Before you purchase a technique such as a meat grinder, you need to decide what kind of tasks you need it for.
If you are going to process various raw meat, then an ordinary, traditional meat grinder with metal gear is suitable for you.
For the manufacture of minced meat of different thicknesses from all types of ingredients (meat, fish, poultry, seafood), the more complex unit will be the best option. And a meat grinder, which has an additional special set of attachments, can become a real combine harvester, with many available operations.
Such a thing can become an analogue of a juicer or mill, it can be processed not only meat, but also tomatoes, for example. The desire to reduce family budget expenses and such a common occurrence as a lack of free space in the kitchen often become the reasons for choosing this option. An effective combined device with a whole range of functions will occupy less space than, say, three devices operating separately.
But still, the main criterion for choosing a meat grinder is the quality of the mechanism.
The choice between plastic and metal
The question of how reliable the details of the purchased meat grinder will be, how long they will serve, is one of the most important. Everything needs to be evaluated - from the case to the components that the workload is on. In principle, there is nothing to worry about if the case of the meat grinder is made of plastic, this will not particularly affect its strength. It is obviously not necessary to chop wood with a meat grinder, and for normal use the plastic case is suitable, unless, of course, the tool is not from Chinese consumer goods. But such a meat grinder will be easier. Meat mincer trays are also made of plastic, however, metal parts are better here. Plastic trays are worse washed in dishwashers and are more susceptible to mechanical damage.
Please note that the working parts located inside the device must be made of metal. Everything - a knife, auger, discs - should be stainless steel, and of high quality. It is not without reason that the material from which this kitchen accessory is made more than others influences the consumer choice. Meat grinders with metal gears will last a long time, they will not oxidize, rust or otherwise react in any way when interacting with products. We suggest that you pay more attention to each component of the meat grinder, this is useful when choosing.
The best option is an electric meat grinder with metal gears
The screw is connected to the electric motor through special drive gears, which are located inside the meat grinder. They are made of metal or plastic. It must be noted that plastic is more popular here, it is from it that most of the manufacturers of these products manufacture these parts. If a large bone enters (“overload”), then the blades of such gears simply collapse, the mechanical connection is broken, which eliminates the motor overheating. However, not every meat grinder has spare parts in the kit, they are purchased separately in special stores.
If the gear is metallic, overheating and breakage are prevented by a special breaker that works automatically. It looks like two metal plates that, when overheated, open the circuit. Let's look at which meat grinder has metal gears. These are: Kenwood MG-510, Panasonic MK-G-1300-PWTQ, Panasonic-MK-G1800PWTQ (especially powerful).
Some data on the power of the meat grinder
The power of an electric meat grinder is another factor that you need to pay attention to when choosing a product. The highest possible power is 1400 watts. A device with such indicators is able to grind two kilograms of meat per minute, while processing both veins and cartilage. These electric meat grinders are often equipped with food establishments. Devices with a power of 800 to 1200 watts can grind about a kilogram of meat in two minutes. The most low-power grinders have a power of 450 watts. Nevertheless, they perform their function well, grinding a kilogram of meat in a minute.
The best choice is a meat grinder with iron gears without the "bells and whistles", the usual model. It is best to take a device with the reverse option. If cores are stuck in the screw, etc., it will help you out. Through this function, the meat grinder is released - the mechanism rotates in the opposite direction, the blockage is pushed out. The most convenient meat grinders around the knurled nut have deep grooves. Give preference to models with a wide metal tray designed for serving meat.
How to evaluate the grinder mesh
In addition to the fact that it is better to purchase electric meat grinders with metal gears, you also need to pay attention to the nets through which the meat passes - this is quite an important detail. Typically, a device kit contains three types of grids with different cell diameters.
Delicate minced meat of uniform consistency can be made using small nets. Medium-sized ones are designed for cooking minced meat, and large ones are needed to grind meat of high rigidity. First, it is passed through a large grid, then it is grinded to medium, thanks to this, minced meat of high quality is obtained from not the best quality meat.
Pay attention to the meat grinder knives
So, the knives in such a device as a meat grinder, of course, are very important. Their material is what you should first pay attention to. It is best that there is a meat grinder with metal gear and knives made of stainless steel. According to this feature of knives - quality - electrical mechanisms can be divided into two categories: ordinary and luxury. The second category of models has knives that can be sharpened themselves, this happens when the device is working. It is better to choose devices with not stamped blades (Vitek VT-1670), but self-sharpening knives (Panasonic MK-G-38-PR, Moulinex DKA-241).
Attachments with which the meat grinders are additionally equipped
There are a number of attachments, which are now additionally supplied with sets of meat grinders. Each of them has its own function, for example, with the help of the kebbe nozzle, meat tubes are prepared. By conducting experiments with the filling of the resulting sausages, you can cook a wide variety of dishes. The Moulinex DRB-41 model is equipped with a full set of nozzles for minced-sausage products, three graters and a press designed for citrus fruits.
Domestic meat grinder with metal gear "Rotor" has a nozzle-juicer, with which you can process various berries. It should be noted that many of the nozzles are separately on sale. Zelmer Schreder produces grater heads, for example.
The noise of the meat grinder
Another parameter that we will consider is the noise level during operation. Let's remember right away, even the most high-class meat grinder cannot be silent, they only make less noise. By the way, the magnitude of the noise effect depends on how powerful the motor is - the greater the power, the louder the noise. If the processing is particularly difficult, the meat grinder can “squeal”, buzz unevenly, and vibrate. On average, the limit of the noise effects of a meat grinder is 70 dB, the sanitary norm is 80 dB.
The subtleties of choosing a meat grinder in stores
Having decided exactly what kind of meat grinder you want, what nozzles and gratings it should be equipped with, you can start choosing at retail outlets. Here it is already necessary to pay attention directly to the quality of the meat grinder, to how high-quality gears are. As we wrote above, meat grinders with metal gears are considered the best choice.
The compactness of the meat grinder is an important factor. Check how well-organized storage of different accessories is, whether there is a box / compartment for them, for the cord (by the way, it should not be short). Meat grinders are a rather heavy device. Check how stable your chosen product is. An important point: you need to make sure that the height of the outlet is convenient - the higher, the more convenient it will be to use. However, this is not such an important characteristic if all other indicators suit you and the price of a meat grinder suits you.
Before you buy, do not forget to check the device for its operability; it, of course, must be operational. The noise of an electric meat grinder should not scare you, that's how they all function. And you shouldn’t refuse the idea of buying such a device because of noise, because it usually turns on for a minute or two.
Devices such as meat grinders with metal gears that have average functionality cost an average of about $ 100–150. A number of popular manufacturers can be distinguished, such as Moulinex, Tefal, Vitek, Braun, Binatone, Delonghi, Bork, Philips, Scarlett, Kenwood, Panasonic and many others.
Domestic meat grinders
It is necessary to pay attention to domestic meat grinders. Their main advantage is a relatively low price, but they are not very diverse in appearance, and their technical characteristics are not the highest. Among them are fairly well-known models: “Assistant-23” (cost about 1,329 rubles) and “Gamma 7-01-2” (1,900 rubles). The first has a rated power of 220 watts, maximum - 400 watts. The second is particularly reliable, metal gear, high-quality knife. Its cost is 45 rubles in each hardware store, and it has a standard mounting section, in connection with this, such knives are interchangeable with a knife of literally every mechanical meat grinder of domestic production.
Of course, the meat grinder is a reliable and functional assistant in the kitchen. However, it is not insured against the possibility of breakage. So do not neglect the mechanical product, which for sure has been lying in one of the cabinets in your kitchen for more than a year. A mechanical meat grinder with a metal gear is reliable and durable, because it is more than 150 years old and it can always replace an electric device at the right time.