Better Bread Slicer (Poplar - Multiple Width)

This is American made with American cherry hardwoood!Well finished!Durable!Sturdy!It folds up compactly when not needed.Multiple storage methods when you don’t need it, or fold it up and leave it on the counter! It takes up little space!Works like it should and doesn’t leave splinters of bamboo in your bread like others do.Adjustable for different slice widths and easy to clean when you are done!Fast shipping and well packaged!It is more expensive, but you get what you pay for! And as they say, spend more for quality and cry once; spend cheaply and cry every day!

This is a really lovely bread slicer. It was really intuitive to use, and it is made with good craftsmanship. Initially when I looked at the guide pieces, I thought I would want to use the second largest size, but that is thicker than I imagined. In my mind, the slices would be the width of the guide, but they come out wider. Of course they would, because the slots have to be wider than my knife. That's really as much of a learning curve as this thing has.Following another user's advice to cut a cutting mat to fit, I pulled a cutting mat I've had for a long time out of the cupboard and trimmed it down. I realized after I did it that the perfect size mat to use with the guides in the widest slots is the same dimensions of the board that you put the bread up against while cutting. If you want a quick template, just use that board. Obviously you would need to go narrower to use other slot configurations. The advantage of using a slightly more firm cutting mat is that it can hold the loaf more steadily over the edge of the board if using the guides on either end, so you don't have to use as much effort to hold the loaf in place.Edit: I finally have the option to add pictures, so I added pictures. There are two halves of a loaf pictured. The one on the left is sliced with the guide slots on the far left (2nd smallest) and the one on the right is sliced with the 2nd largest guide (on the right end). The second picture is my cutting mat solution for those who might want a visual of its size.

My biggest two concerns were - does it work, and is it worth the price. YES &YES! This takes all the math out of getting even slices from a large artisan loaf, especially if the crust is tough and hard to cut thru. There are plenty of choices for different thicknesses. It is easy to use and so beautifully made. A delight to look at and use. OK, you artisan home bakers - how much dough have you blown on fancy bannetons, cloches, baking stones, dutch ovens, mixers, books, exotic flours, Japanese bread knife and so much more that I am embarrassed to admit to. This is hands down my best baking tool investment. No more ruined slices, danger of cutting hands or bad language that scares my spouse and dog when cutting up a fresh loaf late at night just before bed. You will love this too.

Update, July 13 2018:The seller is a very nice person and wrote to me to apologize and send me a new backstop. They were kind enough to send me two. The slicer has grown on me a bit since I got it. I still wish the finish on the slats was smoother and that it had a cutting board to protect the finish in the middle, but I cut a cheap cutting board to fit in there it works fine. It does look pretty on my counter.Updated picture: replacement stopOriginal Review: 2/5The base of the unit is very nice hard wood. It is stupidly heavy and solid. I would give the design of the base unit 4 stars, 5 stars if it came with a cutting board surface to protect it. The slats are plywood (as expected) but the finish on them leaves a lot to be desired. There is a lot of splintering from where the slats were cut and where the logo was stamped. The finishing on these parts of the unit are very poor. For the money I felt like they could have been better finished then they would last longer and not shed into my bread. I would give the slats 2.5 stars, tops, 4-5 if they were finished better. The stop for the bread cutter is a thin sheet of plywood. That is fine except the one I received has a crack all the way across the middle on the top laminated sheet. Since they are thin (maybe 2-3 sheets) I anticipate the stop will crack in half sometime in the near future. I would give the stop 1 star because it is damaged, otherwise I'd give it 3 stars because really it's just a piece of wood. I tried to contact the seller for a replacement stop but haven't yet received an answer (it's been about a week now). It is clear that the cost of the unit comes mostly from the base, which is important because it holds the unit together and needs to be heavy enough to not move when slicing bread. I just feel like the craftsmanship on the rest of the unit is lacking.Pictures:Assembled UnitBaseSplintering finish at base of slatsSplintering finish at ends of slatsDent in slatCrack in stop board

We’ve been using our Better Bread Slicer for about a month now. It is truly a pleasure to use. As other purchasers have stated, you can slide the back panel into the side panels to allow slicing of different thicknesses. The exceptional craftsmanship and quality of this slicer by Patrick Nickles and his crew is what makes it a valuable purchase for us. It is so attractive that it can have a place on our counter since the panels store conveniently underneath.I subsequently asked Patrick about fashioning a poly cover to fit over the hardwood base. I now actually agree with his perspective that, though the Better Bread Slicer is a beautiful cutting board, it's meant to be a tool—sturdy enough for your grandchildren to use some day and one they'll treasure more with the cuts all over the surface than they would a pristine "never been touched" appearance. We expect that this tool will indeed become an heirloom in our family.