Then and Now

Note: this post was written by Jennifer Millsap of Mulino, Oregon. She contacted me through Etsy to tell me how delighted she was to find our new version of the old "Slice a Slice." She is still using her grandmother's 70 year old tool. See her comparison of the two versions below.

I recently posted a photo on my Facebook page thinking to share my favorite kitchen gadget with my friends. It was a spontaneous idea which led me on a path that I did not anticipate. My photo featured a “Slice A Slice,” an old bread slicer which had been my grandmother’s. I use it every day, sometimes several times a day. I love the thinner bread slices it makes. It is great for lower calories, less carbohydrates, and it allows whatever is in the sandwich to shine through. I  mentioned that they were not made anymore and wished that someone would realize how useful they are and start producing them again. 

I was really thrilled the next day when two different friends of mine shared a link to The Nicer Slicer which they somehow found while searching for a Slice A Slice. I immediately sent a message on Etsy, where The Nicer Slicer was available, to tell the company how happy I was that they had brought this tool back into production. They appreciated my excitement and offered to send me one to review. 

So now here I am, blogging about The Nicer Slicer versus my 1950s original version. While I waited for The Nicer Slicer to arrive, I explored The Nicer Slicer website. I noticed three differences between the new version and my original version: The Nicer Slicer is made from steel that is thicker and less likely to bend when slicing. It could handle thicker things than I would put into mine. The Nicer Slicer is dishwasher safe, my original version has wood in the base and is not good in a dishwasher The third difference is that since it is dishwasher safe, it can be used to slice meat. 

So The Nicer Slicer arrived. 

I hadn’t even opened the box yet and could already tell that The Nicer Slicer is noticeably heavier than the original slicer. I weighed both slicers later and found that the original weighs 6.5 ounces. The Nicer Slicer weighs 17.6 ounces; that is a substantial difference. The thicker steel meant that The Nicer Slicer would be far sturdier. 

I started slicing bread in The Nicer Slicer. My favorite low carb bread was held in place perfectly and was easy to slice. The bread I make for my husband (which had started to get a little tough because he had been gone for a couple days), sliced very nicely. I had cut a slightly thick piece initially. The slicer held it just fine and two nice neat pieces of bread came out of it. 

I made some low carb onion bagels and tested one in the slicer. I toasted it first and then slicered it. I did not shut the slicer all the way or it would have flattened the bagel but I closed it enough to hold the bagel in place and then cut it. I found that it also worked well to keep the bagel positioned near the top of the slicer. The higher position meant a good grip on the bagel while doing less “squishing”. The notches inside the slicer held the bagel in place just fine. This means the two sides of the slicer don’t meet up and don’t exactly guide the knife itself but I could cut the bagel and I loved that my fingers were nowhere in knife-range. On The Nicer Slicer website they point out that you can cut a bagel half and cut each half again and again to make bagel chips. I did not try this.

The idea of putting a piece of chicken meat in The Nicer Slicer was a bit foreign to me but I had to try it! I cooked a chicken thigh. It took a little experimentation to find the best knife to use to cut the chicken rather than a serrated bread knife. I cut the thigh in The Nicer Slicer and then put one of the halves back in and slicered through that half easily. I ended up with nice slices- not too thin and not too thick- perfect for layering in sandwiches. This would also come in very handy for chicken or turkey breasts and I can see how it would work on thick ham slices.  

All I can say is that I have long been a fan of my old Slice a Slice. I never thought a new version would be better. But for all the reasons above, I have to say that I will be switching to The Nicer Slicer because it is indeed Nicer!

This recipe for Chicken Piccata starts with slicering an uncooked chicken breast and makes a quick and easy dinner entree.