You probably already know all the advantages of grinding your meat if you own a meat grinder in the kitchen cabinet. However, we’re willing to wager that if you found this website, you’re not entirely sure how to clean meat grinder. Don’t worry; cleaning this kitchen tool is simpler than it appears, much like using a meat grinder might be frightening.
Let’s review the essential procedures for fast and efficient cleaning of a meat grinder. To help you maintain the optimal condition of your cherished food grinder, we have also prepared pieces of advice at the end of this article.
How To Clean Meat Grinder Depends On What Types Of Them
These methods will work for essentially all of the many types of grinders that are available today. You will typically see the following types:
Old-fashioned manual grinders
When someone mentions a meat grinder, you generally imagine it. These are the simplest to clean. They feature their base and a shorthand crank for operation. The meat is fed through a hole at the top of the grinder, towards a cutting plate, and an exit point for the ground meat. The cutting plate has small holes that allow the ground meat to pass through. These are ideal for those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty or if you only plan on grinding small batches of meat.
Electric grinders
All are identical to manual grinders, except that an electric motor, not a hand crank, powers them. Some have sophisticated controls and settings that help guarantee the most reliable grind. Because so few individuals grind their meat, they are a little less frequent in domestic kitchens. We have some advice and information for you.
When buying an electric meat grinder, you should consider how much grinding you plan on doing. If you only grind occasionally, a less expensive model will do. But if you plan on making a lot of ground meat, it’s worth spending a little more for a durable grinder with good reviews that can handle the task without bogging down.
If you have a lot of people to feed or you like to cook in bulk, an electric meat grinder is worth the investment. You’ll be able to grind larger quantities of meat more quickly and easily than with a manual grinder. Just make sure you get one that’s durable and easy to clean.
Extra grinders
The Add-On or “grinder attachments” segment is rising in popularity. The KitchenAid stand mixer’s grinder attachment is arguably the most popular. Given that they lack internal electrics, these grinders fall midway between the manual and electric models. Instead, they are working with the stand mixer’s driving power. You can also get a grinder attachment for many different types of drills.
An advantage of these is that they are often less expensive than electric models since you’re not paying for the motor. The main downside is that they can be more difficult to clean since there are more nooks and crannies for meat and fat to get stuck in.
How To Clean Meat Grinder The Ultimate Guide
Here’s how to clean your meat grinder. It’s a super easy process and can be applied to all types of machines:
Step 1: Immediately Clean The Meat Grinder
After using your meat grinder, you must always, always clean it. If you don’t, meat residue will thicken and adhere to the grinder’s components, making cleaning them much more difficult. Future You will thank you, despite how tedious it may seem now.
Step 2: Run The Bread Through The Grinder
Running two or three pieces of bread through the meat grinder is the first stage in cleaning. Consider it as a sponge for your initial line of protection. Although it may seem strange, the pieces of bread will absorb any fat and oil from the minced beef.
Step 3: Take The Grinder Apart
After that, you should disassemble your meat grinder. The feed tube, meat tray, and hopper should be used first at the top. The blade, internal screw, and cutting plates should then be removed. The metal cover that the ground beef comes out of must then be unscrewed.
Even if you don’t think the metal parts are unclean, washing them is still vital. They may easily become bacterial spawning grounds if you don’t properly clean them.
Step 4: Soak The Components In Soapy Water
The fourth stage entails soaking the metal components in soapy water to wash away any remaining meat fragments (meat tray, blade, feed tube, etc.). Warm water and a few dish soap sprays should be added to a plastic or glass container. You may substitute a teaspoon of baking soda for the detergent if you’d like.
Allow the components to soak in clean water for up to 15 minutes. This will aid in removing any uncooked meat fragments clinging to the components. Additionally, it will aid in cleaning off grease stains that could tarnish the steel.
Step 5: Wash Each Grinder Part By Hand
After that, each component of the grinder will be manually washed. That entails cleaning the feeding tube, blades, plates, etc. To ensure no bits of raw meat is left behind.
Additionally, watch out for how much force you use because it might cause some grinding components of poor quality to start losing their coating. This stage should take as long as necessary because it is among the most important ones.
Step 6: Wash The Grinder’s Inside And Exterior
Additionally, you must clean the grinder’s inside. Make sure there are no remaining meat crumbs inside by brushing the bottle. Attempt to get as close as you can to every corner and cranny. Of course, you shouldn’t wet your electric meat grinder’s motorized components. You risk creating a short circuit if you don’t.
Don’t forget to clean your meat grinder’s exterior. Clean the edges of the grinder with a moist kitchen towel.
Step 7: Use A Cloth To Dry Everything
Whatever you do, never put your grinder back together and store it when it’s still wet. The feeding tube and other grinding components may air-dry on a wire rack or be manually dried with a dishtowel. Before putting the grinder back together, pat dries the interior. If you accidentally get your electric grinder’s motorized components wet, dry them off.
The majority of meat grinders dislike dampness since it easily causes rust. Your costly appliance may also oxidize if there is standing water.
What Initially Leads Meat Grinders To Rust: Cause & Solution
It is common knowledge that several materials are used to make meat grinders. The metal corrodes due to the iron in such materials coming into contact with air and water. You might wonder why. The attraction is caused by oxygen or iron having distinct charge poles. Then, when these poles combine, they create an event known as oxidation.
Therefore, what causes rusting is a chemical process that occurs when they come together. You should be aware that rust may turn anything appealing into something unpleasant. Not only that, but they also weaken the metal, which eventually starts to collapse.
Therefore, the best course of action is to take quick action to halt the rust once you realize that the meat grinder is starting to rust. Learn how to stop the meat grinder from rusting by reading on.
How Can Meat Grinders Be Prevented From Rusting
Making sure your meat grinder is well maintained and cleaned after every use is one of the best methods to stop it from rusting because failure to do so will result in bacteria build-up and inevitably cause them to rust.
What if you are attempting to revive an old grinder that you have? Then you might want to look at the procedures listed below if you have an old grinder and are seeking the best way to clean it and put it back to use.
How Can A Metal Meat Grinder Be Removed Of Rust
When we ceased using the meat grinder our grandmother left us before she went to be with her creator, we started experiencing the problems associated with cleaning rust off of a meat grinder. So if you’ve ever had a rusted grinder, you may understand the difficulties of trying to clean one, but you guess what? You can trust us.
Read on to find out how we cleaned the rust from our meat grinder so that it is more suitable for grinding.
What You’ll Require
- Vinegar
- Soapy liquid
- Bread soda
- Metal brush
- A mineral oil
- Syringe files
- Gloves
- Towel
- Sponge
Step 1: Take Apart
Start by taking apart your meat grinders, making sure to remove each component, and gently placing it in a large dish.
Step 2: Soak
Put all the disassembled pieces in a large dish and soak them in a solution made of white vinegar and warm, soapy water for an hour.
Step 3: Brush
When the hour has passed, remove each component, beginning with the blade, and carefully brush it with a wire brush. Use rubber gloves because you are working with a meat grinder blade. Repeat this for each additional area until there are barely any stains left. Use rubber gloves because you are working with a meat grinder blade. If they are, baking soda will be necessary.
Step 4: Add Baking Soda
Before gently brushing with a wire brush, you must first apply baking soda to the area where the rust is most difficult to remove. The stains ought to be entirely gone at this point.
Step 5: Apply Oil To The Disk
After effectively cleaning the disk with a wire brush and baking soda, you must quickly rinse it and coat the whole dish in mineral oil. Once the disk has been coated with oil, you must remove the rust lodged inside the perforations. Using a Needle file is one method to accomplish this. Use the needle file to remove the rust from the sides of the holes.
If you want to remove the rustiest debris from the holes, you might want to perform this process again.
Step 6: Rinse Again
It’s time to give each component a second wash in water and soap and with a sponge now that you’ve successfully removed a significant quantity of iron from those specific holes.
Step 7: Rinse, Dry, And Assemble
Rinse each component well under clean, running water, pat dry with a towel, and let it air dry. After it has dried, reassemble your grinder and run moist bread through it (maybe twice) to remove any remaining particles before using it once more to grind meat. Note: If you’re having trouble entirely removing rust from your meat grinder’s plate and knife, getting new is the best course of action.
Suggestions For Maintaining The Meat Grinder In Top Condition
Now you know how to clean meat grinder. But cleaning the meat grinder after every usage is only a small part of maintaining this device. It could serve you for many years if you take good care of it.
Only Cold Meat
While grinding your meat, keeping the grinder’s components and meat cool is ideal. This is because heated meat shouldn’t be ground. Put them in the freezer for two hours on a baking sheet. At room temperature, meat loses its form in the grinder more readily than semi-frozen meat. Because of this, your ground beef won’t be as well-defined and will make a difficult-to-clean mess.
Don’t Grind Sinew
A recipe for minced meat shouldn’t contain sinew (or tendons). To begin with, they are too fibrous to cook and be tasty properly. Second, they’ll probably become entangled between the grinder’s grinding plates and blade, creating a huge mess. These beef scraps can be kept for a meal in a slow cooker or crock pot.
The tendons melt up and form a great supper since this device is simple to operate and prepares the meat at a reduced temperature for several hours.
Maintain A Sharp Blade
Sharpening your meat grinder sometimes is another technique to keep it functioning correctly. Have a professional sharpen your grinder blade or do it yourself with a sanding stone, but be careful! Dull blades spread the meat on the grinder’s other metal parts rather than cutting through it.
Avoid Rust
You must avoid rust on the grinder components and within your machine if you want to get the most return on your investment. Put food-grade oil in a bottle to do this. Spray it on the blade, cover, grinding plates, and screw. Permit to sit and take in. Before reassembling your meat grinder, clean all the lubricated components after some time.
Spray the pieces with a diluted bleach solution (1 tsp of odorless bleach every gallon of water. Rinse items with warm water. Then they’ll be prepared for use. For the greatest results, repeat these two steps each month.
The individual components can be kept in a plastic bag or another airtight container, plus rice, if you’re very concerned about rust. This will aid in absorbing the moisture and avoid corrosion.
Avoid Using Parts In The Dishwasher
Last but not least, never put the pieces of your meat grinder in the dishwasher. You can never be too careful, even though the manufacturer insists the components are dishwasher safe. Dishwasher detergent is too harsh for metal components, and prolonged contact with hot water can cause oxidation and corrosion.
Conclusion
A meat grinder will give you greater control over your meals’ preparation and quality. But remember that with that power comes the need to protect it. So how to clean meat grinder? You can ensure your purchase lasts for many years by following a few easy actions. Keep the medium-rare steak burgers coming, and keep the grinder clean.