7 Best Flywheel Slicer Features for Charcuterie

How to master charcuterie using the best commercial meat slicers available on the market.

7 Best Flywheel Slicer Features for Mastering Charcuterie

The hypnotic sound of slicer blades gliding back and forth is reminiscent of the vicoli in many Italian neighborhoods. It’s a sound that takes you back in time and is part of a craft that is perfectly suited to the present. Mouth-watering European platters of razor-thin cut cured meat, fish, and cheese are increasingly popular in American homes and commercial kitchens. For restaurateurs, the ability to be able to offer freshly sliced ingredients in-house adds both appeal and authenticity to elegant eateries, cafes, and delis alike. Commercial meat slicers offer an excellent experience and front-of-the-house aesthetic for all spaces.

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Our Volano series Flywheel Slicers combine craftmanship and built-in safety features for precision that can’t be beaten. Elegance and artisan appeal are two of the factors that distinguish our kitchen equipment in general. But it is the precision that our commercial meat slicers provide that makes portion control a cinch, helping our clients improve their bottom line while keeping with culinary tradition. Crafted with a built-in blade sharpener and safety guard, our traditional European slicer is ideal for a variety of artisan meats and charcuterie, dramatic theater-style presentations, and guest engagement.

Our Executive Corporate Chef David Binkle has been a fan of the Flywheel slicers long before he joined our team. Even the fine dining restaurants he worked in previously used them. He particularly likes the chrome-plated carbon steel precision blade and the easy-to-use flywheel for speed, control, and effortless operation. Since using a Flywheel slicer doesn’t require electricity, it can be utilized anywhere in the kitchen. They also have a longer life cycle than conventional deli slicers, Chef David pointed out. Slicing ingredients so thinly produces more yield, and from Chef David's standpoint, helps them to look sexier on the plate.

Two of the terms most widely used in cured meat presentation nowadays are charcuterie (French) and salumi (Italian). Both terms are used to describe cured animal meat that often includes various cuts and even offal. European hams such as Jamón , prosciutto, pancetta, guanciale, and mortadella are just a few. Smoked salmon and gravlax can also be featured on the plates. The French word charcuterie, however, can include cooked meats such as pâté. The Italian term salumi, on the other hand, only refers to cured meats (particularly with salt and air). Salumi di mare, or Seafood Salumi, is becoming increasingly popular in Italy and can include a wide variety of fish and seafood that are cured in the manner of meat and served on separate platters in the same fashion.

Many fine dining restaurants use flywheel slicers to create crudos and carpaccios of thinly sliced meat and seafood as well. The automatic product advancement of our Volano Flywheel slicers creates consistent slicing and the built-in top-mounted knife sharpener makes it easy to maintain. High-end French and Italian restaurants aren’t the only ones using Flywheel slicers. Spanish and Mediterranean restaurants use them for preparing Tapas, too. Two classic French staples –the cylindrical-shaped Galantines, and Terrines, also benefit from this type of slicing.

Chef Josh Fidler at Mela Kitchen/Jack’s Hard Cider in Gettysburg, PA told us that their restaurant, Mela Kitchen, which is named after the Italian word for apple, uses our Flywheel slicer in addition to our ovens. He says that our Flywheel Slicer is a centerpiece of their venue and that he uses it often because charcuterie has a prominent place on their craft-beverage-driven menu. Unlike deli slicers which need electricity and power, and can’t be operated near water, Flywheel slicers are easy to use and maintain. Deli slicers, on the other hand, can be tedious to take apart and fix. You have to move the blade to sharpen them and require outside service. They are also kept back of the house and don’t add to the aesthetic of a space.

Here are the Best Slicer Features for Charcuterie According to Chefs:

1. Precision cutting for a variety of ingredients

• Multi-setting thickness gauge adjustment for precision slicing and yield maximization
• Chrome-plated carbon steel precision blade is ideal

2. Material aspect: what to look for in durability and appearance

• Porcelain finish and premium decorative accenting
• Optional enameled cast-iron stationary pedestal base

3. Guarantees

• Standard 2-year parts and labor warranty

4. Base Options

• The optional base includes welded support shelf
• Ideal for display slicing or on a cart for tableside service.

5. Design

• Custom colors available

6. Safety Features – blade guards are a must!

7. Blade

• Built-in Blade Sharpeners
• Automatic Product Advancement
• Choose the blade size that fits your needs

Our Volano Series is available in three blade sizes including the Volano 350 (14” Blade), Volano 300 (12” Blade), and the Volano 370 (15” Blade). Click here for more information.