How to Sharpen an Electric Meat Slicer Blade?

The electric meat slicer is equipped with a sharp blade used to slice the meat or other foods precisely. However, after constant usage, like in commercial use, the blade may get dull and needs to be sharpened almost every day to obtain a regular and precise cut. If you use it at home, it needs to be sharpened after 15 days, or sometimes after a month.

Anyway, if you find that the slicing is not good, then be assured that the blade of the meat slicer needs to be sharpen, and if you don’t know how to sharpen the blade of the electric meat slicer, here you will find the complete procedure of sharpening its blade.

Items Required to Sharpen the Blade

  • Blade sharpening tool (sharpening stone): To sharpen your slicer blade, you will need to have a blade or a sharpening stone, also referred to as a whetstone.
    Blade sharpening tool
    Blade sharpening tool
  • Protective gloves (for hands protection): Before starting a sharpening job you have to put on cut-proof gloves on both hands. These gloves are made of mesh something similar to what you find in old armors. This is very useful to protect your hands while using sharp objects for sharpening the blades of your meat slicer.
    Gloves
    Protective gloves
  • Safety glasses (for eyes protection): Sometimes very small and hard particles of stones and sparks of fire come out while sharpening the blades that may cause damage to your eyes. To keep your eyes safe, use safety glasses thicker than usual ones during the job happening.
    Safety Glasses
    Safety glasses
  • Sharpening stone:- This is one of the essential items you need to sharpen the blades. Sometimes you will find this sharpening stone or whetstone that comes with the device, otherwise, you have to buy your own.
    Sharpening stone
    Blade Sharpening stone
  • Soft cloth: After the sharpening job is over, you need a soft washcloth to wipe and clean the whole meat slicer. You must be careful not to use sponges or scrubbers in this job as they may scratch the surface which leads to rust.
    Clean with Soft Cloth
    Clean meat slicer with Soft Cloth
  • Sanitizer (specifically blade sanitizer): The device that is generally used to handle foods in different ways has a very thick chance of being infected by germs. Therefore, sharpening the blades doesn’t mean your job is over. You have to disinfect the blades as well as the device with a sanitizer. But if you don’t have this in your place then simply use alcohol for the same result.
    Sanitizer
    Sanitizer meat slicer

Step by step process to Sharpen an Electric Meat Slicer Blade

Before starting the process of sharpening the blade, take precautionary measures, use protective gloves to save your hands and safety glasses, if needed.

Step 1: Clean the blade

Clean the Blade
Clean the Blade with soft cloth

Before positioning the sharpening stone on the blade, clean the blade with a soft cloth. It will help you to sharpen it more easily after removing particles from it. This step is also known as cleaning the blade, an essential part because a part of meat remains on its blade, affecting the sharpening process. Wipe the edges down with detergent and warm water in the cleaning process.

Step 2: Set slice thickness knob

Set slice thickness knob
slicer thickness knob

Make sure that the slice thickness knob is set at zero.

Step 3: Position the sharpener with the blade

Most meat slicers do not come with a sharpening stone, so you have to buy them from a hardware shop. Read the manual to see which sharpening stone best suits your electric meat slicer. Place the sharpener on your blade in the right position on the edge of the blade.

Position the sharpener with the blade
Position the sharpener

If the slicer has the built-in sharpener, loosen the knob. After this, swivel the attachment 180 degrees until the location with the sharpening stones and the blades touching. Once the sharpener exists, lock the knob near the gauge plate back up.

Step 4: Lock blade and install the sharpening stone

Lock blade and install the sharpening stone
Lock blade with button

The locking knob is on the bottom left side of the machine and is black in color. Unscrew it from the base shaft, attach the sharpening stone to it, and screw it back in its original position. Now, tighten it up until it makes a clicking sound. For the meat slicers that already have a sharpening stone attached to it, read the manual and follow the instruction.

Step 5: Start the sharpening procedure.

Now that everything is ready turn on your meat slicing machine and let the blade grind with the blade of the meat slicer. After 15 to 20 seconds, turn off the machine and clean the particles from it. Let it rest for a while and then turn it on again and grind the stone with the blade. Your slicer’s blade is sharpened to its best. Don’t forget to take a break of 4 seconds to protect the blade from any damage.

Step 6: Removing the stone from the blade

After sharpening the blade of your meat slicer, you have to remove the stone from the blade. First, unscrew the knob located at the left side of the slicer. Remove the sharpener carefully from the blade, and then screw the knob back tightly.

Step 7: Clean the blade

Clean with Soft Cloth
Clean the blade with Soft Cloth

Now that the process is done, you have to clean the small particles from the blades and its adjacent areas so that it cannot get mixed with the food, you slice later on. After sharpening the slicer Clean it very well. For this, use warm water and dish soap to clean the blade. Rinse everything off and add lubricating oil, so the blade doesn’t rust. Rest the sharpening stone to the starting position, take care of the sharp edge, and place the blade cover back.

Step 8: Sanitize the blade

Sanitizer
Sanitizer the blade

Lastly, just sanitize it with the blade sanitizer to get rid of germs and bacteria.

Safety Measures and Maintenance

  • Never submerge it in water when the machine contains electrical components.
  • To avoid any accidental slicing, always place the blade guard back on the meat slicer.
  • Make sure to unplug the slicer from the outlet before cleaning.
  • Oil up your machine once a month to avoid rust.
  • Always clean the slicer after use. It does not only help keep bacteria at bay, but it will also ensure your blade lives longer.
  • For proper maintenance, it is necessary to sharpen the blade regularly.

Problems that may arise During Sharpening and Cleaning

Some problems are as follows:

  • While cleaning the slicer, special care is required to handle some parts. These are the ring guard mount, blade guards, mount, and handle of the slicer machine.
  • If any broken, cracked, or loose parts are on the slicer, these parts usually gather blood and raw meat tissue.
  • Taking an extra minute or two to clean the slicer parts thoroughly may be the make or break of your cleaning routine.
  • Keep an eye on seals, seams, and the rubber gasket of the machine. Replace these parts before they become worn out and damaged.
  • If the gas kit is damaged, replace it as soon as possible. These damaged parts will become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Conclusion:

How to sharpen an Electric meat slicer blade - Getsliceright Infographic
How to sharpen an Electric meat slicer blade – Getsliceright Infographic

The cleaning of sharpening meat slicer blades with built-in sharpeners depends on their use . If the use of the device is daily, then its cleaning takes place daily. Before cleaning it, check the current condition. If it looks clean, then there is no need to clean it. But the use time of the device is less than 4 hours, and then there is no need for cleaning it. Before cleaning the device, make sure to follow the proper safe way to avoid an accident if the device part is damaged or cracked, then replace it as soon as possible.