With so many hand meat grinders available on the market, it’s not an easy task to choose the right one for your kitchen. Here, we have highlighted a few factors that will have an impact on your chosen hand meat grinder.
Differences Between Manual Hand Meat Grinders and Electric Grinders
There are multiple differences between manual and electric meat grinders. Hand meat grinders can be used anywhere without any sort of electrical connection. This type will slowly break down the meat blocks into minced or ground meat without impacting the texture. It can also be used to prepare cookies, pastries, pasta, and more. On the flip side, electric grinders can only be operated where you have access to an electrical outlet. They are also known for sometimes negatively impacting the texture of the protein you’re grinding. This type usually cannot be used to prepare other types of food or dough.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Hand Meat Grinder
Feeder size
Just like any other manual grinding machines, hand meat grinders also come with a feeder inside where you will put the meat cubes or blocks. It usually varies in both length and diameter so that you can grind the required amount of meat easily in one go. If you want a meat grinder for regular use or to make a small quantity of minced meat, choose a product with a small feeder. On the contrary, the larger feeders are ideal for making huge quantities of ground or minced meat. Besides, these products are ideal for parties, small get-togethers, or a family dinner where you may need to make a lot of patties, meatballs, and other such items.
Material
The body of the hand meat grinder is manufactured using two materials: cast iron and plastic. The cast iron grinders are smaller in size because the material is quite heavy. On the other hand, most large-sized products have plastic bodies and lightweight construction. In terms of durability and resistance to wear and tear, cast iron will always be the winner in comparison to plastic bodies. The cutting plates and the blade are usually made from stainless steel as this material can withstand corrosion, has high durability, and can be sharpened to cut the meat easily. The other accessories you can have with the meat grinder, like funnels, pastry or cookie shapers, and more, are usually made from plastic only. While choosing a product, make sure that its plastic components are BPA-free so that no toxin can make the meat inedible and harmful.
Cutting plates
Most hand meat grinders come with two cutting plates for coarse and fine meat grinding. If you want to mince the meat coarsely, choose the cutting plate with larger holes, while for fine grinding, you need the plate with smaller holes. The size of these holes varies from one product to the next, which is why you should pay attention to the specific plates included.
Pastry/cookie shapers
Some hand meat grinders come with pastry shapers or cookie cutters. You need to attach these with the opening of the horizontal tube right after the cutting plate. Once you pour the batter or soft dough and rotate the handle, the cutters will produce pastry or cookie dough with a specific shape like that of churros or diamond-shaped cookies.
Meat pusher
If you continue to press the meat down into the feeder with your fingers, you can easily injure yourself. Besides, if you have a hand meat grinder with a narrow feeder, you won’t be able to push the meat block all through its entire length. Therefore, go for a product that comes with a meat pusher. It behaves like a pestle and will help you push the meat further into the feeder. Thus, your fingers will stay safe and protected from any injuries. It will also help you extract the maximum amount of ground or minced meat from the blocks.
Blade and auger
An auger is a conical component inside the horizontal tube of the meat grinder that will rotate in a particular direction and break down the tough meat fibers. It is mainly made from high-quality plastic material like nylon so that it can withstand wear and tear while reshaping meat into smaller pieces. These are further broken down into minced meat by the stainless steel blade. In some hand meat grinders, the blade will have three arms, while others are equipped with a four-arm blade. The higher the number of arms in the blade, the faster the grinding and mincing speed.
Sausage funnels
If you want to make sausages out of ground meat, go for a product that comes with sausage funnels. These funnels can vary in diameter so that you can achieve a proper shape of sausage as per your recipe and cooking needs.
Stability
One of the main factors you have to consider while looking for the best hand meat grinder is stability. Some products come with clamps so that you can easily attach them to the countertop edge by adjusting the tightness of its grip. You can find a few products with suction bases so that you can place the grinder on the countertop and keep it secured in the same position. Suction feet offer maximum stability as compared to the clamp, which is why you should choose the product as per your requirement.
Average Cost of a Hand Meat Grinder
Hand meat grinders usually cost between $26.99 and $41.99 based on a myriad of factors. For instance, large-sized grinders are more expensive than smaller ones. Similarly, if your chosen product comes with other accessories like cookie cutters or pastry shapers, it will cost more. The price can also depend on how fine or coarse the ground/minced meat will be.
How to Use a Hand Meat Grinder for Mincing and Grinding
Below, these steps will instruct you on how you can use the hand meat grinder with ease.
- Assemble all the parts and make sure you have attached the appropriate cutting plate
- Put all the meat pieces into the feeder until it's filled to the top
- Start rotating the hand crank to grind the meat
- As you rotate the handle, push the meat blocks further into the feeder using the pusher
- The grinder will soon eject ground meat with either a coarse or fine texture
- Refill the feeder as needed until you have ground all your meat
