As the owner of a bustling deli, one of our biggest operational challenges has always been meat slicing. From hams and roasts to turkey breast and corned beef, manually slicing meats consumes a huge chunk of labor time and causes inconsistent slice sizes. After years of frustration, I finally took the plunge and purchased an industrial automatic meat slicer. In this post, I'll overview how auto slicers work and detail the tangible benefits I've experienced after automating this crucial process.

An automatic slicer is powered by a heavy-duty electric motor which rotates a circular blade at extremely high speeds, up to 390 RPM. The diameter of the blade ranges from 10 to 14 inches depending on the size of product being sliced. Hard cheeses, deli meats, and frozen products are held in place on the carriage tray which methodically feeds the item into the spinning blade. The consistent mechanical action produces perfect slices of cheese or meat in a fraction of the time it takes to slice by hand.  

I researched different slicer models and selected a compact tabletop slicer which fit seamlessly into my deli counter. After proper cleaning and sanitizing, operating the machine is very straightforward. I simply secure the meat or cheese on the carriage, select the desired slice thickness on the digital display, and let the slicer work its magic. Thicker cuts like roast beef take about 60 seconds to fully slice while an entire deli ham is done in under 5 minutes with wafer thin pieces.

The benefits I’ve experienced from an automatic slicer have been transformative:

    - Increased slicing productivity and capacity. I estimate it has doubled my hourly slicing output.

    - Reduced physical strain on my wrists and hands from manual slicing all day. 

    - More consistent slice thickness and aesthetically pleasing products.

    - Ability to instantly slice meats and cheeses to order for customers.

    - Safer slicing environment versus exposing hands and arms to a knife blade.

    - Easy to dismantle, clean, and sanitize the blade and components.

While the upfront investment in an automatic slicer was significant, I fully recovered the costs in under 10 months from labor savings and increased slicing efficiency alone. Going from manual to automatic slicing has reduced slice time, boosted my deli’s daily product volume, and delivered excellent return on investment. For any growing deli, I firmly believe automating meat slicing should be a top priority. It eliminates a labor-intensive activity and allows me to better focus on customers and quality control. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge into automated slicing.