4 Things to Consider while Looking for a Perfect Meat Grinder

There is no doubt that a meat grinder is a real help when you intend to have freshly cut and hygienic meat. When you have your own meat grinder, you can make sausages, hamburgers, soups and many other meat dishes anytime. This way you will not only get your dishes anytime, but also they will be much healthier and tastier because they will be free from any preservatives, sodium, nitrates and of course, dirt. Moreover it’s much more economical than buying pre-ground meat. Here are tips on what to look for while buying a perfect meat grinder for you.

1. How Often and How Much will You Use a Meat Grinder?

You will come across two types of meat grinders, manual and electric. If you are going to grind meat in smaller amounts, a manual grinder is perfect for you and it’s much less expensive than its electric cousin. Manual meat grinders can be clamped to your countertop or table and you can grind meat with a hand crank. Typically around 2-3 pounds of meat can be ground per minute with a manual grinder.

But if you are going to grind meat on a larger scale, an electric grinder is better for you. If you usually make a lot of meat dishes and want to grind a lot of meat, an electric grinder will save you a lot of time. Also a lot of physical exertion will be avoided with the electric machine.

2. Motor and Grinding Plates

When you consider an electric grinder, you should pay particular attention to its motor and grinding plates because they are the workhorses of your machine. Motors range from 1/3 hp up to 1.5 hp or even more. 1.5 hp is sufficient power for commercial jobs. If you are a hunter and intend to grind meat of the animal you kill, you would want a more powerful motor. Otherwise 1/3 hp motor is a sufficiently powerful machine for many people.

Grinding plates again come in a lot of diffident sizes each of which is best suited to a specific job. For instance, grinding plates with a smaller diameter of about 3/32” to 1/8” are perfect for very finely ground meat required for things like hotdogs and bologna, whereas plates with a diameter of 5/32” to 3/16” is perfect for dishes like hamburger or sausages. Plates of ¼” to 5/16” diameter are ideal for pepperoni, hamburger, salami etc. And larger blades are good for dishes like stew meats, chili meats and vegetables.

3. Why is a Stainless Steel Grinder Better?

A stainless steel grinder is much pricier than those made of steel or aluminum; however, its looks cannot be beaten by others. Also, a stainless steel grinder is ideal to grind a lot of meat as it’s heavy duty and far more durable than other machines, because its internal parts are made of a sturdy metal and not plastic. Another benefit of a stainless steel grinder is that it comes with stainless steel accessories which you can clean in a dishwasher.

However, there is a drawback with stainless steel grinders that they are quite heavier than non-stainless steel grinders. So, if you will have to move it often, it can be a problem.

4. Buying a Perfect Meat Grinder

It need not take a long time to decide whether you will need a manual grinder or an electric one. Once you decide that, you will have to see what’s available and start comparing features and prices. A best way is to read meat grinder reviews to check what the overall experience of other users and experts is.

Thus if you consider these points, you will get your hands on a perfect meat grinder suited to your needs and a great addition to your kitchen.