How to Clean a Meat Grinder

Like all home tools, a meat grinder requires proper cleaning and maintenance so as to keep it operating at its optimum level. Like all other kitchen tools, a meat grinder is used in food preparation thus the cleaning method you use to clean and maintain it must be able to keep the grinder free from rust, bacteria and grease. Here are some vital tips on how to clean the best meat grinder.

What is a Meat Grinder?

A meat grinder is a kitchen appliance that is used to chop or rather mince meat. You can use it to mince your meat, mix either raw or cooked meat, vegetables, fish or even other ingredients. This meat grinder replaced the olden days mincing knife which was used to mince meat.

A meat grinder is a very important kitchen equipment due to its ability to mince meat. It is easy to mince meat. You place your meat on to the funnel, which is usually located at the top of the grinder. From the funnel, the meat proceeds to the horizontal screw conveyer.

The screw conveyor is responsible for squashing and mixing the meat or other ingredients being minced. At the end of this conveyor is a plate that contains small holes through which the meat passes through. The holes are responsible for determining the size of the pieces of meat. In case you want very fine pieces of meat, you therefore change the plate and use one with the smallest size.

Meat grinders are of much importance to people who grind meat regularly. People or eateries that make sausages find this appliance very useful as it can grind large quantities of meat at a faster rate than other tools.

Types of Meat Grinders

There are three types of meat grinders. These three types come with different characteristics and specifications designed for different environments. They include:

• Manual grinders
• Standalone grinders
• Grinder attachments

Each of these grinders comes with its benefits. You only need to know the purpose you intend the meat grinder to serve before deciding to buy one.

1. Manual Meat Grinder

The manual meat grinder, just like its name, uses manual labor to power it. It is very reliable in places without reliable electrical power as you use your hand to grind meat. It is also ideal for people who grind meat once in a while. This grinder is easy to use and is also very stable. Most of them are made of cast steel or iron and have an aluminum coating or stainless coating. You however, need to take great care of them to prevent them from coating.

2. Standalone Meat Grinder

This meat grinder is also referred to as electric grinder. This is because it is electrical powered. This makes it very efficient when it comes to grinding large quantities of meat. This grinder is ideal for sausage dealers as it can grind large quantities of meat.

3. Meat Grinder Attachments

In case you own a standalone grinder, it would be ideal to purchase grinder attachments. These attachments are very ideal as they let you enjoy the added advantage of a standalone grinder. Besides grinding meat, you can as well grind other ingredients thus enabling you to make your own recipes.
Meat grinders are therefore, very useful kitchen appliances. They save you the time and energy as they grind meat fast and effectively. The fact that meat grinders come in different types makes it ideal for you to choose the type modelled for your intended use.

Tips on How to Clean the Best Meat Grinder

1. Disassemble Before Washing

To ensure you clean the meat grinder effectively, it is important that you disassemble it first. A grinder is made up of several parts such as the hopper, blade, plate, cover, screw and pusher. Separate all these parts before washing to ensure that you are able to scrub even the finer parts of the grinder. This will be important in eliminating bacteria and dirt that maybe hiding in the joints or in the inner recesses. There are however, some grinders which are not fully disassembled. This makes it impossible to wash it fully. Avoid buying such grinders as they are difficult to maintain.

2. Hand Wash

Do not clean your meat grinder in a dish washer. A dish washer may harm the grinder by ruining the blade by causing an etching effect on its metallic parts. The grinder may also crack due to heat emitted by the dish washer.
Clean the grinder using hot water and soap. You can use a delicate brush or a mild sponge. You can as well add some two cups of vinegar as vinegar is good in degreasing as well as killing germs due to its acidic properties. Be careful when cleaning the blade to avoid injury. Dry the cleaned parts separately until they are completely dry to avoid rust.

3. Proper Storage

There are two ways of storing the best meat grinder in the best way possible to avoid rust. One, rub some food grade mineral oil onto the inside and outside of the grinder, and store the grinder in dry conditions. Two, you can store the grinder in a freezer. Storing it in the freezer keeps it free from rust and bacteria.

4. Maintain Sharp Blades

Since the blades require constant attention, it is important to ensure that they don’t get blunt. Check the blades regularly to ensure they are sharp. Dull blades will smear meat and this will damage your meat grinder. When blunt, sharpen them to ensure they work properly.

Conclusion

You can only make your grinder the beast meat grinder by using it and cleaning it well. Every meat grinder needs proper care and maintenance. Do not forget that you spent hard-earned money to purchase it. Therefore, ensure you clean it well to ensure it sees out its lifespan and to offer you high performance. After every use, consider cleaning it and storing under the best conditions possible. When you take care of your grinder, it will in turn take care of you by providing you expertly ground meat