Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsNesco Gets It Right
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2016
I waited to post a review until I used this slicer a few times. I have cut a ham into breakfast steaks, a pork loin into chops, 2 London broils into jerky strips, and a bottom round roast beef into deli slices. The machine performed flawlessly. I was initially concerned about the manual warning against running it for more than 10 minutes at a time, but not now - it makes short quick work of everything. Nothing I have cut came anywhere close to taking 10 minutes. While there are several competing brands and models available on Amazon, all with well deserved 4+ star ratings, few have the Nesco FS250's large 8.7" blade, fewer still have an all metal chassis, and fewer yet have a professional-style metal pusher/handle assembly. After 30 years of managing and owning restaurants, I found those features irresistible. Yes, when it comes to slicers, size matters. A lot. So does power, and nothing in this price range surpasses the Nesco FS250's 180 watts of power.
The ham was cut cold right out of the wrapper. One half-inch thick slice makes a perfect breakfast steak, grill two for a nice dinner, and diced up or julienned they're great for making omelets and chef salads.The London broil and pork loin were defrosted to a firm, semi-frozen state. I agree with a lot of other reviewers - semi-frozen works best with home slicers. The completely defrosted bottom round roast (3.5 lbs.) was seasoned and put in the oven at 480 degrees for 17 minutes, then the oven was turned off and the meat cooked in the steadily cooling oven until it was cool enough to touch the pan - a perfect rare-medium rare 130 degrees on the meat thermometer. I then put the cooked roast in the freezer for a few hours to firm it up, then cut the strings, and trimmed off the little bit of bottom fat. It sliced perfectly - wafer thin, with almost no crumbling. Between me and the dog, about half of it never made it back to the refrigerator. With everything I cut, the thickness control knob remained as set and the support plaque didn't bend, nothing wandered or lost setting - slices were uniform - that's something a few competing machines have a problem with. And the big, sharp blade spins fast enough so it didn't yank the meat around - the spiked metal pusher kept everything under control.
Cleanup is a breeze - everything comes apart and reassembles easily without needing any tools. And there's just something nice about working with a steel/aluminum product for a change. This machine has a strong, professional appearance - it makes the whole kitchen look sharp. And it performs perfectly for my purposes. Buy it! And live happily ever after.
