The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Bread Slicing Machine

CountryBoy's picture
CountryBoy

Bread Slicing Machine

Ok, this is the strangest question ever, but here goes....

Has anyone ever considered a bread slicing machine? Could they recommend one?

This one is definitely outside my price range

GAPOMA's picture
GAPOMA

I don't have a recommendation, however I can say that when I stayed for a summer in a small town in SE Austria the mom of the house used a hand-cranked "meat slicer" (like you'd see in a deli) to slice ALL of the bread for the house.

Honestly, I thought it was really cool and it worked GREAT.  I've been looking for a good quality reasonably priced hand-cranked slicer ever since but I've never have found one, just electric ones.

- Greg

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

I’ve used a meat slicing machine for years. It was originally purchased to make beef jerky. Although not the same machine it is similar to THIS ONE.

I give all of my breads away, bagged and sliced. That way I get to observe the crumb. The neighbors really like it sliced.

Another nice thing about using a slicer is the ability to slice the bread thinly. Mine are sliced about 3/8” thick to reduce the calories.

Dan

jschmitz1949's picture
jschmitz1949

I agree that a deli slicer is probably your best bet.  I work in the bakery industry, and most of the suitable slicers for labs (similar to home-use) are not cheap.  At work I have an old Oliver and a newer JAC that I have set to different widths corresponding to my retail products.  They work great, but at home my deli slicer gets used more for bread than it does bacon, cheese, or any other protein combined.

You can typically find them for around $300-500 depending on the area you live.

 

cblueribbon's picture
cblueribbon

Check your local auctions.  I brought my Berkel bread slicer when the local Kroger store moved.

Jess_What's picture
Jess_What

Auctions are my go-to for affordable home/ kitchen needs. 

CountryBoy's picture
CountryBoy

Many thanks for the suggestions.

Looks as if all the suitable answers for a slicing machine are outside my price range.

jschmitz1949's picture
jschmitz1949

What is your price range?  You've mentioned what's outside your range, but not what the range actually is.

 

I mentioned commercial deli slicers because they're cheaper than bread slicers.  If the commercial deli slicers are too expensive there are some other models available more suited for home use.  Cabela's has some that are cheaper.  They'll still work fine for bread, but they will struggle with some meats (if you'd envision ever going that way in the future).  The key though is to know what's actually possible in your budget.

Alan.H's picture
Alan.H

The answer might be to look for a food rather than bread slicer if it is for domestic rather than commercial use. In the UK I have been using a Cookworks food slicer for some years which is reliable and was very cheap when bought and still seems to be available at a reasonable price under the  "Progress"  brand name. They also do  this model which seems to be better designed for bread slicing, (Have a look too at the Andrew James brand). Maybe these or something similar are available in the US.

 
CountryBoy's picture
CountryBoy

Well you folks certainly have come up with some splendid suggestions.

My price range is unrealistically low, say $50, so it looks like I don't qualify to buy anything.

But I am grateful for everyone's excellent suggestion.

Thanks again.

gerryp123's picture
gerryp123

I'm baking only about 1-2 (large) loaves a week, and can get by with a manual slicer (or cutting guide).  Lots of gadgets out there, probably mostly junk.  Might even be DIY idea (like a miter-box for bread) 

Any recommendations?

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

country boy, you might want to look on Craigslist or similar for a used ChefEdge 609 or 610 models. The 609 is the entry model, and it got fairly good reviews on Amazon , a number of users said they used it for bread,  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078X5JWBD/ref=psdc_1090758_t3_B0002AKCOC?th=1 and it sells for $125 new, so should be around $60 or so used. The 610 was the next step up, but it has been discontinued, but there were lots of them sold, so it should not be hard to find one around $50.  I have one, it is a little under powered, but if you go slow, it does okay.

CountryBoy's picture
CountryBoy

Your thoughtful and practical suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.