Just about everyone is familiar with chopsticks—regardless of whether they’re familiar with them because they’ve bought the best chopsticks available, or because they’ve received disposable ones with their Chinese food. Most people know the basics of how they’re supposed to be used, even though not everyone can use them properly. What few people actually realize, however, is that chopsticks can be used for a lot more than just eating Asian food. They actually have quite a few other uses that we’re going to look at in this blog post.

Chopsticks are tools that have been around for 3,200-years, if not longer. Contrast that with forks—tools that have been around since the 4th century but weren’t widely used until after the 16th century. Of course, the spoon has also been around for over 3,000-years, so really when you think about it, the fork is really the newcomer to the party.

But we’re getting off point a little point. What we want to discuss are the uses of chopsticks and that’s precisely what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to go over a brief history of chopsticks, then we’re going to move on to some practical uses that some people have thought up. Okay, let’s get rolling.

The History of Chopsticks

As we said earlier, chopsticks have been around for over 3,000+ years. One of the earliest sets of chopsticks that archaeologists have found was found in the Yinxu in the Henan province of China. Among these ruins, the archaeologists found not only some of the earliest forms of Chinese writing but also one of the oldest chopsticks known to be made. These chopsticks were made of bronze and were mainly used for cooking.

In fact, all of the early chopsticks weren’t made for eating but were made for cooking. Their design informs how they were used, too. They were long and thin so that the cooks could pull food out of boiling pots of oil or water, so they didn’t burn themselves. It would be another 1,600 years from their invention before they would be used for eating.

As chopsticks spread throughout Asia, their basic shape changed according to the culture they were used. Chinese chopsticks became blunt, while Japanese chopsticks were designed according to whether they were used by men or women. Men got chopsticks that were 8-inches long, while women’s chopsticks were typically 7-inches long. Chopsticks were also made using a variety of different materials—from the aforementioned bronze to bamboo, ivory, jade, coral, brass, or even agate.

Some Of the Best Uses for Chopsticks

Okay, now that we know a little bit more about the history of chopsticks, it’s time to turn our attention to finding some uses for chopsticks. And no, we’re not going to list picking up or cooking food with chopsticks in the following list. We feel that it already a well-known use.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Fixing A Screw Hole

Have you ever had a screw hole in a drawer or some other object get stripped out? Well, if you have, then you might want to keep the following trick in mind. If that ever happens again, then just dip the chopstick in glue and insert it into the screw hole. Allow the glue to dry completely and then break off the rest of the chopstick so that it doesn’t stick out of the screw hole. You’ll end up with a spot in which you can drive a new screw.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Use for Cleaning

Another use for chopsticks is for reaching those hard-to-reach areas so that you can clean them. This includes the area behind the faucet and the sinks’ backsplash, between AC vents, or in other areas that are too narrow to reach with your hands. Just attach a cleaning cloth to the end of the chopstick and you’ll end up with a handy cleaning tool that will fit in some very tight spaces.  Chopsticks can also be used for cleaning the mud out of tennis shoes’ soles.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Make Plant Labels

If you slap a sign on the end of a chopstick, it’s perfect for making a placard for your plants. This is handy for people who have planted a variety of different plants or flowers and want to make sure they know which plant is which.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Stirring Paint and Unclogging Bottles of Glue

Another thing that chopsticks can be used for is for stirring the paint. Just pop off the lid, and use the chopsticks to give the paint a good stir. You can also use the end of the chopstick to unclog bottles of glue or tubes of caulk.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Use Them as Impromptu Food Skewers

Don’t know where you’ve placed your skewers? Well, if you don’t, then you can use your bamboo chopsticks as improvised skewers. Just soak them in water for approximately 15-20 minutes, then use them like a spear to snag meats and veggies.

Once upon a time, salad spinners were something that could only be ordered on late-night infomercials. We should know because we saw many infomercials touting these products, but they weren’t something that you could purchase in-store or even at major online retailers, yet. Fortunately, that has changed, and now just about anyone can buy these products to add to their kitchen. They’re a wide variety of different styles, and just about all of them work pretty well.

However, we have the feeling that not everyone is enthusiastic about salad spinners. Many people think that these products are only good for spinning salads dry—which to be fair, is their purpose. But we feel that they can be used in a number of different ways. Want to learn how? If you do, then come with us as we think about some ways that salad spinners can be used.

Drying Pasta

We don’t know about you, but we often have a hard time getting excess water out of our pasta. If we let the pasta sit long enough in the colander to allow all of the water to drip out of it, then our pasta is already on its way to becoming sticky and less appetizing. Fortunately, a salad spinner solves that problem by removing water from the pasta quickly so it can be plated immediately. It works with all types of pasta but works exceptionally well with tubular pasta.

Removing Seeds From Canned Tomatoes

You might not believe this, but you can actually remove seeds from canned tomatoes. Notice that we said canned and not fresh, as this trick won’t work with fresh tomatoes at all. With canned ones, however, it works like a charm. Break those canned tomatoes up a little bit, throw them in the salad spinner and spin all of those bitter seeds out of it.

Getting Fresh Herbs Ready For Use

Another thing that salad spinners can be used for is getting fresh herbs ready to be used. Fresh herbs are much like lettuce in the fact that they need to be rinsed before they’re used. Place the herbs in the salad spinner, rinse them off, and then give them a good spin. Just remember that you don’t need to remove the bands that hold the herbs together to use this method of rinsing and spinning them.

Use It To Wash Berries

Berries can also be used in a salad spinner to give them a bit of a bath before they’re used. This method works exceptionally well with those modern salad spinners that are equipped with a storage bowl. Just fill it up with water, place the strainer part of the spinner with the berries in it in the water, and allow them to soak for a few minutes. If you want, you can dump out the water and give the berries a spin, or if you’re afraid they’re going to bruise, just use the strainer part to drain them.

Use It To Proof Dough

This only works with models with a removable strainer and a clear storage bowl. Just because it’s a salad spinner doesn’t mean that it actually be used for spinning anything. You can simply remove the clear bowl from the spinner and use it to cover bread dough as you wait for it to rise. This is a great tip because how many of us have looked high and low for a clear bowl that we could cover our rising dough with as we’re waiting for it to be proofed? Quite a few we imagine.

Use It To Clean Other Vegetables (Other Than Lettuce)

You can use salad spinners for just about any vegetable you can imagine. We’ve washed and spun broccoli, leeks, and a whole lot of other veggies in our salad spinner to great effect.

Use It For Rinsing & Draining Canned Beans

Although we guess that people could use the serving bowl of a salad spinner to soak dry beans, the real magic of these devices is what they can do for canned beans. You can open a can of beans, give them a quick rinse and then spin them—all in the salad spinner. It’s a quick and easy way to squeeze out excess sodium from canned beans.

Use It For Defrosting Frozen Shrimp

We’re not sure where we heard this tip, but it’s been an absolute lifesaver for us. It allowed us to defrost our shrimp a lot faster than it ordinarily takes. All you have to do is place the frozen shrimp in room temperature water and then place it in the salad spinner. Give it a good spin, then toss out the water and redo the procedure. When you’re done, give the shrimp a spin to dry them, and they’re good to go! Quick, easy, and very convenient.

Use It To Make Crispy Seasoned Fries

Here, come closer. Want to know a secret? You can use your salad spinner to make crispier French fries. How is that possible? All you have to do is to use the salad spinner twice in the French fry creation process. Let’s go into further detail.

After you have finished soaking the cut potatoes for your fries, you can use it to remove the extra moisture from them. Then, once you’ve fried them, you can use the salad spinner to remove excess oil to prevent them from becoming soggy. Doing those two things will result in crispier fries.

If you want to take your French fry making game to an even higher level, you can also use the salad spinner to season fries. Simply toss in some fine rosemary, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, fine oregano, fine dried basil, or black pepper with your finished fries, and give them a good spin. The salad spinner will more evenly distribute the spices than you ever could by hand.

Some Final Non-Food Salad Spinner Uses

To conclude this article, we’re going to talk about some of the other things that salad spinner can be used for—such as handling clothing. What do we mean? We mean that water can be easily removed from swimsuits by throwing them for a quick spin in a salad spinner or even using the salad spinner to wash delicate clothing. Didn’t we say that the salad spinner was versatile? Well, now you know, too.

It has happened to all of us.  You purchase a brand new granite countertop because you were assured that it was all but indestructible. That superman himself could come down and the countertop wouldn’t yield to his attack. Okay, perhaps we’re being a bit hyperbolic, but it’s only so that we could underline our point. Our granite countertops were supposed to be almost indestructible and that didn’t prove to be exactly the case.

Sure, granite countertops are probably one of the most enduring and toughest counters a person can equip in their kitchen, but they aren’t indestructible. We found that out after a few years when we ended up with a counter that looked a bit lifeless and dull. It was at this point that we wondered not only what we did wrong but how we could salvage the countertop. This set us on a journey that was a bit windy but has ended up with us writing this article helping people to bring their granite counters back to life.

In this article, we’re going to help all of our readers access and fix their granite counters. Although not all damage to a granite countertop is reversible, there are many things that a homeowner can do to “fix” their counters. We’re going to share some of our tips that will help our readers access and hopefully repair their countertops. We feel that if we can help just one person restore their counter back to its former glory, it’d be worth it.

Access Your Countertops

The first thing that you’re going to want to do is to take a good hard look at your counters and take an assessment of the damage that might have occurred to them. In our opinion, there are three different states that your counter might be in and these are Light, Medium, or Heavy damage states. We’re going to examine each of these states below so that all of you can determine where you should begin with your countertop recovery efforts.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Light Damage

If you look at your granite countertop and notice that it’s dull, then you might want to consider if it’s actually the surface of the counter or if something is obstructing the real surface of the counter. Soap film can buildup on counters and that can give them a dull look. Another thing that can make the counter look dull is hard water. Hard water will leave a deposit of minerals on the counter that will make the counter look lifeless.

To solve these problems, you will want to get a soap scum remover. These removers do a great job of removing soap film so that the counter is restored back to its former glory. It will also do a great job of dealing with mineral buildup on the counters that happen from a high mineral content.

When using a soap scum remover, just be sure that it’s safe to use with your granite counters. Some of them are and some of them aren’t, so it’s important to read the label on the product so that you don’t do any inadvertent damage to the granite.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Medium Damage

If your counters don’t have soap scum or hard water buildup on them and they still look dull, then they might have light etching on them that gives them a dull appearance. Etching can occur from the acids in food eating away at its surface. Acidic foods include pineapples, oranges, lemons, limes, tomatoes, soda, tea, coffee, wine, or vinegar.

To fix light etching from granite, you’re going to need to use a polishing powder that’s specifically designed for use with natural stone countertops. Although different polishing products are used in different ways, they are usually a powder that’s mixed with water to form a paste. It’s this paste that’s then used to polish the counter using a soft cloth.

When using a polishing powder, you should know that it’s very important to follow the directions on the product to the letter. It’s also important to know that most polishing powders are extremely abrasive, so if they’re not used properly they can do more damage than they remove. Therefore, be careful, and if you’re not comfortable with the process, then hire a professional.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Heavy Damage

Let’s say that you’ve tried to remove grease, soap scum, and hard water stains from your counter, have tried to polish it out, and it still has damage. If it does, then you might need to refinish the granite counter. The fact of the matter is that if the counter is severely damaged, then there’s nothing that can fix it then it will need to be resurfaced.

Unfortunately, resurfacing isn’t something that should be accomplished by the average person. It needs to be done by a qualified professional who has experience resurfacing granite. The logical choice to look for a professional would be the company that installed your granite counter in the first place, but if they can’t do it, then look for a stone restorer in your area.

Maintain Your Granite Counter

If you have new granite counters or have just had them resurfaced, then you’re going to want to make sure that they remain in good shape for many years to come. To keep your granite in good condition, you’re going to want to make sure that take care of your granite. Below are some tips to consider when you’re thinking about the best way to keep your granite in tip-top condition.

The first thing that you should do is to make sure that you use a stone care cleaner on a daily basis. It’s also a good idea to give the counters a proper deep cleaning using a product that’s capable of removing grease, hard water, and soap scum buildup. If the counter has stains, it’s important to treat them with a polishing compound as needed.

When using granite care products, it’s important to avoid household cleaning products that aren’t specifically designed for granite. That means no bleach, vinegar, ammonia, or products that are abrasive like most of the scouring products that are available.

It’s also a good idea to keep acidic foods off of the counter. Although we can go through all of the foods with high acidic content, we can list some of the most common culprits: tomatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, tea, wine, and alcohol. Make sure to promptly wipe up stains as well and use cutting boards for cutting, and hot pads for placing hot pans instead of using the counter for those purposes.

Don’t Forget To Reseal

The last thing that we’d like to recommend is that you reseal your granite counter every once in a while. Ask your granite installer what’s the best granite sealer for your counter, or check out some of our reviews. Resealing your granite counter will keep it in good condition for a long time to come. Resealing, and following all of our other tips, will ensure that you always have a beautiful granite counter to use.

For anyone who hasn’t bought a propane smoker yet, then allow us to recommend them to you. From the moment we bought ours and had assembled it into our backyard, we knew that this BBQ tool was going to revolutionize how we cooked outdoors. And do you know what? It did, it really did. We thought it was possibly the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Of course, if you do plan on purchasing one, then you should be ready for a fair amount of work. Although the best propane smokers are some of the easiest smokers to maintain, they still require a fair amount of due diligence and elbow grease in order to keep them in good working condition.

We don’t want you to worry, however. Using and maintaining a propane smoker does require a little bit of extra care, but it is very doable for the average person if they know what to do. With that in mind, we’ve decided to give all of our readers the information they need to not only use their propane smoker more effectively but also keep it in the best condition possible for as long as possible.

Part One: Before We Begin

The first thing we would like to cover in this article is properly using the propane smoker to get the best results. Although these smokers come in a variety of different styles, we can give our readers the basics that cover most models. Before we start, however, we would like to say that you should thoroughly read your smoker’s instructions before using it. If we contradict any of your smoker’s instructions, then you should disregard our instructions and follow what the smoker’s manual recommends.

Part Two: Setting Up & Using

The next thing you’re going to want to do before using your propane smoker is to set it up properly. This means that the propane tank is attached to the smoker—according to the manufacturer’s instructions—and that everything has been set up to be ready to smoke. You can opt to install an underground propane tank to minimize the times you refill the typical 20 pound tank.

After you prepare the smoker, line the water pan with aluminum foil and then fill it with water. Open up the valve on the smoker and check for leaks. Now, light the burner according to the instructions of the manufacturer.

Once you’ve lit the fire, it’s time to set the controller on the smoker to the desired temperature. This is usually between 225 to 250-degrees Fahrenheit. Once you set the temperature, allow the smoker to preheat for approximately 15-minutes. During this time, make sure the vents and/or chimney damper are properly set.

Now it’s time to add the sawdust, wood chips, or wood chunks to the pan above the burner. Continue on with the heating process until smoke begins to billow up and out through the damper of the smoker. When it begins smoking, arrange the food on the racks or hooks.

Make sure to regularly check the wood and water pans and refill if needed. It’s also important to make sure that the flame hasn’t gone out every once in a while, too. This could result in a dangerous buildup of propane gas in the chamber.

After you have smoked the food according to your needs, remove the food from the smoker. Now, turn off the flame and shut off the propane tank. Once the smoker has cooled, disconnect the propane tank from the smoker and then clean it.

Part Three: Keeping Your Propane Smoker In Good Condition

Okay, let’s do a brief overview of what you should do to keep your propane smoker nice and clean. As we said with the setup part of our guide, it’s always important to refer to the instructions provided by the smokers’ manufacturer before you consider our advice. Now, let’s get started and find out how to clean a propane smoker.

It’s important to make sure that the propane smoker is cool before you remove the propane tank. Once that’s done, put on rubber gloves and remove all of the cooking racks, drip trays, smoke baskets, and water/wood pans that might exist in the smoker. Use a grill brush to remove stuck-on gunk and then finish cleaning them in your sink.

Cover the burner with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent it from becoming covered in drippings while you begin to scrape the sides of the smoker. Once that’s done, use hot water filled with soapy dishwater and a plastic scrub brush to scrub down the inside of the smoker. Some people use a degreaser, but I’ve found dish soap works just as well.

Don’t forget to clean the racks and other parts in your kitchen sink. Use soapy water, rinse, and then dry them before you return them to the smoker. If you want, you can also line the drip pan with aluminum when you return it to the smoker.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned the inside of the smoker, it’s time to work on the outside. Wipe it down thoroughly before you end your cleaning session. Also, make sure to inspect the outside of the smoker for any damage that might have sprung up. This will ensure that you get a long life out of your propane smoker.

To many people, soy sauce is a condiment that’s only used when someone is eating Chinese take out. It’s just something to add a little bit of flavor to your pork fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, beef with broccoli, or Peking duck. Few people give it any more thought than that. However, we’re here to tell all of our readers that soy sauce can do a whole lot more than that. We’re here to say that soy sauce provides the umami that a whole lot of dishes can benefit from. If you don’t believe us, then follow along on our culinary journey.

The History Of Soy Sauce

Before we start talking about some of the things that we can use soy sauce for, we thought it would be nice to talk about the storied history of this product. It’s believed that it can be traced back to a sauce known as Jan in ancient China. Various forms of Jan were developed using different combinations of fruit, seaweed, and vegetables. That was over 2,200 years ago.

The Jan that was designed for grains was made from wheat, rice, and soybeans and this was believed to be the archetype for modern soy sauce. This sauce would migrate to Japan sometime during the 7th century when Buddhism was introduced to the country.

As far as production in the U.S., that didn’t start until 1908. This is when the Hawaiian Yamajo Soy Company started in the Territory of Hawaii. In 1933, La Choy began producing and selling a hydrolyzed vegetable protein-based soy sauce.

Delicious Dishes To Make With Soy Sauce

Now that we’ve covered a brief history of soy sauce, it’s time to turn our attention to some of the ways that soy sauce can be used to create fantastic dishes. The following ways of using your best soy sauce run the gambit from the expected to the unexpected. Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we?

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Crock Pot Orange & Soy  Glazed Baby Back Ribs

This is one of my favorite dishes to make with soy sauce. These are baby back ribs that have a nice citrus overtone to them and a beautiful umami undertone to them. Below are some of the ingredients you’ll need as well as how to make this delightful dish.

[wc_fa icon=”lightbulb-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Ingredients Needed: 

[wc_fa icon=”lightbulb-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Directions For Dish:

Place ribs, a half cup of soy sauce, three minced garlic cloves, two teaspoons of cumin seeds, and one teaspoon of red pepper flakes in your crockpot. Place the crockpot on low and cook for approximately 8-hours.

When the ribs are in the last half hour of cooking, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place about three teaspoons of cumin and two teaspoons of red pepper flakes in the oil and lightly toast until they’re fragrant—or about thirty to forty-five seconds. Now add the six minced garlic cloves and the scallions. Saute for about two minutes or until everything is soft. When that’s done, place the remaining half cup soy sauce in the pot, along with the honey and orange juice. Bring the sauce to a boil and then cook for approximately 15-minutes or until it has thickened.

Carefully remove the baby back ribs from the crockpot and place them in a pan that’s lined with aluminum foil. At this point, the ribs might slip out of the meat, and if that happens it’s not a big deal. When the ribs are all in the pan, brush with the sauce that you’ve just prepared. Preheat the broiler and then place the ribs underneath it. Allow the ribs to broil for approximately two to three minutes and then take them out of the oven. To finish the dish, sprinkle some scallions and citrus zest on them.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Broiled Salmon With Sesame & Scallions

Salmon is a great way to get Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet, and this dish is a delicious way to work some salmon into your diet. It’s also pretty easy to make, and doesn’t require but a small handful of ingredients including soy sauce.

[wc_fa icon=”lightbulb-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Ingredients Needed:

[wc_fa icon=”lightbulb-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Directions For Dish:

Whisk together one tablespoon of oil, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and a half teaspoon of sesame seeds in a small bowl. Liberally salt the salmon with Kosher salt and black pepper and then place them in a resealable plastic bag. Add half of the marinade. Press out the air and seal the bag. Allow the salmon to sit for anywhere from 30 to 45-minutes. Set the other half of the marinade aside.

Preheat your boiler. Toss the scallion with two teaspoons of canola oil in a pan and broil until lightly charred, for about 2-minutes or so. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place it on top of the scallions. Spoon the reserved marinade over the salmon and then broil about 5 minutes or until the salmon is charred around the edges. Spoon the marinade over the top, top with the chili, and then broil until the salmon is at the desired doneness. When done, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Other Soy-Sauce Based Dishes

We don’t have the space to list all of the soy sauce recipes we know of, but we can list the names of them so you can look up the recipes for yourself and make good use of the soy sauce in your home.

Those of us who are grateful for our meat slicer wants to be sure to keep it in good condition. Not only by making sure that we regularly clean it, but also by making sure that it continues to operate in a safe and efficient manner for a long time to come. Unfortunately, many of us are also new to owning or operating meat slicers, so it might not seem all that straightforward as to how we keep them in good condition. That’s why we’ve decided to write this article. We wanted everyone to know how to clean and maintain their slicers so they can keep them in good condition for as long as possible.

As most of our readers are going to realize, we’re going to kick things off by talking about how to properly clean their meat slicer. Cleaning the slicer properly is probably one of the most important things a person can do to keep their slice in tip-top shape. Remember, even the best meat slicer can be dangerous if it’s not kept in good condition.

Step One: Prepare For Cleaning

Before cleaning your slicer, you should think about the areas that are the likeliest to get the dirtiest. The areas where meat particles can become trapped and hard to remove during everyday wiping. Some of these “problem” areas include ring guard mounts, under the slicer handle, and inside of the blade guards. Knowing how to access and clean these areas is extremely important. Of course, those aren’t the only “hidden” areas found on a meat slicer. There are also seals, seams, and gaskets that you’re going to want to clean, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with your slicer as much as possible.

The next thing that you’re going to want to do is to gather the tools that you’ll need to clean your meat slicer. Not only will you need a sanitizing spray, but you’ll also need a spray lubricant and cut-resistant gloves. Cut-resistant gloves might look like they’re made of chain-mail, but they do a great job of protecting your hands against incidental cuts and slices. It’s also a good idea to have a cloth to wipe down the slicer, especially if the slicer needs to be cleaned in the middle of using it.

Step Two: Clean The Slicer

Once you’ve gathered all of your cleaning supplies together, it’s time to clean the slicer. In a restaurant or deli, the slicer needs to be cleaned every single four hours. However, if you’re using the meat slicer at home, you probably aren’t going to use it that much and can make do with cleaning it just once a day.

It’s important that you read the instructions to your meat slicer thoroughly and follow all of the instructions. Using a solution of 1:1 soap to water and a clean sponge, thoroughly clean the blade of the slicer. Make sure that both the front and the back of the slicer’s blade is cleaned by wiping from the center outward. Before cleaning the blade though, make sure that it’s set to zero.

Using a clean towel and hot water, wipe down the exterior of the meat slicer. The entire meat slicer needs to be disinfected with a sanitizing spray and that spray is usually left to air dry on the slicer’s surfaces, but be sure to follow your machine’s specific instructions.

Step Three: Keep The Blade In Good Condition

It’s extremely important for the consumer to take very good care of the blade. A poorly maintained meat slicer blade not only does a poor job of slicing meat but can also be dangerous, so it’s important that you regularly inspect the blade and take the steps necessary to keep it in good condition.

Although it’s beyond the scope of this article, you should make sure that you use a sharpening stone and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to use that stone to keep the blade sharp. If you feel that is beyond your abilities, then take the blade to a professional and have them sharpened. Remember, a sharp blade is safer to use than one that’s dull and pitted.

When sharpening a meat slicer’s blade, it’s important to do it when it’s clean. It’s also important to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Some meat slices also require the consumer to regularly have the meat slicer serviced, and if that’s the case, then take it to a company that specializes in slicer maintenance.

Step Four: Lubricate The Slide Rods

It’s also a good idea to regularly lubricate the slide rods using some sort of spray lubricant. This should be done after the slicer is clean and dry. Once the slide rods have been lubricated, then you can replace the blade, product tray, and faceplate that you removed for cleaning.

Step Five: Use The Meat Slicer Properly

It’s also an extremely good idea that you use the meat slicer in a responsible fashion. This is good not only for the proper operation of the slicer but also for your own personal safety. Start off by washing your hands and wearing disposable gloves before loading the meat into the slicer. Once the slicer is loaded and properly seated, set the blade to the correct thickness, and then use the push guard to guide the meat through the blade.

While operating the meat slicer, it’s extremely important to focus on the task at hand. You should begin slicing in a distraction-free environment (as much as possible) and you shouldn’t deal with anything but the task of slicing. If you do have to do something else or talk to someone else, then stop the machine before doing so. Many accidents have happened by not paying attention to the slicer while using it.

When done using the slicer, make sure to set the blade to zero and properly clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After it’s been properly turned off, and cleaned, it should then store it in a safe and dry location.

If you follow all of these steps, then you will get a lot more life out of your meat slicer and you’ll be a lot safer using it in the process. Meat slicers are wonderful tools that can be used for a variety of slicing jobs, but they can be dangerous if used improperly, so be sure to use them responsibly and with care.