Before you buy a piece of equipment like a meat grinder, you need to decide what kind of tasks you need it for.
If you are going to process a variety of raw meats, then a regular, traditional meat grinder with a metal gear will do.
For the manufacture of minced meat of different densities from all types of ingredients (meat, fish, poultry, seafood), a more complex unit would be the best option. And a meat grinder with an additional special set of nozzles can become a real combine, with many available operations.
Such a thing can become an analogue of a juicer or a mill, it can process not only meat, but also tomatoes, for example. The desire to reduce family budget expenses and such a common phenomenon as the lack of free space in the kitchen often become reasons for choosingexactly this option. An efficient combined appliance with a whole range of functions will take up less space than, say, three appliances working separately.
But still, the main criterion when choosing a meat grinder is the quality of the mechanism.
Choosing between plastic and metal
The question of how reliable the parts of the purchased meat grinder will be, how long they will last, is one of the most important. It is necessary to evaluate everything - from the body to the components that are subject to the workload. In principle, there is nothing to worry about if the body of the meat grinder is made of plastic, this will not particularly affect its strength. You obviously won’t have to chop wood with a meat grinder, but for normal use, a plastic case is fine, unless, of course, the tool is from Chinese consumer goods. But such a meat grinder will be easier. The meat grinder trays are also made of plastic, but metal parts are better here. Plastic trays are less dishwasher safe and 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 - must be made of stainless steel, and of high quality. No wonder the material from which this kitchen accessory is made affects the consumer choice more than others. Meat grinders with metal gears will last a long time, will not oxidize, rust or otherwise react when interacting with products. We suggest that you pay attention to each component in more detail.meat grinders, this will come in handy when choosing.
The best option is electric meat grinders with metal gears
The auger is connected to the electric motor by means of special drive gears, which are located inside the meat grinder. They are made from 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 make these parts. If a large bone is hit (“overload”), then the blades of such gears are simply destroyed, the mechanical connection is broken, which eliminates the overheating of the motor. However, not every meat grinder comes with spare parts, they are purchased separately in special stores.
If the gear is metal, then a special breaker that works automatically prevents overheating and breakage. It looks like two metal plates that, when overheated, open the circuit. Let's look at which meat grinders have metal gears. These are: Kenwood MG-510, Panasonic MK-G-1300-PWTQ, Panasonic-MK-G1800PWTQ (especially powerful).
Some data on the power of meat grinders
The power of the electric meat grinder is another factor to consider when choosing a product. The highest possible power is 1400 watts. A device with such indicators is able to grind two kilograms of meat in a minute, while processing both veins and cartilage. Food establishments are often equipped with these electric meat grinders. Appliances whose power is from 800 to 1200 W,can grind about one and a half kilograms of meat in two minutes. The most low-power electric meat grinders have a power of 450 watts. Nevertheless, they perform their function well, grinding about a kilogram of meat in a minute.
The best choice is a meat grinder with iron gears without "bells and whistles", the usual model. It is best to take a device with a reverse option. If wires, etc., get stuck in the auger, she 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 perimeter of the rolling nut have deep grooves. Give preference to models with a wide metal tray designed for serving meat.
How to evaluate meat grinder meshes
Besides the fact that it is better to buy electric meat grinders with metal gears, you also need to pay attention to the mesh through which the meat passes - this is quite an important detail. Typically, the device kit contains three types of grids with different cell diameters.
Tender minced meat of a uniform consistency can be made using small nets. Medium ones are designed for cooking minced meat, and large ones are needed to grind meat of great rigidity. First, it is passed through a large mesh, then it is ground on a medium one, thanks to which high quality minced meat is obtained from not the highest quality meat.
Pay attention to meat grinder knives
So, knives in such a device as a meat grinder, of course, are very important. Their material is the first thing you need to pay attention to. It is best to have a meat grinder with a metal gear and stainless steel knives. On this basis of knives - quality - electric mechanisms can be divided into two categories: ordinary and luxury class. The second category of models has knives that can be sharpened themselves, this happens when the device is running. 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).
Nozzles, which are additionally equipped with meat grinders
There are a number of nozzles that are now additionally supplied with meat grinder sets. Each of them has its own function, for example, with the help of the “kebbe” nozzle, meat tubes are prepared. By experimenting with the filling of the resulting sausages, you can cook a wide variety of dishes. The Moulinex DRB-41 is equipped with a complete set of minced meat attachments, three graters and a citrus press.
Domestic meat grinder with a metal gear "Rotor" has a juicer attachment, with which you can process various berries. It should be noted that many of the nozzles are sold separately. Zelmer Schreder makes grater attachments, for example.
The noise of the meat grinder
Another parameter that we will consider will be the noise level during operation. Let's remember right away, even the mosta 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 more power, the louder the noise. If the processing is particularly difficult, the meat grinder may “squeal”, buzz unevenly, vibrate. On average, the limit of noise effects of meat grinders is 70 dB, the sanitary standard 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 grates 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 electric meat grinder, to how high the quality of the gears is. 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 the storage of various accessories is, whether there is a drawer / compartment for them, for a cord (by the way, it should not be short). Meat grinders are quite heavy appliances. Check if the product you have chosen is sustainable. 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 the meat grinder suits you.
Before you buy, do not forget to check the device for its performance, it, of course, must be working. The noise of the electric meat grinder should not scare you, that's how they allare functioning. And the very idea of buying such a device because of the noise should not be abandoned, because it usually turns on for a minute or two.
Appliances such as meat grinders with metal gears, which have an average functionality, cost about $100-150 on average. There are a number of popular manufacturers such as Moulinex, Tefal, Vitek, Braun, Binatone, Delonghi, Bork, Philips, Scarlett, Kenwood, Panasonic and many others.
Domestic electric meat mincers
It is necessary to pay attention to domestic electric meat grinders. Their main advantage is a relatively low price, but they are not yet very diverse in appearance, and their technical characteristics are not the highest. Among them are well-known models: "Help-23" (cost about 1,329 rubles) and "Gamma 7-01-2" (1,900 rubles). The first has a rated power of 220 watts, the maximum is 400 watts. The second is particularly reliable, metal gear, high-quality knife. Its cost is 45 rubles in every hardware store, and it has a standard mounting section, in connection with this, such knives are interchangeable with the knife of literally every domestic-made mechanical meat grinder.
Certainly, the electric meat grinder is a reliable and functional assistant in the kitchen. However, it is not immune from the possibility of breakage. So do not discount a mechanical product that has probably 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 electrical appliance at the right time.
