Manual Meat Grinders – Top Picks
Ground meat is easily one of the most versatile forms of meat that is consumed in today’s world. From our mother’s secret spaghetti and meatball recipe to gourmet dishes in star establishments, ground meat is widely loved and cherished. But the biggest hassle we face is the price we pay for ground meat sold on the market. So why go through all the pain to spend that money on ground meat when you can do it yourself? Not sure if you have to buy a polymer-based grinder or a stainless steel-based product? Not sure what size grinder plates are most suitable for you?
Choosing an effective and efficient meat grinder can be challenging as there is a multitude of brands that are available on the market. Comparison of quality, prices, weight and various other features can be hard, but why worry when we’re here to make your choices easier? We’ve carefully curated the best meat grinders of 2023 for you!
1. The Weston Manual Tinned Meat Grinder and Sausage Stuffer
Rated a 3.8 out of 5 stars, Weston brand’s classic meat grinder is a must-have. Made out of cast iron, this durable and effective meat grinder can grind both coarse as well as fine meat facilitated by the various grinding plates that come with the product. This product is easily washable as well making the next grinding just as clean as the last one.
This product is operated manually using a handle that expedites the grinding of the meat. It can be permanently mounted onto the edge of a table to firmly attach itself or can also be temporarily attached to a table or any flat surface using the suction cups ( although available only as an accessory ).
A well-suited meat grinder for households that employ traditional cooking methods.
2. Huanyu Stainless Steel Manual Meat Grinder
Made of stainless steel and aluminum alloy, the Huanyu meat grinder is a fine assistant that provides a clean and hygienic grind of various meats. This product enables consumers to grind a plethora of meats from pork, beef, chicken as well as mushrooms, etc.
The key feature of this product is that it has a dual-use structure. The product can be used as a grinder by installing around the meat plate and a cross knife at the outlet and can be used as a sausage stuffer when the enema nozzle is installed.
It is also thoroughly washable, completely prevents rust and is extremely durable.
This is a must-buy for consumers who want to grind meat as well as make sausages!
3. LHS Manual Meat Grinder Plastic body with stainless steel
Simplicity is key. The LHS meat grinder does exactly that. The meat can be placed into the top container and can be ground easily. It just needs a hand crank to operate thus making no use of electricity.
It has a powerful suction base that needs to be put on a dry table which in turn keeps the grinder steady to facilitate the powerful grinding of meat. The cutting blades are enclosed deep in the product which makes it very safe to use. Another great aspect of this mincer is its weight. Made out of a strong plastic body, the product weighs only 1.74 pounds, a lot lesser than most other manual grinders.
It’s the ideal grinder for making meatballs, tacos and baby food as well.
4. LEM 1384 #10 Aluminium Hand Grinder
This old-fashioned meat grinder is effective as is economical. Grinding plates made out of carbon steel ensures complete grinding of the meat with full uniformity. Made out of cast iron- aluminum alloy this product promises performance and durability to the consumers.
The product is made to grind both coarse and fine meat which is enabled by the 5mm coarse carbon steel blade for coarse meat and the 10mm grinding plates for fine meat.
It’s a perfect product for you if you’re looking for durability, economy and performance.
5. Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder Heavy Duty Stainless Steel
Another best seller of simplistic manual meat grinders, the Gideon manual meat mincer is a very easy-to-use product that makes use of a hand crank. It can be well stuck to the table by making use of its powerful suction base. The blades are well enclosed into the product making it perfectly safe to use. This product not only can grind meat but can puree vegetables as well owing to its powerful grinding capabilities. There’s also a meat pusher that helps move the meat into the grinder without the need for hands to come close to the feeder.
A good buy for those looking for a simple and effective meat grinder that is easily portable, washable and economical.
Buyer’s Guide To Purchasing The Right Meat Grinder
Buying the right meat grinder can be more challenging than you think. A significant amount of thought needs to go into buying a durable, effective and safe mincer. A hasty purchase might lead to problems like ineffective mincing of meat, defectiveness in the product, etc.
Hence this buyer’s guide has been formulated to help you make a thoughtful and logical purchase of a meat mincer amongst the hundreds of brands that sell them.
Here are a few points you need to keep in mind while trying to buy a meat grinder!
● Simplicity – This is the foremost thing to keep in mind that is the ease of use and the simplicity of the meat grinder. Meat grinding isn’t rocket science hence should be easy to understand and operate. The parts of the product aren’t supposed to be complicated, such as the clamp or usage of the suction base, the various blades for various thicknesses of the meats being ground. The easier it is to use the product, the more effective will be its usage. Therefore, simplicity is a huge factor in choosing the product.
● Durability – In all honesty, what’s better than an effective product? A long-lasting one! Durability is the next key feature you should look into while purchasing a meat grinder. Although some meat grinders are economical, it is an investment that we make in our lives and to fully harness the returns on the investment, the product needs to be able to last a long time. You should look for meat grinders that are made of quality materials, whether metal or plastic. Quality metal or plastic ensures the durability of the product.
● Stainless steel – Yes of course both quality plastic meat grinders are pretty effective for grinding meat but stainless steel meat grinders steal the show. This is due to various reasons. In terms of durability, steel takes the edge over plastic and other polymers and in terms of reaction towards organic materials such as the food themselves, steel has a slower or negligible reaction rate compared to the plastics although quality plastic as well does not react easily with food.
The greatest edge steel has over plastic is the fact that it can take a lot more force. A steel meat mincer can withstand falls and physical damage a lot better than plastic. Hence if you find yourself in a dilemma between a quality steel and plastic mincer, it’s a lot more advisable to go for the stainless steel mincer.
● Cleanliness – It is another important parameter to consider while purchasing a meat grinder. Since this product actively deals with meat, the internal parts of the product are most likely clogged with bits of meat and the bacteria that thrive on it as well. So it’s important to find a product that is easily washable by disassembling the key feeder tube. Failure to properly clean the product can lead to salmonella poisoning with the next use. Make sure that the product you purchase has detachable blades which are easily washable.
● Space – Availability of space in your kitchen is another factor in deciding the kind of product you are to purchase. If you have a wide kitchen table that can accommodate various items of the kitchen on it as well as a meat grinder, one can clamp the meat grinder permanently on the edge of the table. But if space is scarce in the kitchen, then one can opt for the meat grinders that are attachable temporarily on a table by making use of suction bases. Suction bases although not effective as the permanent clamp, are easily portable and take a smaller amount of space.
● Additional Accessories – Accessories supplement the use of meat grinders. For example, having more than 2 grinding plates can be very helpful as they help adjust the coarseness of the meat to be ground. Additional casings can also be acquired as the ground meat can be shaped into your choice depending on the dish you’re about to make. For instance, you can take casings of different sausage shapes to create different forms of sausage for example there’s a separate casing to create breakfast link sausages and a different one for regular sausages.
Conclusion
Ground meat is a very important form of meat that is consumed all over the world. Everyone wants perfectly cooked, mouth-watering bites of sausages, burgers, meatballs and so many more dishes. To obtain good ground meat, it is important to have a good meat grinder. The best part about most meat grinders is the fact that they can be used both in your home kitchen or the kitchen in a restaurant. The motive of this article was to make your choices easier by giving you a detailed and logical comparison between all the various brands available in today’s market.
FAQ’s
What do the numbers on the meat grinders mean?
The numbers for those wondering what they mean on the grinders are the size of the grinders. They indicate more specifically the size of the grinder plates. The most common household sizes are the #5 , #8 , #12 , #22 and #32. Depending on the amount of meat to be ground every minute the size varies. Of course, the greater the size of the grinder plate, the greater the amount of ground meat.
Is it worth buying a meat grinder?
Worth buying a meat grinder. It not only saves cash but the texture and resulting taste of the meat is a lot fresher and better compared to the readily available ground meat in shops. If you ever have the craving for some mouth-watering meatballs but don’t want to go through the hassle of running to the store, having a meat grinder can come in very handy.
Is it a lot cheaper to grind the meat yourself?
It’s a lot cheaper to grind the meat yourself than to buy readymade ground meat from retail stores. Although a substantial investment all at once, it’s a lot cheaper when a longer period is considered.
Can I grind frozen meat?
It is advisable to chill the meat cubes for about 30 minutes in the freezer before grinding them even though meat is more often ground semi-frozen due to health reasons. It is better to ground meat either semi-frozen or just at room temperature as frozen meat can be very hard, putting more pressure on the mincer than usual.
Can Meat grinders ground bones?
Meat grinders can ground bones with the condition that they are soft bones such as chicken and duck bones and not frozen bones as they can prove very dangerous to the blades of the mincer and can result in damage to the blades on prolonged use this way.
Are manual meat grinders hard to use?
The biggest drawback of a manual meat grinder is the fact that since there’s an absence of a motor, having to grind a lot of meat can be a slight inconvenience. Grinding a lot of meat manually is not only tiring but also inefficient. Hence it’s important to grind only an optimal amount of meat while manually doing it.
How does a manual meat grinder work?
A manual meat grinder works by placing the meat into the grinder space which is then pushed into the feeder where the blades facilitate the grinding of the meat. This ground meat then comes out of the plates designed in various shapes.
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