debris, making it last a lot longer between trips to be serviced.
MEDIUM DUTY (BETWEEN 5 AND 7 HOURS PER DAY): FUTURA GRAVITA For greater demands, this model is more than capable. The Futura Gravita range cuts for longer hours without breaking a sweat; its greater cutting capacity and thicker slices (up to 17mm) makes this range an ideal all-rounder for any business with frequent and busy meat-slicing needs. The Futura Gravita slicers are available with blades measuring between 280mm and 360mm in diameter, with progressively more generous proportions and cutting capacities to match. HEAVY DUTY (OVER 7 HOURS PER DAY): AVANTGARDE GRAVITA Intended for the heavier duty end of the market, this slicer will readily put in the hours and handle greater demands. Regular and constant requirements are welcomed, and slices of up to 32mm are the Avantgarde Gravita’s speciality. This machine comes in two sizes, depending on your needs, with a cutting capacity of up to 248mm.
THE FLYWHEEL SERIES Perhaps Berkel’s signature look is the Flywheel series. Evoking the ironwork genius of the nineteenth century’s finest engineers, these slicers, with their decorative, flower-patterned crank wheel, is what Berkel is most famous for. Turning by hand offers the additional benefit of slower, brief bursts of activity.
BERKEL MEAT SLICERS FEATURE.indd 3
machine should only ever be dried with a towel (drying with warm air drying is attempted surprisingly often, but this should never be done!)
MAINTENANCE
A high-performance example of a Berkel Flywheel slicer is the Flywheel B300, which is capable of working for over 7 hours per day with its 300mm blade - looking effortless and elegant all the while. Enduring and attractive, the Flywheel B300 occupies the very best of both worlds.
LOOKING AFTER YOUR BERKEL SLICER
A regular problem with the owners of Berkel slicers is the lack of care they give to the machines. Ignorance, lack of cleaning or even overuse can lead to unnecessary wear and tear, or even serious damage. Instead, the maintenance of a Berkel meat slicer should be viewed in the same way as the care lavished upon of a luxury car. While proudly polishing a Berkel slicer every weekend may be a step too far, there are some simple rules that will secure the long, long life that these fine slicers are intended to enjoy.
CLEANING
All Berkel slicers must be cleaned daily. All moving parts and any meat residue needs to be removed from all trays and moving parts. Not only is such cleanliness important for smooth and faultless operation, but such this is also an essential hygiene consideration. A frequent error for the owners of meat slicers – regardless of the brand – is to clean machine parts, in a dishwasher. This is in fact very harmful, especially to the blade. Instead, it is recommended that all cleaning is done with warm water, a small amount of washing-up detergent, and a soft cloth or sponge. Abrasive cloths, scourers or rough sponges should never be used. The bodywork of the machine must be protected from acidic fluid or oils to ensure its continuing workmanship. Finally, the
Above all else, it is crucial that grease is applied to moving parts in order to ensure smooth and trouble-free operation. Removing grease from the machine can result in moving parts becoming stiff, or locking altogether. Professional sharpening of the blade itself is strongly recommended, because a dull blade leads to laboured and inefficient cutting, not to mention increasing piles of wastage. Most importantly of all – and the luxury car analogy rings particularly true in this case - a full service should be performed on Berkel slicers to keep them in peak physical condition. This will identify any likely problems, and prevent them from becoming worse.
SAFETY
The safety and wellbeing of the machine operator is a major consideration, and several important steps should be taken to reduce the elements of danger inherent in meat slicing. First of all, the safety guards should be kept in place to avoid injuries. (It is disturbing how cavalier some operators’ attitudes are towards this vital safety consideration!) Furthermore, the Slicer Thickness Adjuster should be set harmlessly to ‘0’ when not in use. Importantly, the slicer and electrical plug should be kept well away from water and other liquids. Finally – and this applies to whether the machine is switched on or not – users must never touch the cutting edge of the blade directly. After all, the blade is in the business of cutting meat, and should be respected from a safe distance at all times. l www.theberkelworld.com
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24/08/2017 14:58