No more having to chop up meat in my food processor (unless I want to). I spent half the day yesterday looking at meat slicers on the internet. You can buy a really cheap electric one on Ebay for 30 dollars new, but I wanted to find the best one for the money. I settled on a used, Chef's Choice, model 615. A high end home slicer that should last a very long time. They retail for 150 dollars plus tax and shipping which adds a considerable amount. I was considering a model 650 I found, which retails for 350 dollars that had a broken knob, but it also turned out to be missing the part the meat slides on and the finger guard and I couldn't find anywhere to buy parts for it so I took a pass on it.
Now I'll have every tool I need including a set of really sharp knives a stone and a good steel to keep them razor sharp. Got all my knives from the thrift store. I guess I really can't call them a set since they don't match but I got every kind of smooth blade imaginable. No serrated ones for me! Though I will occasionally pick up a serrated knife for a tomato if I'm too lazy to grab the cutting board. Got one of those too! I opted for a flexible, rubbery plastic one. I'm glad I did. The fact that they bend makes them easy to dump the food I sliced in a bowl or baggie. It takes up virtually no space in the kitchen and doesn't require constant care like the old fashioned wooden butcher blocks!
I'm all set now and have everything I need to be a raw gourmet chef!
