A machine for slicing a foodstuff has a housing, a blade displaceable on the housing, and a stop plate on the housing adjacent the blade, and displaceable on the housing to control slice thickness. A knob rotatable on the housing is coupled to the stop plate for adjusting slice thickness. A carriage adapted to hold the foodstuff against the plate is displaceable past the blade. A drive can be energized to reciprocate the carriage past the blade and thereby cut a slice from the foodstuff as the carriage moves past the blade. The knob is axially shiftable from a rest position or a separate control ring immediately adjacent the knob is rotationally shiftable from a rest position to initiate a slicing operation.