Hobart EDGE12-1 1/2 HP Manual Slicer

Muy práctica y fácil de usar

I have had this slicer for 9 years.. used it every day Monday - Friday.... The bearings have just now gone out!! Best slicer, easy to clean and powerful enough to do most slicing jobs....

There is no doubt that this tool is an extravagance -- both in cost and in storage space. But if you want to produce finely cut meats or melons, there simply is no other way, regardless of your knife skills.At 80+ pounds, you won't be lifting this beast out except for special occasions or large parties. But when you want to achieve paper-thin slices of meats, etc., this will do.The materials are one of the big differences between this and lesser brands. This is aluminum throughout, not painted to look like aluminum. It is cast.It has a 1/3 hp motor, which is just fine; and a 12" non-serrated knife (blade), which also works just fine. It comes with a top-mounted, fully removable sharpener. One distinction between this and lesser brands is the angle of feed, which is about 35 degrees. It makes gravity feeding possible, whereas other brands curiously do not angle the feed trays as acutely. Frankly, I don't know why. Perhaps doing so binds less-powerful motors. Dunno.If you're wondering how this could be 4-6 times better than many so-called "professional" slicers in the $300-$500 range, the main difference is accuracy and consistency. The precision is what you're paying for, along with intelligent design and materials that make cleanup a 15-minute job instead of a 45-minute to 1-hour chore -- if, as on some, it can be done at all (I'm talking to you, Chef's Choice 667 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 10-Inch Diameter Blade).I wish there were a knife-removal tool available, but haven't found one. To remove the feed tray, turn the knob all the way to zero and bring the tray all the way to the front until an interlock device clicks. Do NOT fully remove the plastic attachment knob because it has a lock washer on it; just back it out until it stops. The knobs and screws holding it together are generally easy to use, though one or two might be more user-friendly by being knurled and finger-usable. But other than that, the slicer is a gem.There is a bonus leg underneath that allows you to prop it up for cleaning below, but I wish it would lock up in place and be less loose.But what I go back to is that this thing is easy to maintain. Lesser slicers will be a colossal, impossible task to clean. This Hobart Edge is pretty straightforward and easy. Biggest thing to notice about this unit? There are no joined edges and crevices for blood or food to drip or drain into.The nicely-sized thickness-setting knob could have finer threads for the screw, and even detents that click by for each adjustment. But that is just a trifle.If you are a home chef and really want to do something impressive that typically only professionals can do (you'd be surprised what you can do with a humble potato, like make mille-feuille casserole), then buy this.If not: Dine out.