Our Guide To Sharpening A Serrated Meat Slicer Blade

If you are lucky enough to have a meat slicer in your kitchen, cutting meat and grinding becomes effortless, however, these blades, whether serrated or flat can become dull quickly over time the more they are used.

Luckily, sharpening serrated meat slicer blades has a similar process to sharpening normal blades on your machine and can be done either with a sharpening machine or by hand if you do not have a sharpening machine around for the job, all you need to do is get a sharpening stone and a few other protective tools for safety reasons. 

We have composed a short guide below that will tell you exactly when and how to sharpen your serrated meat slicer blade below.

When Does a Serrated Meat Slicer Blade Need Sharpening?

Before we can get on to how to sharpen your serrated meat slicer blade, it’s a good idea to figure out when to do it so as you can be sure are sharpening your blades when needed.

Each time you are cutting meat with the edges of your serrated meat slicer blade this dulls them again and again, one of the most fool-proof ways to check if your serrated blade needs sharpening is by putting a smooth piece of food against it and see how much pressure you need to put against the food for the serrated edges to slice through the food, this could be an apple or a tomato for example.

You can also check how the serrated blades are cutting your meat, the meat should be sliced evenly, not tore by the serrations on the blade of the machine. The serrations on a meat slicer blade in comparison to a smooth blade are great for gripping onto thin pieces of meat, but they should not tear the meat, smoother blades are better for thicker types of meat.

How To Sharpen a Serrated Meat Slicer Blade By Hand

If you do not have a sharpening machine for your serrated meat slicer blade then you can still be able to sharpen your blade by hand if need be. Before we get into the method of sharpening however you need to make sure you have some tools around beforehand for the job.

Tools Needed

• Glasses & gloves – When sharpening blades you need to ensure you are wearing cut-proof gloves at all times to protect yourself from the sharp blade, you should also wear safety glasses to protect your eyes when filing the blades in case any parts fly off during the filing process.
• Sharpening stone – Some serrated meat slicers may already come with a sharpening stone but if not you will need to invest in a whetstone for sharpening.
• Cloth – A soft cloth will help you to clean the serrated blade after use.
• Blade cleaner – This is essential so as your blade can be clean and ready to use with food after sharpening.

Our Step By Step Guide

• Step one – Unplug the meat slicer and place the stone for sharpening on the edge of the serrated blade.
• Step two – Find the sharpening locking knob and unscrew it from the machine, lock the blade and sharpening stone at the shaft of the meat slicer and tighten up the sharpening locking knob on the device so as it is all secure.
• Step three – Plug your meat slicer on and let the device sharpen against the stone as the blade grinds, do this for 30-second intervals with 5-second breaks at least three times.
• Step four – To check if your blades are sharp enough do the food test with the machine turned off.
• Step five – Unscrew the sharpening locking knob and remove the stone, then screw the blade back into place the device, clean the blade with mild detergent and some soap.
• Step six – Sanitise the blade with your sanitiser to kill any germs, reattach the blade guard then your serrated slicer is ready for use again!

How To Sharpen a Serrated Meat Slicer Blade With a Machine

Some serrated blade meat slicers do come with a sharpener which makes the process a little more quick and simple, we have listed the steps to follow below.

• Step one – Rub down your meat slicer beforehand to remove any food then loosen the sharpening knob on the machine. Move it 180-degrees till the sharpener is lined up with the stone on the device then re-lock everything into place.
• Step two – Turn the serrated meat slicer machine back on and sharpen in 30-second intervals around 4 times.
• Step three – Wash the blade down with mild detergent soap to clean it then sanitiser the serrated slicer so as it can be used for food again. Re-attach the blade guard once finished sharpening.

Tips For Sharpening a Serrated Meat Slicer Blade

As you can now see, sharpening your serrated meat slicer blade is a simple process that doesn’t take too much time or skill, but you do need to ensure you take the right safety precautions to be sharpening the slicer correctly.

• Unplug before cleaning – Always unplug the slicer while you adjusting the sharpening system and stone for safety reasons, never switch the machine back on until you are ready to sharpen.
• Wear the right safety gear – Never sharpen your meat slicer’s serrated blade without safety goggles and gloves to protect yourself from any flying material or your hands from the sharp edges of the blade.
• Re-attach the blade guard – Always remember to place the blade guard back onto the serrated meat slicer blade after sharpening.
• Be careful with your hands – It can be tempting to forget to move your hands away from the meat slicer blade after sharpening with the machine however you should remain distant at all times when the machine is switched on.
• Don’t get the machine wet – A meat slicer is an electrical machine so should never be submerged entirely in water to prevent electrical shock and breaking the machine.
• Oil when needed – Around once a month it is a good idea to lubricate moving parts of the machine to ensure everything is working smoothly.
• Clean the machine after use – One way to help maintain the blades of your meat slicer is to clean it after every use, this prevents rust or old food from ruining the edges of the blades.

Final Words

To conclude, sharpening your serrated blade meat slicer is a simple process and is similar to sharpening a smooth blade meat slicer, just make sure you are following the right safety tips to protect yourself from the sharp blade and determine when your blades are sharp enough by doing the soft food test against the edge of the blade.