Despite the great popularity of blenders and mixers, many housewives still prefer such a kitchen appliance as a meat grinder. Although it is not an essential item, it is available in almost every home. With this appliance you can cook more than one dish. The quality of the meat grinder directly depends on how it is assembled.
For the smooth operation of the device, you should know its device and be able to properly assemble this kitchen appliance. But even if there are instructions for some housewives, problems arise during assembly. The question of how to properly assemble a meat grinder remains one of the urgent.
What is a kitchen appliance?
The meat grinder is an invention of the German baron Karl Dres. Initially, his product was intended only for meat. Hence the name "meat grinder". During operation, it turned out that this device can also be used to grind other products. Today, meat grinders are also used in the production of pasta.
Kinds
In the modern market, the following meat grinders are provided to the attention of consumers:
- Mechanical hand. These are products made of steel.
- Electric. In the production of cases of these meat grinders, both steel and various alloys can be used. Often they are made of plastic. Unlike manual meat grinders, mechanical ones do not have a handle. It is replaced by an engine, which is located in the housing.
Elements of a conventional meat grinder
Mechanical manual kitchen devices are equipped with:
- Full metal housing.
- The meat receiver. It is loading products.
- A screw shaft - a kind of spiral, with the help of which the finished products are refined to the exit from the meat grinder.
- With a knife. It processes everything that falls inside the device. Knives can be circular and winged (cruciform).
- Grill. The degree of grinding of the product depends on the diameter of its cells.
- Clamping nut. It is necessary for fastening to the screw of the grill and knives.
- A pen. It is attached using a special screw.
Before you assemble a meat grinder - manual or electric, you need to know its structure and the purpose of all its spare parts. A Soviet-made manual meat grinder is a kitchen appliance familiar to every housewife.
This tool has a simple design. For those owners who use it regularly, the question of how to properly assemble a meat grinder almost does not arise. This issue is relevant for those who use a kitchen appliance infrequently. In such cases, instructions for assembling a meat grinder can help. According to consumer reviews, often when buying a product there is no instruction. Even then, among obscure parts, assembly can be dealt with if the work is done in stages.
How to assemble a meat grinder. Stages
- Install the auger in the main body. On the one hand, the screw shaft is thin, and on the reverse it has characteristic thickenings. A knife and grill are mounted on the thin end of the screw. The thick end is designed specifically for the handle. When installing the shaft, make sure that the thickening is outside. A handle will be attached to it with a screw in the future.
- Place a knife on the thin end of the auger. Many owners often confuse which side to put the knife into the meat grinder. At this stage, it is important to consider the features of the knives. The winged (cruciform) on each side have different shapes - flat on one side and convex on the other. A cross-shaped knife is mounted on the screw shaft so that the flat part is directed outward to the grinder of the meat grinder. When mounting circular knives, on the contrary, sharp edges should be directed towards the grill. This stage is the most responsible. If confused with the location of the knives, then during the operation of the meat grinder the meat will not be cut. Incorrectly positioned knives will simply crush him. Judging by the numerous consumer reviews, it is recommended to install only those knives that are included with this meat grinder. It is undesirable to use non-native knives, since very often they leave large gaps on the meat. This negatively affects the quality of the product.
- Mount the grille on the thin part of the shaft (stem pin). It is important to ensure that it fits snugly against the previous part. For this, the grilles are equipped with a special recess. The meat grinder bodies in this place have a small ledge. The grill is considered to be installed correctly if this protrusion is in its recess. If this nuance is not taken into account, then in the future when using the clamping nut it will not be possible to tighten it tightly.
- Secure the grille with a clamping nut. The twisting process is carried out clockwise.
The design of Soviet manual meat grinders provides a special foot. It is designed to attach this kitchen appliance to the surface. This is usually the edge of the table. To prevent the meat grinder from slipping, you can put a rag under the foot. New models of meat grinders are equipped with plastic legs that provide more reliable attachment to the countertop.
Using optional accessories
Stuffing can be done using both a meat grinder and a blender. The product obtained using a blender is very finely chopped and resembles baby puree. Dishes of this consistency have their consumers. Such a product cannot be obtained using a conventional manual meat grinder. To do this, you need to have a blender in the kitchen. If it is absent, then strongly chopped dishes can also be prepared using the following additional accessories that are attached to some models of manual meat grinders:
- Double sided blades.
- Lattice having holes of various diameters.
- Knives.
To get minced meat, the hostess must know how to properly assemble the meat grinder. The assembly of such a model will be slightly different. The work is not particularly difficult if you follow a clear sequence of actions.
How is the device going?
- Insert auger shaft.
- Install the ring.
- Attach the grill and knife.
- Install the second pair of blades and grill.
- Tighten the structure with the ring.
As in a conventional meat grinder, in a device for strong grinding, the blade with its flat part should also fit snugly against the grill.
Disassembly
For a kitchen appliance to work long and well, the owner must take care of it. To do this, it is enough to clean it every time after using the device. The hostess not only needs to know how to assemble a meat grinder. After operation, a manual meat grinder must also be able to disassemble and clean. The disassembly process is not difficult if you stick to the following sequence:
- If the design is equipped with a removable meat receiver, it should be removed from the housing.
- Unscrew clamping nut. Turns should be performed counterclockwise.
- Remove the grill and knife from the auger shaft.
- Remove the handle. To do this, unscrew the fixing screw.
- Take out the auger.
All details of a manual meat grinder should be washed using detergents for dishes. After that, the elements of the kitchen appliance are dried. It is better to store the parts of the meat grinder in fabric bags. Careful attitude and proper care of the device will extend its operational life.