No matter how good your knife skills are, a meat slicer can save your time and still give you a paper-thin slice. A meat slicer is an excellent tool for slicing and serving meats and cutting ingredients for cooking. Safety is paramount when using a meat slicer. Failure to take safety precautions can result in injury.
Basic Overview:
We’re going to start with a basic overview of how to use a meat slicer, and then we’re going to dive into the specific safety tips that you need to know to make sure that your meat slicer is safe for you and your family.
First, you need to take your meat slicer out of its packaging & plug the power switch into the socket.
Before slicing :
- Make sure that the blade is clean. You can use a wet cloth, or you can use a dry cloth.
- Set the thickness dials; you can do this by turning the dials clockwise or anticlockwise.
- After setting the thickness, put the slightly frozen meat on the cutting board of the meat slicer and start slicing the meat. While performing this task, you should know the safety features of the meat slicer for safe operation.
Why safety tips are necessary?
Safety tips are necessary because accidents do happen & they keep us safe from harm. The best way to ensure that your meat slicer is safe for you and your family. If you take the time to learn how to use tools properly and practice using them safely, you will be able to save yourself from danger. If safety tips are not considered when using a meat slicer, you can hurt yourself and your family, and even you can damage your meat slicer.
Foods Not to use with a Meat Slicer
Meat slicers can be a necessary tool in the kitchen. However, some foods don’t mix well with them. This is because they have sharp edges, and if they get in contact with certain foods, they can cause injury. Therefore, it’s essential to know which foods are not safe for your meat slicer.
- Do not use foods that have seeds: Do not use seeds or other food that contains complex parts, such as grapes, apples,cherries, or pears, in the meat slicer because the blades of the meat slicer may catch the seeds and damage the meat slicer. No matter how tiny the seeds are, they can still damage the meat slicer.
- Do not cut meats with the bone: Never use the meat slicer to cut bones because bones are complicated and can damage the edges of the blade and motor of the meat slicer. It would be best if you used a knife instead.
- Do not slice cooked food right after raw meat: Many people are unaware of the health hazards of slicing cooked food right after raw meat. Keeping the cooked food separate from the raw meat for at least 24 hours is essential to avoid food poisoning.
- Do not use acidic food: Do not use the meat slicer to cut up foods containing acids or other acidic substances such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, tea, soda, etc.
- Do not slice meats that are over-sized for the slicer: Do not use a meat slicer for significant cuts of meat, such as a whole leg of lamb or an entire side of beef. Use a meat slicer for minor cuts of meat, such as chicken, fish and beef.
Foods you can use with meat Slicer
A meat slicer is a handy kitchen tool that you can use to slice, dice, chop, and julienne a wide range of foods. You can use many foods with a meat slicer, and you can make many different dishes using them.
- Vegetables: The most common food you can use with the slicer is vegetables. You can use it to slice mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and make a salad.
- Bread: You can use the meat slicer to slice bread such as bagels, buns, rolls, etc. You can also use it to cut bread such as croissants, baguettes, etc.
Slice Bread with meat slicer - Cheeses: You can use the meat slicer to cut cheese like cheddar, Swiss, provolone, etc. You can use it to cut hard cheeses like parmesan, mozzarella, etc. You can also use it to cut soft cheeses like cream cheese, ricotta, etc. You can use it to cut cakes and other desserts.
Slice cheese with meat slicer - Raw Meat Slicer: You can use the meat slicer to cut, slice and dice chicken, fish, meat, etc. The best meats with a meat slicer include beef, pork, chicken, and lamb. You can make sandwiches, meatloaf, meatballs, and meatballs with meats.
Slice different things with meat slicer
Improve Safety on a Meat Slicer
If you are using a meat slicer, you must keep these safety tips. Follow our tips listed in this guide, whether at home or in the butcher shop, and you’ll be able to use your meat slicer safely.
- Read Meat Slicer Instruction Manual Carefully.
- Keep hands and fingers away from the blade while they’re in motion.
- Always unplug the slicer when not in use or when left unattended for any amount of time.
- Please do not wash the machine with water directly; otherwise, it will cause electric shock and other possible issues.
- Sharpen the blade every day to prevent rust.
- Never start with the automatic setting or fast speed, or it will damage the machine.
- Never push the meat with your bare hand; always use a food pusher.
- Cleaning the blade from the center outward to avoid contact with the blade edge.
- When disassembling to clean, keep the blade secured and covered.
- When ready to slice the meat, ensure the black lever is in the manual position and the speed selector knob is in low-speed mode.
- Never put hands & fingers for food as it comes out of the slicer – always use a catch pan.
- Drip away the fat that may get splattered onto the slicer.
- After using the meat slicer remaining pieces of meat from the top and bottom of the slicer should be removed; otherwise, this can increase the bacteria growth.
- Never Try to slice bones or can damage the blade or even the motor on electric models.
- Wear cut-resistant gloves for protection if you don’t want to handle hot or messy items.
- Ensure that your slicer is maintained correctly: the blade is sharpened and has no cracks, rust, or other damage.
- Never use any chemical products when cleaning the parts of the meat slicer.
- Never put a food item back into a slicer once removed.
- Do not cut frozen meat below -6 degrees Celsius.
- Make sure the meat slicer runs smoothly by checking the parts frequently.
- Try not to use a brush or other instrument to clean the machine as it could damage the slicer pieces.
- Make sure all the accessories you will be using are clean.
- The device must be used on a flat surface & keep the workspace free from the mess.
- Never mess with the security switch.
- Do not operate if your machine is broken.
- Only use a proper plunger when feeding meat into grinders.
How to properly clean a meat slicer?
The first thing you should do is make sure that the meat slicer is clean. You can wash it out in the sink with soap and hot water. You can also wipe it down with a damp cloth. It will help keep the slicer clean and sanitary & prevent bacteria from building
up on the blades and the cutting board.
- Start with a cleaning slicer surface and blade: Before you begin cleaning your meat slicer, you’ll need to start with cleaning a blade. Then make sure that the surface of the meat slicer is free of any food particles or dirt.
- Use a clean cloth or brush: You’ll need to use a clean cloth or brush to wipe away any dirt or remains. Ensure
that you don’t use too much force and wipe away the dirt. - Use soap and warm water: You’ll also need to use soap and warm water. It will help remove any grease or dirt you've wiped away from the surface & blade.
- Rinse your meat slicer: Once you’ve cleaned the surface & blade, you’ll need to rinse your meat slicer
thoroughly. You can use warm water or a brush to clean the surface. - Dry your meat slicer: After rinsing your meat slicer, it’s time to dry it. You can use a clean cloth, or you can use a towel. You don’t want to leave any moisture on the surface.
Clean with cloth
How to safely store a meat slicer?
Meat slicers can be dangerous if not properly stored. It would be best to always keep your meat slicer in a safe place where it cannot fall on someone or cause harm. It will help prevent accidents.
- Keep it clean: When storing your food slicer, the first thing you should do is make sure it is clean. You’ll want to make sure that there is no food on it and that it is free of grease and grime.
- Keep it dry: Once you have cleaned your food slicer, you’ll want to keep it away from moisture. It means you should store it somewhere that is not going to get wet, such as a cupboard.
- Make sure it’s secure: The last thing you’ll want to do when storing your food slicer is to ensure it is secure. Make sure that it doesn’t fall over and that it doesn’t get damaged.
FAQS
How Can I Store Meat Slicer Blades?
You can store the blades in a sealed container with a desiccant. You can also keep the blades in a dry place.
What should be kept in mind while cleaning a meat slicer?
Always keep the machine clean and avoid using any abrasive substances. Also, donot use any metal or sharp objects to clean the machine. The best way to clean a meat slicer is to use a soft, clean cloth.
Conclusion
A meat slicer is a handy tool that can efficiently slice anything right onto your plate. When used correctly, these slicers are very safe and easy to use. However, many things can go wrong once you get it home. Just a few of these include keeping it out of reach of children, making sure it isn’t too close to a heat source, and not slicing too fast or too much at once. The other tips mentioned above are to keep yourself safe when using a meat slicer. After reading this article on safety tips when using a meat slicer, you should feel well-equipped to utilize this tool safely in your kitchen!
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