Meat Grinders FAQ

Regardless the fact whether you are a restaurant owner, hunter or a keen cook, a meat grinder will be an excellent addition to your kitchen.

Furthermore, you can reduce your weekly expenses on food using a meat grinder. It goes without saying that the meat grinded at home is beneficial for your health in contrast to those that you buy without knowing what you put into your organism. All in all, you grind your own meat and you know what is added to it.

It is not a secret that the majority of processed meats you buy are high in additives and preservatives. Besides they may even contain animal products from who knows where. In many cases, people are not even aware what kind of meat they are eating.

Moreover, grinders are pretty simple to use. Thanks to their relatively straightforward construction, everybody can learn using it. It is easy and quick to change the hole size to make different consistencies of meat. Thus, you are not obliged to change your lifestyle for grinding, but you can improve it greatly.

Basically there are three types of grinders and as it happens with all kitchen appliances, they all have their pros and cons.

Whatever it is, meat grinders are a must-have appliance in the kitchen. Nowadays you can find a wide and confusing variety of them. It is even impossible to know which one is the best. That is why many people hurry to read reviews before choosing this or that grinder.

For this very reason we have singled out a few widespread questions and complaints that people have left in the comments expressing their dissatisfaction on certain issues.

Q: Is a meat grinder dishwasher safe or not?

Almost all manuals of meat grinders state that they are dishwasher safe, although people very often complain in their comments that the grinders include aluminum parts that corrode when exposed to salt and water in the dishwasher.

Another issue that is frequently discussed concerns the blades and the power of the grinders. The majority of people complain that they are not designed for larger amounts of meat as they just lack the power and stability. In many cases a good deal of meat gets stuck in the ring or gets wrapped around the blade.

For this reason, the whisk of the grinder should be made of stainless steel or coated aluminum to be dishwasher-safe.

Q: What about leakage grease?

Many customers complain that the grease leaked into their food while grinding. They state that very often the steak or roast to burger get clogged and get coated in black grease from the axle.

Another customer states that she had often heard about grinders that contaminate the food and she experienced it personally. After buying a meat grinder attachment she followed the instructions for grinding. At first the meat was perfect, and then grey metal sludge started oozing instead of grinded meat.

It should be mentioned that very often the sludge comes from the mixer, not from the attachment and confuses the users. Hence, you should be attentive where the grease comes from and fix that problem.

Q: Is the housing durable?

Many customers very often ask, whether the housing is durable, and the answer of the sellers is a big YES.

Unfortunately, the reviews that leave many unhappy customers state vice versa. The majority of them say that the housing cracked after a few times of usage. In spite of the fact that the housing is designed to last longer, it fails to do so in many cases leaving disappointed people behind. They complain that the plastic is very thin and is unable to hold the stresses of grinding meat.

For this kind of meat grinders it is recommended to use thick plastic or change the design of the housing thoroughly.

Q: Is a meat grinder easy to use and clean?

From this viewpoint, users seem more satisfied. You will read a number of meat grinder users announcing that they are extremely easy to clean and even a kid can make it work.

Moreover, people are interested whether they can grate cheese, cut cucumber in slices, dice onions, or make peanut butter and so on. The general answer to all these questions is; Yes, it is possible, if you use relevant attachments. You cannot grate cheese or grind meat with citrus juicer attachment, can you?

Thus, everything is possible if you have corresponding attachments. On the other hand, you should pay attention to the quality and consistency of the products as well. Grating cheese can turn into a disgusting scene if your cheese is smooth. To avoid such unpleasant situations you had better freeze the cheese, cucumber or other products for a few minutes to make them hard for slicing.

Q: What about the replacement of various parts of the grinders?

People try to make sure whether their old models will work with new blades or attachments. Generally the design of the grinders has not changed a lot and in many cases the replacement is completely possible.

Can I use meat grinders for making vegetable or fruit purees, applesauce and so on?

Generally they make some texture, but it is not the same compared to the one received with blender or food processor. Besides, there is a special warning not to use the grinder for making puree out of celery or green beans, as they get clogged and spoil the cutting mechanism.

People also are concerned whether it grinds meat to a smooth texture, like pudding or sauces. Unfortunately, the meat grinders are not designed for this sort of job. They make some texture out of vegetables and fruits, but they are far from being puree.

What if i notice metal dust that comes out from the metal plate?

And again people do complain about metal dust that comes out from the metal plate and makes the processed meat totally useless. Because of certain malfunctioning sometimes the metal blade poisons the food regardless how perfect you clean the blade.

This is why make sure to purchase a quality meat grinder that is safe for use.
To sum up, we should say that before buying any of the meat grinders you had better read a lot of reviews about them, ask friends who have used that item and do conclusions. In many cases customers do not want to see the reality, do not want to admit their mistake (e.g. they push big portions of meat into the housing and face cracking) and blame the manufacturing companies for everything. In order to avoid similar unpleasant situations, always read product use guides and follow instructions provided.