Depending on your dish, it can be hectic and expensive to buy ground meat every time you want some. The easy way around this is to buy whole meats and home-grind them at the comfort of your home.
Besides, you’ll be in control of the entire process where you get to decide on the additional ingredients to throw into the mix before sealing and storing it.
Factory ground beef lacks such frills since the mix of additional components could not be to your taste.
You don’t need to be concerned about safety, since the ASDA has established criteria on the bare minimum cooking temperature that may be used to prepare both prepackaged ground beef and ground meat from your own premises.
You’ve come to the right spot if you’re thinking of grinding meat since we’ve put together a list of the best meat grinders available right now.
Prior to developing the outline, each of them was put through the skilled hands of a member of our staff through a trial-and-error exercise.
The best chefs, pitmasters, and other cooking experts have written thorough, informative reviews for this book.
Best Overall
Huanyu Manual Meat Grinder Stainless Steel
This manual grinder marks our choice of the best overall due to its distinctive features and functionality.
It doubles up as both a stuffer and grinding machine. It can be used to crush different types of meat such as pork, chicken, beef, fish, and others. It is also suitable for vegetables and other ingredients including mushroom and pepper.
It is made of stainless steel, making it easy to maintain hygiene and enhances its durability. Its weight of 7.1 lb makes it portable and easy to carry around.
Among the accessories accompanying it are a pushrod, used in the addition of ingredients, an enema nozzle, a round hole measuring 4.5mm, a meat board with a diameter of 8mm, a cleaning brush and an ABS funnel made of plastic.
To enhance its steadiness and keep it in place during the process, the Huanyu meat grinder is fitted with a table clamp, a suction cup that inhibits its movements.
Assembly of these parts is an easy task. It is also user-friendly and easy to maintain.
Pros
- Quick to assemble.
- Easy to maintain.
- Ease of cleaning due to the stainless steel material.
- User-friendliness.
- Additional accessories to make work easier.
- Durable.
- It can grind a variety of raw cooking materials.
Con
- The table clump can loosen up if not tightened properly.
The Runner-up
Manual Meat Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades
This grinder gives you an effortless experience during your meat grinding exercise. It is also quick to use, owing to its power base designed for suction. Its blades are made of stainless steel and are powerful enough to make your grinding sessions effortless.
The manual meat grinder comes in white, making it easy to clean and blend in with other kitchen accessories.
You can make a variety of foods into smaller pieces using this machine. Among them are baby food, chicken burger, egg salad, meatballs among others.
Its parts are easily available so you can relax about replacing them once some pieces are lost or spoiled.
The base is designed to offer maximum support throughout the usage period. With the large hopper, a single-grind is guaranteed to produce more meat as accommodated in that space.
What we liked most about this grinder is that its blades are tightly enclosed, making it safe for use in the kitchen.
Another desirable feature is its handle. It is designed ergonomically to prevent your palm from getting bruised while operating it.
Our team recommends safety measures such as placing the grinder on a dry surface. For better suction, start by pressing your grinder to get rid of any air in the suction cup. The next step is to turn the knob downwards in a manner that allows it to be sucked down by the suction base. This enhances its functionality.
Pros
- It can fine-grind a variety of meats and vegetables.
- Its heavy-duty material enhances durability.
- Ergonomic handle for seamless usage.
- Inbuilt blades to enhance safety.
- Non-slip base made of rubber to prevent it from sliding off the surface.
- Easy to assemble.
- Compact size, making it portable. It also occupies less space.
Con
- The suction part is nondetachable, barring proper cleaning.
Top Budget
Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder
Retailing for about 30 dollars, this is your best shot at a low-budget manual grinder. You can use it for any type of meat to get a thick heap of fine ground meat.
The material used to manufacture it is stainless steel of high quality, adding to its durability. Another thing to note about this grinder is its compact size which makes it easy to carry around.
Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder is fitted with two interchangeable plates. One offers finely ground meat while the other results in coarse grinding.
You can also use it to crush fruits, garlic, vegetables, and other ingredients without breaking a sweat.
The base is powerful and with its suction power, you are guaranteed that it’ll remain in place for the whole activity.
Pros
- It is dishwasher-friendly.
- Easy to assemble.
- Compact size for portability.
- Double plates to grind meat to your desired particles- fine or coarse.
- Enclosed blades to prevent accidental cuts and injuries.
- Plastic handle, enabling a firm grip.
Cons
- The handle can be hard to push around and may require extra energy.
- Not suitable for grinding meat with connecting tissues and fats.
The Rest of Our Picks
LEM Products Stainless Steel Hand Grinder
Just as its name suggests, the grinder is constructed using heavy-duty material to make it long-lasting and durable. This also contributes to its rust resistance ability. Its clamp can be fixed to a surface that has a width of up to 1½ inches thick.
Other complementary accessories include stuffing tubes, a knife, and 2 plates made of stainless steel. The plates are designed in different sizes which can be used to either give out fine or coarse grounded particles. It also has a wooden handle to ensure a firm grip and easy turning.
Owing to its shiny material, this grinder and its detachable parts are easy to clean.
Pros
- Easy to clean.
- Made of durable material.
- It can be clamped to a wide surface.
- Two plates for both coarse and fine ground meat.
- Portable.
Con
- May require you to use a lot of force.
Weston #32 Manual Tinned Meat Grinder
It is the third grinder in a series that consists of 2 others. They all have features that are almost similar, apart from their sizes. The other two are 8 and 22 inches respectively.
This grinder is made of stainless steel and fitted with a nylon auger bearing.
What pleased our team most about it is the ability to work with 3 interchangeable funnels that accommodate your sausages and release them according to the size of ground meat that you are seeking. The funnels measure 24mm, 19mm, and 14mm – it’s up to you to decide the one you want to use for the day.
Another feature that attracted us to this machine is the adjustable burrs. With these, it is easy to control your grinder and switch the particle size from fine to coarse, depending on the occasion.
There are also two plates measuring 10mm and 4.5 mm, suited for a similar purpose.
The grinder can be fitted with rubber pads to prevent it from scratching and damaging the working surface. Assembling it is as easy as disassembling it.
Another feature meant to minimize your efforts is the ergonomic handle which is easy to turn around and revolve the blades.
Pros
- Plastic extensions on kegs to avoid damaging the surface.
- Easy to connect the different parts.
- Availability of two steel plates fitted interchangeably to change the meat size.
- Can be clamped to a working space of up to 1½ width.
- Simple to use.
- Ergonomic handle for comfort.
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Can be cumbersome to grind fatty meat.
- May require you to use a lot of energy.
Victoria Manual Meat Grinder
This meat grinder comes with 3 fillers of different sizes, used for stuffing sausages. It is easily adjustable to suit the desired size of ground meat. This is done through the use of either of the two plates designed to give you fine or coarse ground meat.
The Victoria Manual is constructed using heavy-duty cast iron material. The plating is done using a double-tin mechanism, making it easy to observe hygiene as well as resist stains and corrosion.
The knife is made of stainless steel and is capable of self-sharpening. This explains the high speed of producing 0.5 to 1 lb of ground meat in a minute.
Pros
- The wooden handle makes grinding easy.
- It can be used for multiple types of meat.
- Heavy-duty material prevents corrosion and rust.
- 3 fillers for sausage stuffing give you options.
Con
- The handle jams up sometimes, calling for extra energy.
Benefits of Using a Meat Grinder
Quality
Home-ground meat gives you quality control because you have a choice over the kind of meat to grind. When buying from the store, you may not be certain of the meat cuts that were used and whether or not it meets your standards. When doing it yourself, you can decide to grind a variety of cuts and grades such as Wagyu, Prime cuts, and others, depending on your preference.
Choice of Ingredients
It’s hard to get pre-packaged ground meat that consists of the exact ingredients that you prefer in your ground meat recipe. By using a manual grinder, you can add as many spices and vegetables as you want.
Hygiene and Freshness
When grinding meat at your home, you can observe hygiene and freshness by picking fresh meat and other ingredients.
You are also guaranteed to prepare the meat in a way that reduces the chance of bacterial multiplication.
Most stores stock ground meat that is prone to harboring bacteria.
You can follow the correct guidelines of meat storage to avoid this, something that some stores and meat grinding companies might not be very keen on doing.
Money-saving
Due to the work and resources put into grinding and packaging meat in companies, the final product is relatively expensive once it reaches the store shelves. You can cut down the cost by making your ground meat at home.
At the same time, you get a chance to grind other foods that you can’t buy from the stores in their ground state, such as fruits, some vegetables, leftover meat among others.
Manual or Electric Meat Grinder?
If you are stuck on deciding between the two types of grinders, it’s advisable to first go through their features and compare both their pros and cons.
The main advantage of a manual grinder is its budget-friendliness. On the other hand, electric grinders are easy to use and require minimal effort. Without electricity, however, these grinders are not very useful, which adds a point to manual grinders.
You can take the latter with you to use in places where there is no electric power.
With these considerations, you’ll be in a better position to choose what to buy, depending on your needs and abilities. If you can, buying both is also an option because you’ll have one for the house, and the other one for your travels and outdoor activities to places that are not powered by electricity.
Related: The best manual and electric meat grinders in 2022 – [Buying Guide]
Things to Consider When Choosing a Manual Meat Grinder
Grinding Performance
Some grinders are suitable for large particles of ground meat while others grind finely. In most of the brands listed in this context, you can adjust the plates to achieve either of the mentioned sizes. Always look out for the grinding performance and compare different types of grinders to get the one that’s most suitable.
Features and Attachments
It’s advisable to choose grinders that have safety features such as covered blades. Additional attachments such as grinder plates are important to create different sizes of ground meat. Sausage stuffing funnels also come in different sizes to give you a choice between thick, thin, and medium-sized sausages.
To add to the manufacturers’ features and attachments, offered during purchase, you can buy others separately to achieve additional functions.
Durability and Materials
Considering the work involved in meat grinding, it is important to consider the material used in making the grinder. Stainless steel enhances durability as it prevents rust and corrosion.
Be keen on the type of coating used on the grinders because some peel off and contaminate your meat.
Anchoring Mechanism
The most suitable grinder is one that is easy to anchor on the working surface without sliding or other forms of instability.
For those with rough legs, you can opt for rubber attachment to ease the scratching and damage to your countertops.
For maximum safety, buy a grinder that can be bolted to the surface or one that can remain steady even after clamping.
Maintenance and Cleaning
Some materials are hard to clean while others are easier. It is advisable to look out for a grinder that has detachable parts that can be disassembled and cleaned separately.
Hygiene is paramount to avoid bacteria from multiplying in the meat and causing infections.
The Size
Depending on the amount of meat you require to grind per session, it’s important to choose the size that suits these needs.
Big-sized machines accommodate more meat while small-sized ones can only grind a small amount.
Warranty
This is a major point of consideration, especially with high-end manual grinders. The manufacturers are mandated to issue a warranty for a certain period, depending on different factors. If you purchase a grinder and realize that it’s faulty after a while, you can take it back for free repair or replacement. This, however, does not apply to damages caused by the user if it’s not as a result of a malfunction or manufacturing defects.
Conclusion
There are many types of manual grinders you can buy to crush your meat at home. It is not only hygienic but also a way of saving money. For a satisfactory purchase, always consider your requirements, the price, and the features of the grinder among other highlighted factors.