piatto 5 hand-operated food slicer
RRP 299,99 €
ritter is a German company that offers a wide range of household appliances, including quite an array of food slicers, both hand-turned and electronic. We were sent the piatto 5, just one of many from this range, to give us a taste for how well ritter knows its slicing.
If you’ve ever been to Germany, the chances are you’ve seen cafés, butchers and delicatessens selling all sorts of lovely meats and cheeses, either in sandwiches, on bread or as-is. As you can tell from the word itself, the delicatessen is a German creation; I come from a part-German family, so we would often sit down to a lovely Abendbrot in the evenings - a dinner made of various breads, sliced sausages, hams, cheese, potato salad and fresh veg. With all this in mind, I’m not at all surprised that ritter has a sleek and professional line of food slicers available, and I was keen to get some of that professionally cut, delicatessen-thin meat sliced and ready for a nostalgic Abendbrot that would have me pining for my family’s roots.
This food slicer isn’t small. If you want to add it into your kitchen line-up, make sure that you either have the counter space or storage space. However, it isn’t needlessly big, either – in fact, it’s not as big as I’d braced myself for. For most people, this isn’t going to be something you use every day, but will be helpful to pull out whenever you’re prepping the sandwich foods for the following week, or perhaps if you’re preparing a picnic or to host a group for lunch. Whatever you might need it for, the piatto 5 makes a clean, even cut – just bear in mind that this model is hand-turned, so it’s going to make you work for it a little!
That said, this appliance is pleasantly easy to use. Being hand operated, this is a far greener choice than an electric food slicer, and is also free of limits when it comes to where in the kitchen you place it. A helpful guide bracket aids you in keeping your larger foodstuffs lined up, allowing you to make even cuts. It also guides the food away from the crank, meaning you don’t get in your own way as you’re working. You can adjust the size of the slices you make, from paper-thin to approx. 20mm. These adjustments are continuous, rather than by degrees, meaning you can get the exact thickness you want.
Suction feet will keep the appliance in place as you work, avoiding any mistakes made from bumping or knocking it, and generally making it much safer to use. It is made of sturdy materials, as well as materials that give it a traditional and attractive look. The metal body is hardy and also easy to keep clean, and the beech wood handle is comfortable and, as I said, traditional-looking. There’s something timeless about this piece of kit that makes it an experience as much as a convenience.
The food slicer comes with a bamboo board that fits perfectly under it and catches your slices, then is easy to remove to either serve up from directly or transfer the slices with ease.
All in all, this appliance is easy to use, easy to clean, and produces exactly the result I’d hoped for. Think carefully about whether you would like a hand-powered food slicer or an electric one, but personally, I like that this doesn’t use any power and doesn’t need to hog one of the sockets in the kitchen. It feels more traditional, too, and that’s fun in itself.
4.5/5
Pros
Even cuts
Adjustable thickness
Helpful guide to keep cuts straight
Easy to use
Easy material to clean
Looks good
Cons
Will take up some space
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