When it comes to cutting meat, it is possible to use different kinds of blades. Using these blades means that cutting through the chunks of meat would be a much easier and faster task to achieve. There is the serrated and those that are smooth, but they all come in handy at various instances.
The serrated blade comes with teeth that create a saw-like motion when cutting through thin chunks of meat. The smooth blade goes in the meat slicer and works through more formidable chunks of meat. Also, the smooth blade is one choice that has become popular in several kitchens as it offers several other things at once.
If you want to find out all about the serrated blade and the smooth blade, then you are on the right track. Apart from that, here in this post are tips on handling a meat slicer and a lot more information.
Serrated Blade Vs. Smooth Blade
If you are considered a fancy cook, then a meat slicer would always come in handy. Even though it is easy to chop through meat pieces by hand, it can be stressful and time-consuming if chopping so many. Some chefs may say that they love being in the kitchen for hours. You definitely do not want to be there chopping meat all along.
For this case, there are meat slicers that make the whole process less time-consuming and takes away the stress. However, the meat slicers come in two different forms that are defined by their blades. There are the serrated blade and the smooth blade meat slicer. The first difference between the two is in how they look.
Here is an explanation of what they both offer for more insight into the differences between the serrated blade and smooth blade.
What Makes the Serrated Blade Distinct?
Serrated blade meat slicers come with fagged edges that help in forming a series of teeth along the blade. These teeth are what get through the chunk of meat much easier, just as you may find in a rotating circular blade.
When cutting through lean meat, the serrated blade is easier to use. Unlike non-serrated blades, it can be challenging to work through meats like the venison. In all, a serrated blade is designed specifically for any meat that would need more in terms of grip.
With the teeth of the serrated knife comes a swing effect that offers an improved level of strength. It prevents thin chunks of meat from shattering while being cut.
Apart from cutting through meat, the serrated blade is also ideal for cutting through bread. Their sharpness makes it convenient to get through the crust without causing any damages, as you would find in the counterpart.
When to Use the Smooth Blade Knife?
The smooth blade knife is otherwise known as the non-serrated blade knife due to its looks and functions. However, it is a suitable option for cutting through chunks of meat much easily.
The non-serrated blade is designed to be relatively thin and comes with a fine edge that produces smoother slices of meat. Despite how sharp it cuts through the meat, it does not hurt the meat’s taste along the process.
Also, the smooth blade is a meat slicer that serves a universal function. If you get into a kitchen, then you would likely find a smooth knife before any other type. It can cut meat, bread, and other things with ease.
Unlike the serrated knife, the smooth one works well in cutting through tougher meat chunks while providing a real thing and concise carved structure. This could serve as the regular kitchen knife as it can get through any surface much more effortless.
What is the Best Meat Slicer Blade to Use?
Seeing what the different blades offer, it is proper to know which one to use per time. Well, each of them has its advantages and their disadvantages as well. Note, just any meat slicer can work, but it is about the quality of slices it creates that matters.
Typically, it is advisable to have the non-serrated blade first as it offers a more varying slicing opportunity. It can get through tougher meats without getting stuck in between. For the serrated blade meat slicer, it can work more conveniently with thinner chunks.
Another distinguishing feature of the serrated blade is how the blade looks. One comes with saw-like teeth, while the other comes with a fine edge. The fine edge of the non-serrated blade is what gives it the title of a smooth-edge blade.
For a clearer view, here are the differences in the blade laid out in a table:
| Serrated Blade | Smooth Blade |
| Edges come with saw-like teeth | It comes with a fine-edge |
| Suitable for thinner chinks of meat. | Cuts through more rigid chunks of meat |
| Limited usage options (Thin chunks meats and bread) | It can be used for varying things. |
Things to Consider When Using the Meat Slicer
Once you have the meat slice of your choice, it could be either the serrated or smooth blade. However, accidents could occur when you do not know how to make use of the blade or maintain the right practices. In this section are tips that should be taken into consideration when making use of a meat slicer.
They include:
- Ensure that you do not slice the meat immediately it comes out of the oven. At this time, it is important that you let the meat cool off for a while before making use of a meat slicer. This is to preserve the state of the meat after being cut.
- Ensure that the meat slicer and its blades are kept in an area far away from children. This may seem like common knowledge, but it should not be disregarded as you do not want your kids to come with sharp objects.
- Ensure that the blades are well attached before making use of them in the kitchen or anywhere. When it is not well attached, it could fall out while cutting through chunks of tough meat.
- Ensure that the meat slicer is turned off whenever it is inactive or you are doing work in the kitchen.
With these tips, it is easier to make use of the meat slicer without having to run into problems.
How to Maintain a Meat Slicer Blade?
Here are ways to keep the blade of your meat slicer working:
1.Constant Cleaning
The easiest way to keep the blade of your meat slicer or any other blade in great working condition is by constantly cleaning it. However, for you to do it correctly, then it is important to check what the manufacturer recommends.
In another case where there is no manufacturer’s instruction, you can easily wipe down the slicer after each use. This way, you can take care of any meat crumb that may have stuck to the blade while slicing through the chunks.
If any of the chunks are left on the blade for a long time, then it may cause it to get blunt after a while. In some cases, the residue could leave the blades susceptible to the effects of corrosion, meaning it gets bad easily.
Asides from that, when things get stuck on the blade for a long time, then it could leave bacteria on the knife. These bacteria could enter food particles can store up bacteria which could infect whatever is run next.
So in order to avoid this, ensure that you wipe down the knife after every four hours if it is used continuously. However, for a more elaborate cleaning, you can make use of water and a solution designed for sanitizing things.
Once you have let the solution soak for a while, then ensure you wipe down the machine with a clean cloth. Next is to let the machine dry out and then place it back into the safe storage area dedicated for this purpose.
2.Keep out of the Dishwasher
A dishwasher is an appliance in the kitchen that helps to deal with regular kitchen wares. However, it is not designed to hold or wash through a meat slicer. When you place the meat slicer into the dishwasher, then it could get ruined.
It could cause the meat slicer to start seizing as a result of the amount of water that has gotten into the system. Apart from this, the dishwasher could make the blade of the meat slicer susceptible to rust and then cause it to break after a while.
3.Ensure the Blade is Clean Before Sharpening
Sharpening the blade is essential to making sure that the meat slicer is able to cut through chunks of meat at all times. So, make sure you follow the prescribed process before you start the process of sharpening. Also, if you do not already have a sharpening stone, then you could purchase an electric sharpening stone on the market.
Something key to note is that the blade has to be sharp before the whole sharpening process begins. You can use the procedure above to get the blade cleaned up easily and conveniently.
4.Only Use the Recommended Moving Parts and Oil
Meat slicers come with blades, and to use this meat slicer more efficiently, all the parts have to be functioning. One way to make sure is by making use of only lubricants and oil that are prescribed by the manufacturer. Using the wrong one could ruin the parts instead of lubricating them.
Also, there are times that some parts may become less functional and require a replacement. However, to do this, you would have to purchase the right replacement, and this could be risky if you do not know what to do.
Ensure that the replacements that you purchase are compatible with the meat slicer. This way, it ensures that the meat slicer remains functional.
How Do I Sharpen a Meat Slicer Blade?
Despite how effective the meat slicer can be, it gets dull after a while. It does not mean it is a bad one, and rather it just needs to be sharpened all over again. In this section are some of the steps to take when sharpening the stones.
Here are the steps to take:
- Step one: The first thing to do is to get a suitable sharpening stone.
- Step two: Place the sharpening stone with the meat slicer
- Step three: Get a clean rag and use it in cleaning the blade of the meat slicer. This is to ensure the surface is ready to be sharpened.
- Step four: On the sharpening stone comes to a locking knob, so try locating the knob.
- Step five: With the locking knob, you are to lock the blade and the sharpening stone into place. Ensure it is tight enough not to get out of place while sharpening.
- Step six: Now, you get to sharpen the blade. For the electric ones, then you are to turn on the sharpening stone at this stage.
- Step seven: Once you are certain that the meat slicer has been worked through properly, then you are to take it off and clean through. You can make use of the same cloth that you used earlier before sharpening.
Note, ensure that you keep the meat slicer back in a safe position to avoid any accident that would occur from the sharp edges.
Conclusion
Meat slicers can come with a variety of blades depending on the situation and type of meat to be cut in pieces. There is the serrated blade a well as the smooth blade that serves as a non-serrated option. One comes with teeth that serve a saw-like function, while the other comes with a fine- edge.
The serrated blade works better with thin chunks of meat that would help in giving the meat more grip. At the same time, the counterpart can work through tougher chunks of meat much easier than the other. However, they have all been highlighted in this post.