Hand vs Electric Biltong Slicer: Which One Should You Buy?

Biltong is one of those things South Africans take personally. We all know what good biltong is supposed to look like — those neat, even slices, slightly translucent at the edges, with just the right ratio of meat to fat. And yet, ask ten people how they slice theirs at home, and you'll get ten different answers. Some hack at it with a kitchen knife. Some swear by an old Okapi. Others have inherited a slicer from their oom and wouldn't trust anything else.

If you've landed on this page, you've probably figured out that a proper biltong slicer makes a real difference. The question now is which one suits you: a hand slicer or an electric one? Both will give you beautiful, consistent slices. The right choice comes down to how often you slice, how much you're slicing, and what you're using it for. Let's work through it properly.

The short answer

If you're slicing biltong for yourself, your family, and the occasional braai with mates, a hand biltong slicer is almost certainly what you want. It's affordable, it lasts forever, and it doesn't care if Eskom is having a moment.

If you're slicing in volume every week — running a biltong shop, processing a whole carcass after a hunt, or supplying a busy farm stall — an electric biltong slicer will pay for itself in time saved and consistency.

Stick around if you want to understand exactly why, because the answer is a bit more nuanced than just "more meat = electric."

What a biltong slicer actually does

A biltong slicer isn't the same thing as a deli slicer. Deli slicers use a flat circular blade and are designed for cold, soft meats. Biltong slicers use a spiral blade — a design Willem Claasens patented back in the 1950s — that cuts continuously through a piece of biltong as you feed it in. The result is uniform slices, every time, whether the biltong is wet (softer, fattier) or properly dry.

The hardened steel blade and cast aluminium body are what give these slicers their lifespan. We've got customers using slicers that are older than their children, and in some cases older than they are. Looked after, a biltong slicer is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase.

The hand biltong slicer: who it's for

A hand slicer is exactly what it sounds like — you mount it on the edge of your counter, clamp your biltong in place, and turn the handle. Simple, mechanical, satisfying.

What it does well:

• Price. A hand slicer costs significantly less than an electric one, and there's nothing you're giving up in terms of slice quality.
• No power needed. Load-shedding can do what it likes. Camping in the Kruger, slicing biltong in a hunting hut, or living somewhere off-grid? A hand slicer keeps working.
• Portability. It clamps to almost any surface up to 45mm thick. Pack it in the bakkie and take it to the bushveld.
• Built like a tank. Cast aluminium body, hardened steel blade, very few moving parts. Almost nothing to go wrong.
• Satisfying to use. There's something deeply right about cranking your own biltong slices at the kitchen counter. It's part of the ritual.

Where it falls short:

• It's slower than electric. If you've got two kilos of biltong to slice for a 21st on Saturday, you'll feel it in your shoulder by the time you're done.
• Hard, dry biltong takes effort. A properly dry stick gives more resistance. Most home users find this perfectly manageable, but if you've got wrist or grip issues, it's worth knowing.
• Not ideal for bulk volumes. If you're slicing daily for a business, a hand slicer becomes the bottleneck.

Best fit: Home users, weekend braai masters, hunters who process modest amounts at a time, anyone in a load-shedding-prone area, and people who simply enjoy doing it by hand.

The electric biltong slicer: who it's for

An electric biltong slicer takes the same patented spiral blade and puts a motor behind it. You feed the biltong in, it slices, you collect. That's the magic.

What it does well:

• Speed. What takes you ten minutes by hand takes about a minute on an electric slicer.
• Consistency under volume. When you're slicing kilos at a time, hand fatigue starts affecting your slice quality. The motor doesn't get tired.
• Easier on your body. No cranking, no pressure, no strain. If you've got arthritis, an old shoulder injury, or just don't want the workout, this matters.
• Professional-grade. For butcheries, biltong shops, and farm stalls, an electric slicer isn't a luxury — it's the only way the maths works.

Where it falls short:

• Costs more. Several times the price of a hand slicer.
• Needs power. Standard 220V AC, 50Hz. When the lights go out, so does the slicer.
• Bigger footprint. It's not something you tuck into a kitchen drawer.
• More to clean. Easy to maintain, but there's more of it.

The Claasens electric range gives you three power options depending on volume:

• 0.37kW Mini — Compact, ideal for serious home users and hunters who process larger quantities seasonally.
• 0.55kW — The sweet spot between price and power for small businesses, biltong enthusiasts, and farm stalls.
• 0.75kW — Heavy commercial use. Built for biltong shops and butcheries that slice all day, every day.

Best fit: Biltong shops, butchers, hunters processing whole carcasses, large families with high biltong demand, anyone slicing weekly in real volume, and customers with wrist or grip limitations.

Side-by-side comparison

The honest truth: slice quality is essentially identical between the two. The blade design is the same. You're paying for speed and convenience, not for a better slice.

Five honest questions to ask yourself before buying

1. How often will I actually slice biltong? Be realistic. Once a month? A hand slicer is plenty. Two or three times a week? An electric starts making sense. Daily? Electric, no question.

2. Do I have reliable power? If you're in an area with frequent outages, or you want a slicer for camping and hunting trips, a hand slicer gives you independence from the grid.

3. What's my actual budget? A hand slicer is a low-risk purchase that will last you a lifetime. An electric is a bigger investment that pays off only if you're using it enough. Don't talk yourself into an electric if a hand slicer will genuinely meet your needs.

4. Do I have wrist, hand, or shoulder issues? An honest question worth asking. The hand slicer isn't strenuous, but it does ask something of you. If repetitive motion is a problem, electric is the kinder option.

5. Am I building a business or feeding a household? If you're starting a biltong side hustle or running a farm stall, treat the electric slicer as essential equipment, not a luxury. The hand slicer will hold you back the moment orders pick up.

What about upgrading later?

A lot of our customers start with a hand slicer, fall in love with making their own biltong, and eventually add an electric when their volume grows. There's nothing wrong with that, and the hand slicer doesn't become redundant — it stays useful as a backup, for camping trips, or for those load-shedding evenings when the electric isn't an option.

Both slicers are built to last decades. Blades can be resharpened or replaced after prolonged use. Spare parts are available across the whole range. Whichever you choose, you're not buying disposable equipment — you're buying a tool that should still be slicing for your kids one day.

The final verdict

If you're slicing for yourself, your family, and friends — start with a hand slicer. It's the right tool for the job, it'll last forever, and you'll never regret it.

If you're slicing in volume, running a business, or simply want the convenience of fast, effortless slicing — go electric, and match the power rating to your real usage.

If you're somewhere in the middle and genuinely unsure, get in touch. Our team has been doing this for 70 years, and we'd rather help you choose the right slicer the first time than sell you the wrong one.

Browse the Hand Biltong Slicer range, explore the Electric Biltong Slicer range, or contact us for advice — we're happy to talk it through.