sold through Berkel and its dealers. berkelequipment.com
Hobart Hobart's HS Series and Centerline slicers are the machines behind many deli counters. They are built for all-day restaurant use and priced for businesses, but worth knowing if you run a butcher shop, a food truck or a large hunting camp. hobartcorp.com
Blade, Teeth And Motor
That's plenty for chilled roast beef, ham, cheese and bread.
A meat slicer is a round blade that spins while a sliding carriage pushes food across it, and a knob sets how far the food sits from the blade. It started as a shop machine for butchers and delis, turned by hand on older models and by a motor on newer ones, and home versions are sold too (Wikipedia).
Home slicers use a blade of about 7.5 to 8.7 inches and a motor of roughly 130 to 200 watts. That's plenty for chilled roast beef, ham, cheese and bread. A toothed blade grips crusty loaves and part-frozen meat; a smooth blade leaves cleaner faces on deli meat and cheese, which is why two-blade kits are worth having.
Ten-inch machines are a different class. The KWS MS-10NS runs a 320-watt belt drive and carries a one-year factory warranty from KWS, and machines like it weigh well over 30 pounds, so they live on the counter. Full restaurant slicers, such as Hobart's heavy-duty HS Series, are another step up again in size and price.
Electric, Manual And Frozen Meat
Most people want an electric slicer. It turns a cold roast into even sandwich slices in a minute or two, and the thickness dial repeats the same cut every time. Chill the meat well first: a firm roast slices cleanly, while a warm one smears. Small motors don't like a rock-hard frozen block, so let frozen meat soften for a while and use the toothed blade.
Hand-powered slicers still have two jobs. A lever cutter such as the befen shaves frozen, boneless beef or lamb paper-thin for hot pot and Korean barbecue, with no outlet needed. At the other end, Italian flywheel slicers, cranked by hand, are prized for prosciutto. Berkel, whose founder W.A. Van Berkel built his first meat-slicing machine in 1898, still makes them.
Never slice anything with bones, pits or hard seeds on a home slicer. They can chip the blade or kick the food back toward your hand.
Cleaning And Food Safety
Cleaning is the real chore. On the electric picks here, the blade, food carriage and pusher come off. Wash them by hand in hot, soapy water, dry them right away, and only wipe the motor base, since none of these bases may go under water. Unplug the slicer first, set the thickness to zero so the blade edge is covered, and handle the blade by its center.
Clean it the same day you use it. Deli meat can carry Listeria, a germ that grows even in the fridge. A 2024 outbreak linked to deli meats made 61 people sick in 19 states and killed 10, according to the CDC. The CDC advises pregnant people, newborns, people 65 and older and anyone with a weakened immune system to eat deli meat only after heating it to 165 F or until steaming hot (CDC: preventing Listeria).
Slice only what you will eat within a few days. A whole roast keeps better than a stack of thin slices, which dry out and spoil sooner.
How we researched this
We compared 18 meat slicers, checked published specs, blade sets and warranty terms for the 8 picks, read CDC food-safety guidance on deli meat, and searched U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records for the major brands. We found no slicer recalls. Updated November 1, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Editors.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electric or a manual meat slicer better for a home kitchen?
Electric, for most people. It cuts chilled roasts, ham, cheese and bread into even slices quickly. A manual lever cutter makes sense only if you mainly want paper-thin frozen meat for hot pot or Korean barbecue.
Can a home meat slicer cut frozen meat?
Only partly frozen meat. Let a frozen roast soften until it's firm but not rock hard, and use a toothed blade. A solid frozen block can stall a small motor or damage the blade.
How thin can a meat slicer cut?
Home slicers start at close to zero. The Cuisinart Kitchen Pro FS-75 goes down to about 1/32 inch, and most top out between half an inch and three-quarters of an inch.
What's the difference between a home and a commercial slicer?
Commercial-style slicers have 10-inch or larger blades, stronger belt or gear drives, built-in sharpeners and often NSF certification. They also weigh 30 pounds or more and cost several times as much as a home machine.
How do you clean a meat slicer?
Unplug it, set the thickness to zero, and remove the blade, carriage and pusher. Wash them by hand in hot, soapy water and dry them at once. Wipe the motor base with a damp cloth; never put it under water.
