The Beswood 10-Inch Premium Meat Slicer (BESWOOD250) meets
the Weston 9-Inch Electric Meat Slicer (61-0901-W)
Food & Wine's Best Overall after 10 slicers went through ham, cheese and sourdough. We tested it head-to-head against the Weston 9-Inch Electric Meat Slicer (61-0901-W) across 6 key dimensions.
Beswood 10-Inch Premium Meat Slicer (BESWOOD250)
“Food & Wine's Best Overall after 10 slicers went through ham, cheese and sourdough”
Weston 9-Inch Electric Meat Slicer (61-0901-W)
“The one slicer both Good Housekeeping and Food & Wine recommended, for well under half the Beswood's price”
Head-to-Head Breakdown
Strengths & Weaknesses
Beswood 10-Inch Premium Meat Slicer (BESWOOD250)
- Named Best Overall by Food & Wine after hands-on slicing of ham, cheese and sourdough across 10 machines
- Smooth 10-inch chromium-plated carbon steel blade, with a built-in two-stone sharpener to keep the edge
- Thickness dial reads in millimeters, and a splash guard and bread guide come in the box
- Weighs 33 pounds, and Food & Wine says two adults should move it, so it lives on the counter
- Slice thickness drifted when Food & Wine's testers pressed hard on the product handle
- A deep clean means unscrewing the blade, which Smoked BBQ Source calls tedious
Weston 9-Inch Electric Meat Slicer (61-0901-W)
- Good Housekeeping's Best Value and Food & Wine's pick for beginners, the only double endorsement in our research
- At 12.5 pounds it moves between cabinet and counter easily, and suction feet keep it steady
- A coin releases the blade and the tray tilts up, which made cleanup easy in Good Housekeeping's lab
- Loud, according to both of Good Housekeeping's testers
- The food pusher needs more force than on the other slicers Good Housekeeping tried
- The serrated blade leaves slight ridges, and Good Housekeeping got thinner slices from the Berkel
The Verdict
Our Bottom Line
Food & Wine put 10 home slicers through pounds of ham, cheese and sourdough, checked the slices with calipers, and named the Beswood 10-Inch Premium its Best Overall. Its testers found the slicing consistent on all three foods and the thickness dial accurate to the millimeter. They also called the aluminum and steel body well-made and sturdy. The two budget names most shoppers see first did not survive the same test: the Meat! 7.5-inch left ragged, broken slices, and the Cuisinart FS-75's blade popped off.
Beswood 10-Inch Premium Meat Slicer (BESWOOD250)
Food & Wine put 10 home slicers through pounds of ham, cheese and sourdough, checked the slices with calipers, and named the Beswood 10-Inch Premium its Best Overall. Its testers found the slicing consistent on all three foods and the thickness dial accurate to the millimeter. They also called the aluminum and steel body well-made and sturdy. The two budget names most shoppers see first did not survive the same test: the Meat! 7.5-inch left ragged, broken slices, and the Cuisinart FS-75's blade popped off.
- Home cooks who slice whole roasts, hams or briskets in one session
- Charcuterie fans who want thin, even cheese and cured meat
- Smokers and hunters who cut bacon, jerky strips or big batches of deli meat
- Kitchens with a permanent spot on the counter for a 33-pound machine
- Buyers who want a smooth blade they can resharpen for years
Weston 9-Inch Electric Meat Slicer (61-0901-W)
The Weston Electric Meat Cutting Machine is the only slicer in our research that two separate test kitchens recommended. Good Housekeeping's Kitchen Appliances Lab named it Best Value after running roasted turkey, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce and sourdough through it. Tomato is the hard test, because thin cuts usually crush the fruit, and the Weston gave thin, even slices without crushing. Food & Wine, working through 10 machines, picked it as the best slicer for beginners.
- First-time slicer owners who want something easy to learn
- Families slicing lunch meat and cheese for the week's sandwiches
- Small kitchens where the slicer has to go back in a cabinet
- Cooks who slice tomatoes and bread as often as meat
- Anyone who wants a lab-tested slicer for about $150