The 4 Best Meat Slicers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

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We sliced pounds of ham, cheese, and bread to determine the best options for deli-style cuts at home.

Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé is a passionate and voraciously hungry home cook and eater. She's been writing about food in all its forms since 2014 and is a big believer that anyone can and should love to cook.

In This Article

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

Not all of us have the counter space for a meat slicer. But if you’ve got some room and are passionate about perfectly sliced meats, this is a luxury appliance worth splurging on. It can bring the convenience of mediocre pre-packaged deli meats to your kitchen without sacrificing quality and significantly cut your prep time for delicious weeknight dinners.

Slicing by hand can be tedious, repetitive, and potentially dangerous when you’re on slice number 22 and perhaps not paying as much attention as you were when you started. But the best meat slicer will produce consistent, even slices and let you adjust the thickness. If you’ve already secured the best panini press and want the ultimate sandwich upgrade for deli-quality sliced prosciutto or mortadella, consider investing in a meat slicer.

To test the best meat slicers, we sliced deli meats and bread, noting any inconsistencies and keeping a close eye on safety. We also washed them, noting how difficult or easy it was to break them down and get them clean. Ultimately, we rounded up four meat slicers for different kitchen setups and budgets. These are the best meat slicers, according to our tests.

This aluminum and steel meat slicer is well-made and sturdy.

This commercial-style model is heavy and requires two people for safe transport.

The Beswood meat slicer looks and performs like a larger commercial model. It’s large, with a heavy base that gives it a strong foundation that feels sturdy and safe. The rubber feet also aid with stability. Because of its large size, it would be best stored on a countertop since moving it safely requires two adults. It comes with one non-serrated, resharpenable blade.

The setup for this slicer is straightforward, as it comes with most of its parts already installed. There’s an optional splash guard for juicy items like roast beef, and a plastic slicing guide for bread, which we found helpful for handling softer breads. The dial for slice thickness is accurate and corresponds to millimeters for easy measuring. However, we found thickness varied if we applied pressure to the product handle.

In our tests, slicing felt simple and consistent for bread, ham, and cheese. Cleaning was easy since the manufacturer recommends simply wiping everything down. We liked this machine’s value, versatility, and consistency, and we believe it’s appropriate for any volume that a homeowner might need.

Dimensions: 20 x 17 x 14.75 inches | Weight: 33 pounds | Blade: High-carbon and chromium-plated steel

This slicer is small enough to store in a cabinet between uses.

We wished the thinnest setting was even thinner.

For home cooks looking for a meat slicer that can be moved between a cabinet and tabletop easily, the LEM Might Bite 8.5-inch Meat Slicer is our most compact choice. It’s a manageable size without compromising on sturdiness. The slicer has two blades, one non-serrated and one serrated for bread. You’ll need a flathead screwdriver to change the blades.

The setup and blade installation for the LEM is simple and easy. The thickness dial is marked but difficult to turn. Our tests found that even on the thinnest setting, ham and cheese came out a bit thicker than a standard deli cut. Due to its smaller size, larger items like a loaf of bread needed to be cut into more manageable pieces before they could be safely sliced. Cleaning this slicer is easy, and can be done by wiping down the blade or removing the blade.

This slicer is louder than the other slicers we tested, though we were still able to have conversations while listening to music and using it. Our tests of this slicer produced nice slices without tearing or shredding, though it performs better at thicker settings.

Dimensions: 18.13 x 18.13 x 12 inches | Weight: 13.4 pounds | Blade: Stainless steel

It is compact and easy to move around.

This slicer moved around slightly when in use.

The Ostba 200W Electric Deli Slicer is a great value if you want a deli slicer at home but don’t want to spend a ton. It doesn’t take up a lot of counter space and is light enough to move without strain. In our tests, we encountered a minor problem with its lightweight construction. The suction cups made to keep the slicer in place sometimes became unstuck, allowing the slicer to move around slightly while in use. While this didn’t make us feel unsafe during our tests, we feel it’s important to note. We like the safety lock to prevent accidentally turning it on. It comes with two blades, one serrated for bread, and one unserrated for meats and cheeses.

The setup was simple since the blade comes installed. This slicer has the smallest blade of those we recommend, which some people may find limiting in terms of what they can slice. Like our other more affordable picks, we found this slicer less adept at producing super-thin slices and found that the motor struggles with thicker items like hard cheeses. Our tests found that 3-4 millimeters was the thinnest this slicer could go while still producing uniform slices. Cleaning was straightforward, and we found this slicer to be a good value for its affordable price.

Dimensions: 14.6 x 9.4 x 10.2 inches | Weight: 10.12 pounds | Blade: Stainless steel

This slicer is large and heavy-duty; perfect for high-volume slicing.

Because of its size, you need two people to safely move this slicer.

If you want a commercial-grade slicer for your home, we recommend this one. It is large enough to accommodate large loaves of bread and pieces of deli meat. It effectively created thin, delicate slices.

Of all the slicers we tested, this model was best able to create super delicate slices of meat and cheese. The system has serrated and non-serrated blades and the thickness settings are marked and easy to change. We liked the consistency of the slices. This unit’s ability to produce the thinnest slices we saw across our tests. The motor got bogged down when trying to produce thicker slices of cheese; a problem we attributed to the motor not being strong enough for the task.

We liked this machine’s stainless steel construction, though we noted that it requires a brush to properly clean all its nooks and crannies. If you’ve got the budget, or if super-thin slices are your top priority, we recommend this meat slicer.

Dimensions: 20.1 x 18.5 x 15.5 inches | Weight: 37 pounds | Blade: Stainless steel

The Beswood 10-inch Premium Meat and Cheese Slicer is a strong, easy-to-use at-home meat slicer that is simple to clean and safe to operate. While large, it feels sturdy and won’t slip or struggle when used for long periods. If your biggest priority is a super-thin slice, we recommend the commercial-grade KWS Commercial 320W Electric Meat Slicer.

To determine the best meat slicers, we tested six top-rated models. In our tests, we sliced bread, cheese, and ham, noting the thickness of the slices, how well the blade and motor operated, and whether the slices produced were even in thickness. We also observed if any slices tore or broke. We thoroughly cleaned each unit to ensure they were simple and safe. Finally, we rated all the slicers on design, ease of use, performance, and cleaning.

The size of the slicer you buy will determine where you store it. If you don’t have space on your countertop, you’ll need to stow it in a cabinet or pantry between uses. In these situations, you may want to make sure you choose a slicer that is easier to move between locations since some of these slicers are heavier and larger.

For safety, a great meat slicer should be easy to use. A smooth-gliding carriage and sharp blade will offer a much more enjoyable experience than the alternative. And, easy to use typically also means easy to clean.

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

A meat slicer’s motor determines how quickly and efficiently it can slice. It also contributes to how much you can slice, because a weaker motor is more likely to overheat or otherwise exhibit symptoms of overwork than a more powerful version. If you have lots of slicing to do, look for a motor that is 200W or above.

Blades can always be sharpened, but it’s nice when you don’t have to before every use. Some meat slicers include a built-in blade sharpener to make maintaining the blade a breeze. Also, keep in mind that larger blades will allow for larger cuts. So if you’re trying to slice a whole ham, you might opt for a 10-inch blade over, say, a 6-inch blade.

You should also look out for the type of blade your meat slicer uses. Most come standard with a smooth-edged blade, but if you'll also be cutting a lot of bread you may want to look for a model that includes a serrated blade to use as a bread knife.

It doesn’t take a culinary expert to understand that meat slicers can be dangerous. Look for one with a tilted food carriage that offers a clear grip for your hands, and never force food through the slicing blade. Some models also come with a child-lock feature, which is important if small children are in the kitchen.

If you buy bulk deli meats or want to be able to produce thin slices without breaking a sweat, a meat slicer might be for you. You’ll also want to consider where you’ll store it since most slicers are relatively large. Consider whether there are children in the house who will need to be kept away from the slicer’s sharp blades.

Most meat slicers come with one or two blades. All slicers come with a non-serrated blade that can be used for slicing regular items, including cheese and meat. Some also include a serrated blade that is better for bread.

The size of the meat slicer you’ll need depends on the size and quantity of meat you’ll cut. In general, a 7-inch blade is good for smaller cuts of meat, while industrial or commercial slicers start around 12 inches. Look for a blade somewhere between 7 and 9 inches.

While you can use a slicer to cut raw meat, you’ll want to fully disinfect the unit after use. Refer to manufacturer cleaning recommendations.

You should not use a meat slicer to cut bones and joints, as doing so can damage the machine’s blade, and pose a potential safety threat. We recommend a heavy butcher knife or cleaver for slicing through bones and joints.

For home use, you can lightly clean your slicer between products. Each slicer has different manufacturer cleaning recommendations, but to deeply clean and disinfect in order to prevent cross-contamination, remove the blade and fully disinfect it with hot water and soap. Be sure to fully dry the blade before reattaching.

We also tested the Meat! Electric Meat Slicer, 7.5-inch Serrated Blade, and the Cuisinart Kitchen Pro Food Slicer, 7.5-inch Serrated Blade, neither of which we recommend. The Meat! Slicer produced ragged, broken slices, while the Cuisinart slicer’s blade popped off during testing, a malfunction we felt was a safety hazard.

Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé is a passionate and voraciously hungry home cook and eater. She's been writing about food in all its forms for more than a decade and is a big believer that anyone can and should love to cook. She also runs Tiny Table Tours, a boutique walking tour company based in her home of Philadelphia.