Hand vs Electric Biltong Slicer: Which Should You Buy?
By the Claasens team, makers of South African biltong slicers since 1955.
This is the question we field more often than any other. A customer walks into the workshop, or rings us up, and asks straight out. Which one do I buy, the hand slicer or the electric? The honest answer is that the two machines solve different problems. One is wrong for you only because you should have bought the other.
This guide is the decision tree we walk through with customers when they ring up. Read it through once, decide which side of the line you sit on, and skip to the recommendation at the bottom.
The short answer
If you slice biltong less than twice a week, buy a hand biltong slicer. It will give you 30 years of service and it will not take up bench space. If you slice every day, or if a household of more than four people is going through biltong fast enough that you are sick of cranking the handle, buy an electric slicer. The rest of this article is the long version of why.
What hand slicers are good at
A hand biltong slicer is a manual machine. You feed a stick of biltong into the throat, push down on a handle, and a fixed blade cuts a slice. It is the design we have refined over 70 years and it does several things very well.
- Reliable. No motor, no electronics, almost nothing to go wrong. The slicers we built in the 1970s are still in service.
- Quiet. The only sound is the blade through the meat. No motor whine, no hum, no fan.
- Compact. A hand slicer takes up about as much bench space as a kettle. It can live in a cupboard between uses.
- Cheap to run. Zero electricity. A new blade every few years and that is it.
- Easy to clean. Wipe down, occasional disassembly. There are no motors, fans, or housings to clean around.
Where the hand slicer falls short
- Pace. A skilled user can cut about 5 kg of biltong in 30 minutes. That is more than enough for a household. For a busy butchery or biltong stand, it is not.
- Even slices take practice. The first few sticks you slice on a hand machine will have a slight wedge to them while you find your rhythm.
What electric slicers are good at
An electric biltong slicer uses a motor driven blade and an automatic feeder. You load the biltong into the carriage, switch it on, and the slicer feeds, cuts, and ejects slices at a steady rate. The output is consistent because the motor maintains exactly the same speed across the slice.
- Speed. Our 0.25 kW mini will cut a stick of biltong in about 90 seconds. The 0.55 kW and 0.75 kW commercial machines are even faster.
- Uniform slices. Every slice is the same thickness. This matters for retail packaging, for snack platters, and for biltong shavings.
- Hands free. Load the carriage and walk away while it slices.
- Volume. A commercial electric slicer handles 20 kg an hour comfortably. The mini handles a household batch in minutes.
Where the electric slicer falls short
- Footprint. An electric slicer needs permanent bench space. It is not the kind of machine you pack away.
- Noise. A small motor running at a couple of hundred watts. Not loud, but not silent.
- Price. An electric slicer is several times the price of a hand slicer.
- Maintenance. The motor and the carriage drive need occasional attention. Nothing dramatic, but more than zero.
The decision tree
Here is how to choose.
| Your situation | The machine |
|---|---|
| Single household, occasional batches | Hand Biltong Slicer |
| Family or shared household with two or more biltong eaters | Hand Biltong Multi Slicer |
| Serious home user, weekly batches, no space worries | Electric Mini 0.25 kW |
| Hunter or hobbyist butcher who processes 50 kg plus per season | Electric 0.55 kW |
| Butchery, biltong stand, small production line | Electric 0.75 kW |
A note on chunks
Chunk biltong is the thick cut style, where the slice is closer to a cube than a flake. If you prefer chunks, the slicing geometry is different. Our Hand Biltong Chunk Slicer and the electric 0.55 kW and 0.75 kW chunk slicers are purpose built for it. The decision logic is the same. Hand for home, electric for volume.
Cost over ten years
This is the calculation most customers do not run, but it changes things.
A hand slicer costs less up front. Over ten years it will need one or two replacement blades and zero electricity. Total cost of ownership is roughly the price tag plus the cost of blades.
An electric slicer costs more up front. It uses a few cents of electricity per session. It will need a replacement blade every few years and a service every five years. Over ten years it pays back the difference in time saved if you use it weekly or more.
If you only slice once a month, the hand slicer wins on cost without question. If you slice weekly, the electric pays for itself by year three.
The blade is everything
Whichever you buy, the blade does the work. A sharp blade gives clean slices. A dull blade tears, which gives ragged edges that dry out within hours and lose flavour. Wipe the blade after every use. Never put it in the dishwasher. Keep a spare on the shelf so you are not stuck the day you need it. We stock hand slicer replacement blades and electric slicer blades for every machine we make.
FAQ
How long does a Claasens biltong slicer last?
The frame lasts a lifetime. We routinely service slicers that have been in the same family for 40 years. The blade is the consumable. Expect 3 to 5 years of regular use from a hand slicer blade, 2 to 4 years from an electric blade.
Can I use an electric slicer for other meats?
An electric biltong slicer is purpose built for dried, cured biltong. It is not a deli slicer for cooked meats or cheese. The blade angle and feed geometry are different.
What thickness do biltong slicers cut?
Most home users settle on 3 to 5 mm. Our slicers are adjustable across that range. Some prefer thinner for snacks, others prefer thicker for chewing.
Are biltong slicers safe to use?
Yes, when used correctly. Both hand and electric machines have safety guards. The blade is exposed only inside the cutting chamber. Always disconnect an electric slicer at the plug before cleaning or changing the blade.
Can children use a hand biltong slicer?
Older children with adult supervision can use a hand slicer. The hand crank requires real downward force, which limits how fast the blade can move. The blade is still sharp. Treat it like any kitchen knife.
The bottom line
Hand slicer for most homes. Electric for high volume, daily slicing, or businesses. Either way, buy once, buy quality, and look after the blade. For more on the biltong itself, see our complete biltong guide.