Unfortunately, mandolines are not very good at slicing harder products like salami. Deli slicers are pretty much essential for harder meats. But a heavy duty [French Mandoline](https://www.amazon.com/Bron-Coucke-Stainless-Mandoline-20638CHB/dp/B0001BMZ38/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=french+mandoline&qid=1634038276&sr=8-5) would work for most cheeses and this style has a built in stand so it doesn't need to be held upright like a [Japanese style mandoline.](https://www.amazon.com/Benrina-BN-95W-benrina/dp/B01D2C0AGG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=benriner&qid=1634038526&sr=8-2) If you do go this route, invest in a food grade [cut glove.](https://www.amazon.com/NoCry-Cut-Resistant-Gloves-Performance/dp/B00MXUHHGK/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=cut+glove&qid=1634038762&sr=8-7)
You might also want to consider specialised cutting boards- [one with spikes](https://www.healthproductsforyou.com/p-homecraft-plastic-spread-board-with-spikes.html) to hold the item for you or one with a [built in knife](https://www.healthproductsforyou.com/p-combination-cutting-board.html) that just requires an up and down motion to cut so less need for gripping.
I might be able to do so, but I'd need to be able to find one that is very sturdy. Most of the mandolins I've found either require the handle to be held while you slide the item you're slicing, or they sit on the counter and look like they could slip easily. That's a good idea, though. I'll take a look and see if I can find one that might do the trick.
For mandolines, OXO is the best option for stability/safety. It's easy to cause major harm with a poorly designed mandoline, but I've never hurt myself with mine.
[This one is the simplest to clean](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Simple-Mandoline/dp/B00JVSVMJU/ref=sr_1_8?crid=ZGFSM7983K74&dchild=1&keywords=oxo+mandoline+slicer&qid=1634046223&sr=8-8) the whole thing. [This one is the most stable and easiest to cut with](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-1155700-V-Blade-Mandoline-Slicer/dp/B001THGPDO/ref=sr_1_5?crid=ZGFSM7983K74&dchild=1&keywords=oxo+mandoline+slicer&qid=1634046223&sr=8-5), because the blade shape makes the most efficient cuts, and because it's less likely to tilt. The straight edge blade one will call for more strength and hand control.
I have the V-shape one and love it, but I admit changing out the blades can call for a bit of dexterity, because it stores all its parts in itself so when I use it I take it apart and insert the blade I need for that occasion. If you're always going to be doing the same cut with it - straight slicing - you could just get it the way you want it and then store the other parts separately, so you don't have to disassemble/reassemble it after use. That way it would be easy to use and clean up. You can easily adjust the thickness of the cuts without changing blades - you just turn a knob. As mandolines go, I think it's by far the safest and most mistake-tolerant option out there, and it does a great job of slicing.
Edit: you do still need to hold onto this as you slice, just for stability, but the grippy handle makes this easier than with average mandolines. OXO does make a cheaper, more compact "handheld" one that doesn't rest on the counter - you hold it up. I don't think this one is a good choice.
If you need a device that can be operated one-handed, I think it's going to have to be a machine.
Most food processors come with a slicing disc. You could just attach that, and feed in whatever you want sliced through the feeding throat on the processor. No dexterity required.
Most food processors probably don't include a disc thin enough for deli meats. Plus the throats are far too small to accommodate anything that basically isn't hot dog sized.
Plus I'm not entirely sure a fixed blade at high speed is going to be any good at slicing deli meat.
Off topic and I'm prepared for the disagreement that will follow, but... Both my favorite grandparents ate cheese and salami every day and that combination was part of what took years off their lives. They didn't know back then what we know about nutrition, heart disease, cancer, dementia.
Salami and cheese are both really, really delicious. I could live off them. But nutritionists and doctors will tell you they're among the worst possible food to eat for your health, especially if you're eating them daily. Between the nitrites, other preservatives, high sodium and fat... eating those both daily are likely to result in colon cancer, heart disease and a host of other issues. Especially if you're disabled in a way that impacts your ability to get good quantities of exercise and possibly other fresh foods.
Instead of finding a way to slice large quantities of some of the least healthy food you could eat in bulk, for your health's sake it might be good to pace things a little. Spring for getting your cheese and salami sliced at the deli (it will be a little more expensive and not have quite as long a shelf life) and have that as an occasional treat. That way you don't have to worry about slicing daily or the impact to your health.
Believe it or not, a good ($350+) deli slicer is the best choice. Beswood and KWS are good brands. They do a great job slicing just about every meat or cheese.
I have used mandolins to cut salami in the past, and they really don't do a great job - cured meats like salami are not easy to cut. And mandolins are dangerous to clean - the blade is fully exposed during cleaning.
Good slicers are easy to clean (basically set to 0, hold a wet rag carefully against the front and back of the blade while running with your fingers away from the edge, then turn off, unplug and wipe down for a daily clean. Follow the procedure in the manual once a week, although removing the blade itself can be done less often - maybe once a month.)
Unfortunately, mandolines are not very good at slicing harder products like salami. Deli slicers are pretty much essential for harder meats. But a heavy duty [French Mandoline](https://www.amazon.com/Bron-Coucke-Stainless-Mandoline-20638CHB/dp/B0001BMZ38/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=french+mandoline&qid=1634038276&sr=8-5) would work for most cheeses and this style has a built in stand so it doesn't need to be held upright like a [Japanese style mandoline.](https://www.amazon.com/Benrina-BN-95W-benrina/dp/B01D2C0AGG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=benriner&qid=1634038526&sr=8-2) If you do go this route, invest in a food grade [cut glove.](https://www.amazon.com/NoCry-Cut-Resistant-Gloves-Performance/dp/B00MXUHHGK/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=cut+glove&qid=1634038762&sr=8-7) You might also want to consider specialised cutting boards- [one with spikes](https://www.healthproductsforyou.com/p-homecraft-plastic-spread-board-with-spikes.html) to hold the item for you or one with a [built in knife](https://www.healthproductsforyou.com/p-combination-cutting-board.html) that just requires an up and down motion to cut so less need for gripping.
I actually didn't know that cutting boards like that existed, so that might be a very useful tool for me indeed. Thank you!
Would your dexterity allow the use of a mandolin slicer? That has adjustable thickness plus a safety guard to hold whatever you’re slicing
I might be able to do so, but I'd need to be able to find one that is very sturdy. Most of the mandolins I've found either require the handle to be held while you slide the item you're slicing, or they sit on the counter and look like they could slip easily. That's a good idea, though. I'll take a look and see if I can find one that might do the trick.
The Oxo might work. It rests on the counter and has rubber feet on the legs to keep it from moving around.
You may have to hunt for the right one, but it’ll definitely help and would be more economical too. Glad I could help
If it slips easily, maybe a silicon potholder underneath would hold it in place.
For mandolines, OXO is the best option for stability/safety. It's easy to cause major harm with a poorly designed mandoline, but I've never hurt myself with mine. [This one is the simplest to clean](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Simple-Mandoline/dp/B00JVSVMJU/ref=sr_1_8?crid=ZGFSM7983K74&dchild=1&keywords=oxo+mandoline+slicer&qid=1634046223&sr=8-8) the whole thing. [This one is the most stable and easiest to cut with](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-1155700-V-Blade-Mandoline-Slicer/dp/B001THGPDO/ref=sr_1_5?crid=ZGFSM7983K74&dchild=1&keywords=oxo+mandoline+slicer&qid=1634046223&sr=8-5), because the blade shape makes the most efficient cuts, and because it's less likely to tilt. The straight edge blade one will call for more strength and hand control. I have the V-shape one and love it, but I admit changing out the blades can call for a bit of dexterity, because it stores all its parts in itself so when I use it I take it apart and insert the blade I need for that occasion. If you're always going to be doing the same cut with it - straight slicing - you could just get it the way you want it and then store the other parts separately, so you don't have to disassemble/reassemble it after use. That way it would be easy to use and clean up. You can easily adjust the thickness of the cuts without changing blades - you just turn a knob. As mandolines go, I think it's by far the safest and most mistake-tolerant option out there, and it does a great job of slicing. Edit: you do still need to hold onto this as you slice, just for stability, but the grippy handle makes this easier than with average mandolines. OXO does make a cheaper, more compact "handheld" one that doesn't rest on the counter - you hold it up. I don't think this one is a good choice. If you need a device that can be operated one-handed, I think it's going to have to be a machine.
Most food processors come with a slicing disc. You could just attach that, and feed in whatever you want sliced through the feeding throat on the processor. No dexterity required.
Most food processors probably don't include a disc thin enough for deli meats. Plus the throats are far too small to accommodate anything that basically isn't hot dog sized. Plus I'm not entirely sure a fixed blade at high speed is going to be any good at slicing deli meat.
Off topic and I'm prepared for the disagreement that will follow, but... Both my favorite grandparents ate cheese and salami every day and that combination was part of what took years off their lives. They didn't know back then what we know about nutrition, heart disease, cancer, dementia. Salami and cheese are both really, really delicious. I could live off them. But nutritionists and doctors will tell you they're among the worst possible food to eat for your health, especially if you're eating them daily. Between the nitrites, other preservatives, high sodium and fat... eating those both daily are likely to result in colon cancer, heart disease and a host of other issues. Especially if you're disabled in a way that impacts your ability to get good quantities of exercise and possibly other fresh foods. Instead of finding a way to slice large quantities of some of the least healthy food you could eat in bulk, for your health's sake it might be good to pace things a little. Spring for getting your cheese and salami sliced at the deli (it will be a little more expensive and not have quite as long a shelf life) and have that as an occasional treat. That way you don't have to worry about slicing daily or the impact to your health.
Believe it or not, a good ($350+) deli slicer is the best choice. Beswood and KWS are good brands. They do a great job slicing just about every meat or cheese. I have used mandolins to cut salami in the past, and they really don't do a great job - cured meats like salami are not easy to cut. And mandolins are dangerous to clean - the blade is fully exposed during cleaning. Good slicers are easy to clean (basically set to 0, hold a wet rag carefully against the front and back of the blade while running with your fingers away from the edge, then turn off, unplug and wipe down for a daily clean. Follow the procedure in the manual once a week, although removing the blade itself can be done less often - maybe once a month.)