Worth The Hype Or Overpriced: Do You Need A Home Deli Slicer?

Deli slicers offer a pretty efficient way to slice everything from pastrami or corned beef to your favorite cheeses. They can also be used for many other things, such as slicing bread, veggies, and fruits. While having one in your own kitchen can be convenient, is it actually worth the investment? Well, it depends. 

There are a lot of reasons why investing in a deli slicer could be a good choice. For example, if you're someone who buys meats and cheeses in bulk, it could be useful when portioning them for storage. Plus, cutting your own meats and cheeses gives you more control over how thin or thick they are; something you can't always guarantee when you buy them pre-cut at the store. The same applies to bread, which you can buy or bake whole and cut into slices of your preference. It's also great for uniformly slicing veggies and fruits, which can be hard to do with anything other than a mandoline — and even then, the process can be tedious. A deli slicer can definitely make creating things like Italian beef sandwiches and coleslaw a lot easier than slicing ingredients by hand. 

That being said, deli slicers do have some downsides that are worth considering, such as the time they take to clean. Moreover, while you can find fairly affordable slicers, such as the Cuisinart Kitchen Pro, it will still run you about $100. That's a sizable investment in a kitchen tool, especially if you're unsure of how often you'll use it.

While there are many reasons for owning a deli slicer, not all of them are going to benefit everyone equally. If you don't regularly buy meats in bulk, you likely won't get as much use from the machine as you'd think. Although they do make slicing bread and produce a cinch, consider whether you're slicing those things often enough that it would make a difference. If you'll only use it once a year to make a large bowl of coleslaw for your Fourth of July get-together, it's probably not worth it.  

A deli slicer also takes up quite a bit of counter space. Even if you don't have a small kitchen, you need to think about where you'll store it and how easy it will be to access when needed. Similarly, deli slicers must be thoroughly cleaned after each use to prevent contamination. Like those spots in your oven you forget to clean, there are a lot of crevices where debris can build up. This will involve completely disassembling the machine and sanitizing everything while using a brush to remove trapped food from hard-to-reach places. Overall, it's a very tedious process, and it might not be worth it for something you don't use often. 

Ultimately, when considering whether or not to invest in a deli slicer, you'll have to consider your needs, the space you have, and the maintenance they require. Sure, they can make some tasks easier, but there's a lot more to think about before spending your money on one for your home.