Waring Pro FS150 Food Slicer
Thursday night, my 7-year-old Rival Food Slicer crapped out on me. The knob used to adjust slice thickness broke off (again, I’d previously repaired it with super glue) and the threaded bolt just refused to budge past the ¼” thickness mark. I draped it in a flag and carried it out to the dumpster. It had cost me about $100 when I purchased it.
Before the Rival (I always think of dog food), I had a Chefs Choice slicer that had cost about $250. It only lasted about two years and its demise that early left a bad taste in my mouth for the entire Chefs Choice brand. A willing suspension of resentment gave me the opportunity to consider Chefs Choice again since they seem to own the medium price range of $200-500 slicers. Once you’ve passed that range, you’re looking at $1,200 for a Hobart – out of the question. Of special interest was the Chefs Choice 667 with a 10-inch blade for about $460, about the amount of my tax refund. I tried to be objective, despite having been once bitten, but when I read a review that said it had hidden nooks and crannies where food got stuck so cleanup took 30 minutes, there was no way I’d buy it.
Still, I wanted to see it. Maybe that review was an exaggeration (though it was generally positive). So I stopped by Williams Sonoma at SouthPointe (pronounced “South-poyn-TAY” around here) Mall on the way home from work. They had quit carrying slicers in the store - so shelving real estate could be used to showcase 3 or 4 more overpriced espresso machines. Back in the parking lot, I found a 20% off coupon for Linens ‘N’ Things (pronounced “Linens nn-YUH Things” – the “YUH” is “swallowed”) in the glove compartment. When those things come, I keep ‘em nearby, just in case. It had expired, but that didn’t matter – they always honor them regardless of the expiry date, one of the things I really appreciate about this chain.
The FS150 was $100, meaning it could be mine for $80 (comparison point: a "bread slicer" blade for the Chefs Choice costs $80 by itself). Moral dilemma: I hate buying cheap stuff. I want quality tools for my kitchen. I walked out of the store and right back in again and bought it. After all, my Rival (“makes its own sauce”) slicer had lasted 7 years and was cheap. It had served me well. I looked for a “food trap” on the Waring FS150 and saw none, meaning cleanup wouldn’t be that bad.
At home last evening, it rewarded me by making paper-thin slices of my leftover St. Patrick’s Day corned beef brisket. I carried it with me to the sofa, dimmed the lights, and started a fire in the hearth…
4:26:11 AM 
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