We now have an old Italian 'General Machines' slicer with about a 12" dia blade. Very good. Rugged and well built. But how to slice the last inch? There seems no way to close that last 1" gap between carriage and blade. Is that common? Is there a workaround that people use?
Slicer: How to slice the last inch?
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pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Welcome to the forum!
I never had to use one of those, but a friend I know used to use a piece of stale bread to get the last of meats or onions on those slicers. Not sure what brand he used, though.
I never had to use one of those, but a friend I know used to use a piece of stale bread to get the last of meats or onions on those slicers. Not sure what brand he used, though.
I can see that: put something else in there.. a 'shim' sort of. But I just don't understand their basic design philosophy. Why leave a whole inch there (30mm actually, on ours) ? It also means there's no 'backing plate' in that 1" gap. So if I use ' a shim ' then it can fairly easily be pushed out of the way - there's nothing underneath it and nothing behind it - only the force you're applying from the side is all there is. Got no hooks into it from the 'clamper' thing either.
Funny.
Funny.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Hi and welcome to Discuss Cooking
I imagine the designers leave that space to prevent injuries, since people often don't use the hand guard. I cut up the remaining amount with my chef's knife. If it's something I like raw, like a carrot, I just eat it.
I imagine the designers leave that space to prevent injuries, since people often don't use the hand guard. I cut up the remaining amount with my chef's knife. If it's something I like raw, like a carrot, I just eat it.
Seeing as they were generally made for professionals and shops, I don't think they cared about slicing down the last inch. Probably wasn't popular to sell smaller cuts.
Perhaps shops would chunk them up and sell as additions for paella's or sauces, etc.?? or something one would add cold cuts to? Or grind them up for hash type dishes?
Perhaps you could do that too?
just thinking out loud...
Perhaps shops would chunk them up and sell as additions for paella's or sauces, etc.?? or something one would add cold cuts to? Or grind them up for hash type dishes?
Perhaps you could do that too?
just thinking out loud...
Kathleen
Cupcake
Welcome to DC! I think that last inch was to add to soups, stews, salads, etc. (Actually, I have zero idea, but am simply speculating.) If far enough back, perhaps they had enough to process that the ends were not as important or were not as standardly sized as they have today.
Well I've since realised I've been a bit thick. I'm cutting up meat about say the size of a big loaf of bread. I'm worrying about when I get to the 'heel of the load', that last inch. But I can make it a last 'two inches' instead and when I reach that point I can lay it down so it's now just one thick slice only two inches high.
And I can slice that until I'm down to just strip one inch deep and as wide as this imaginary 'loaf'.
Or I could stop that at two inches, too.
So now its a strip say four inches long and two 'deep' on the feed tray.
You get the point? That 'depth' enables the toothed clamp to hold it that's why I stop early.
And turning the remaining portion around enables me to slice quite a lot more. And those 'secondary' slices can be as wide as I choose to make them decided by when I stop slicing in the first place.
If I haven't confused everyone with my poor explanation it boils down to me seeing that one can 'use' the thing in different ways. Don't have to just push the material in the once way only until done.
There's the question of cutting across the grain or with the grain I suppose but I doubt that's important at all.
I am not at all convinced by the idea that the gap is there to save fingers. Such foolish people are going to push right up to the blade I imagine. Probably push harder when they reach the end of the tray because at that point the only thing that stops the portion falling is their push.
I guess they'd imagine (if such people do exist) that where they are pushing is back from the edge of the blade somewhere closer to the axis and they'd be safe. And they'd be pretty right at that, too, wouldn't they? It's not like they're approaching the blade edge-on.
I think I'll write to a manufacturer and ask him.
I asked GPT and it didn't know. Came up with all sorts of spurious nonsense.
And I can slice that until I'm down to just strip one inch deep and as wide as this imaginary 'loaf'.
Or I could stop that at two inches, too.
So now its a strip say four inches long and two 'deep' on the feed tray.
You get the point? That 'depth' enables the toothed clamp to hold it that's why I stop early.
And turning the remaining portion around enables me to slice quite a lot more. And those 'secondary' slices can be as wide as I choose to make them decided by when I stop slicing in the first place.
If I haven't confused everyone with my poor explanation it boils down to me seeing that one can 'use' the thing in different ways. Don't have to just push the material in the once way only until done.
There's the question of cutting across the grain or with the grain I suppose but I doubt that's important at all.
I am not at all convinced by the idea that the gap is there to save fingers. Such foolish people are going to push right up to the blade I imagine. Probably push harder when they reach the end of the tray because at that point the only thing that stops the portion falling is their push.
I guess they'd imagine (if such people do exist) that where they are pushing is back from the edge of the blade somewhere closer to the axis and they'd be safe. And they'd be pretty right at that, too, wouldn't they? It's not like they're approaching the blade edge-on.
I think I'll write to a manufacturer and ask him.
I asked GPT and it didn't know. Came up with all sorts of spurious nonsense.
Sir_Loin_of_Beef
Chef Extraordinaire
Dice it and add it to an omellete
Yuk. Not to my taste, friend. I've tried it. Didn't work for me. Beef omelette. Nope. Rather have an onion omelette - or capsicum - or cheese..
But the point is how to get the max slices and I just said it: turn the thing around.
dr morbius
Senior Cook
Do you like soup? Or salad? I figure pretty much any kind of meat can be tossed into either a soup or a salad. Especially with romaine lettuce.
gerardj
Senior Cook
a chunk of french bread or an english muffin works as a backer to make the final push.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Those are chefs treats, 
Sir_Loin_of_Beef
Chef Extraordinaire
That's what Nigella Lawson said.Those are chefs treats,
