Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I used to work in a deli and have used my fair share of commercial slicers. When I decided to buy one for home use, I knew that I didn't want one of the large, cumbersome slicers that I had used in the past, and that this would mean some tradeoffs in terms of power and quality. After taking a long look around, I finally decided on the CC-630, and I'm glad I did. I believe this unit offers an excellent compromise between commercial power and everyday practicality.
Please don't misunderstand... you don't want this slicer if you're looking to open a deli or restaurant. You can feel the slicer slow down as it cuts through denser foods (like meat and cheese) that the commercial slicers would just pass right through.
This little unit is best suited to the home user who wants to be able to cut enough cold cuts for a day's use - say packing lunches for the family. It's also great for slicing up roasts, BONELESS turkey/chicken, cheeses, and vegetables. Whatever you slice, slice only what you will consume immediately - or at least in the next day or so. That's the secret to those deli sandwiches... cut everything fresh for the best flavor.
Of surprise to me was how well this unit handles bread. It needs to be a fairly flexible bread (no cornbread/biscuits) as it has to bend slightly to accomodate the shape of the slicer. If you make your own bread, you can now slice it perfectly at nearly any thickness.
Just be sure to let anything that you make yourself cool completely before slicing. A warm roast or turkey breast just isn't rigid enough to hold itself together against the moving blade. If you're looking to use this for your thanksgiving dinner then you'd be better off investing in a good sharp carving set (not the serrated kind, but the kind you can resharpen). For thanksgiving leftovers, the slicer is ideal. Just don't do anything silly like trying to cut through bones as they can get caught in the moving blade... a serious safety hazard.
Why only 4 stars? Well, this unit would rate 5 in my opinion if not for two issues. First, a safety concern: the unit has seperate on/off and thickness controls. So what? Well, that means that you can turn the unit off and still leave the blade in an exposed cutting position (and at thinner settings, this is almost imperceptable visually). This can lead to serious injury should someone try to clean the unit thinking that the blade is safely shielded. Not a good idea if you have children around, or even if you don't. A simple solution is just to get in the habit of turning the thickness to zero immediately before or after turning the slicer off.
My other issue is that the manual says that no part of the slicer is dishwasher safe. This is extremely annoying as there are several removable non-electronic parts that are difficult to clean by hand. It seems absurd that the heavy duty plastic and stainless steel that these parts are made of would not hold up to a household dishwasher.
Overall, I find this to be an excellent slicer and highly recommend for home use. Much better than the cheaper underpowered models that are nearly impossible to clean properly.
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Chef's Choice 630 International Gourmet Electric Food Slicer087877630004This professional quality slicer offers you many of the features found in commercial slicers. It operates in an upright, fixed position for smooth and precise slicing of meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and breads. With key parts constructed of cast aluminum and stainless steel, its features include a 100 watt universal motor, gear drive, a large approximately 7-inch (17 cm.) diameter multi-purpose stainless steel blade and precision thickness control from deli thin to 5/8 inch. Its cantilevered design is convenient for larger trays and easy clean up. The food carriage retracts fully so you can slice extra large roasts, hams and other foods with ease. Rubber feet provide excellent stability. A serving tray is included. Features: -Heavy duty, featuring cast aluminum and stainless steel construction -Cantilever design for large trays and easy cleaning -Precision thickness control from deli-thin to 9/16-Multi-purpose stainless steel blade, diameter approximately 7(17 cm) -High quality gear drive universal motor -Cartridge design for way blade removal and clean-up -Weight: 10.1 lbs. -100 watts -Serving tray included -Made in Germany View Chef Choice s Award Winning Products!
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