Best manual meat grinder
1. LEM Manual Meat Grinder
LEM Manual Meat Grinder is a reliable heavy-duty unit entirely made of high-polish stainless steel that is easy to clean and completely resistant to rust. Apart from standard accessories like 2 stainless steel grinding plates and a sharp blade, LEM comes with 3 different nozzles (0.5, 0.75, and 0.8 inches) that allow you to use it as a sausage stuffer as well.
The unit measures 11.5 x 8.3 x 5.3 inches (HWD) and weighs around 9 pounds. The meat hopper is rather spacious and measures 3 x 4 inches. It also features a secure clamp that can accommodate a width of up to 1.25 inches. LEM Manual Meat Grinder can handle any type of meat, ranging from poultry to game cuts. It is designed to grind around 2 pounds of meat per minute and it is one of the few units that can also process softer bones.
LEM Manual Meat Grinder comes at a budget-friendly price and with a full 30-day money-back guarantee.
| Technical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 11.5" x 8.3" x 5.3" |
| Weight | 8.65 lb |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Grinding plates | 0.2" and 0.4" |
| Sausage kit | |
| Clamp | |
Best plastic meat grinder
2. Gideon Meat Grinder
Gideon Manual Meat Grinder is a compact and durable unit designed for optimal performance, ease of use, and versatility. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners as well as an excellent option if you decide to craft some home-made BBQ burgers on a camping trip. The unit is made of heavy-duty plastic with 2 stainless steel blades and different plates for coarse and fine grinding. It is also one of the rare models that feature its own meat stomper.
Gideon Manual Meat Grinder measures 10.9 x 6.7 x 6.1 inches (HWD) and weighs around 2.5 pounds, which makes it one of the most lightweight and mobile products of its kind on the market. It is held firmly in place by a strong suction cup that can be used on all smooth surfaces.
Technically, Gideon can handle all types of meat, but some extra effort is needed for grinding tougher cuts like game meat. It is recommended to keep the meat sinew-free for optimal performance. Gideon Manual Meat Grinder comes with a full 30-day money-back guarantee.
| Technical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 10.9" x 6.7" x 6.1" |
| Weight | 2.55 lb |
| Material | Plastic |
| Grinding plates | 2 sizes |
| Sausage kit | |
| Clamp | |
Best for sausage mixtures
3. Weston Manual Meat Grinder
Weston Manual Meat Grinder is a heavy-duty hand-operated meat grinder made of tinned cast iron, which makes it not just sturdy and versatile but also budget-friendly. The unit comes with a steel knife, 2 different grinding plates, and a full sausage-stuffing kit that includes a spacer, adapter, and 3 stuffing funnels (0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 inches). The auger is made of heavy-duty nylon.
The grinder measures 10.2 x 8 x 11 inches (HWD) and weighs around 8 pounds. The size of the meat hopper is 3 x 4 inches. The tool features a reliable clamp that can accommodate a width of up to 1.5 inches. The appliance is perfectly capable of handling any type of meat, including the toughest, most demanding, sinewy cuts. It can process around 2 pounds of meat per minute.
Weston Manual Meat Grinder comes with a 1-year warranty against all defects in materials and workmanship.
| Technical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 10.2" x 8" x 11" |
| Weight | 9.5 lb |
| Material | Cast Iron |
| Grinding plates | 0.2" and 0.4" |
| Sausage kit | |
| Clamp | |
Best For Tough Meat
4. CucinaPro Meat Grinder
CucinaPro Meat Grinder is a 3-disc heavy-duty kitchen appliance made of cast iron for optimal performance, durability, and budget-friendliness. The unit has 3 cutting discs for an unparalleled mincing range (coarse, medium, and fine) and it is perfectly capable of grinding all types of meat, ranging from chicken and turkey to more demanding cuts like pork, beef, lamb, game, and even buffalo. It comes with a plastic stuffing funnel that transforms it into a pretty decent sausage maker.
The appliance measures 10.2 x 3.8 x 10 inches (HWD) and weighs approximately 5 pounds. The stabilizing medium comes in the form of a secure tabletop clamp that keeps the tool firmly in place during the grinding process. CucinaPro can grind up to 2.5 pounds of meat per minute, which is ideal for home crafters but also smaller butcher shops.
CucinaPro Meat Grinder comes with a full 30-day money-back guarantee.
| Technical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 10.2" x 3.8" x 10" |
| Weight | 5.15 lb |
| Material | Cast Iron |
| Grinding plates | 3 sizes |
| Sausage kit | |
| Clamp | |
Best for softer meat
5. Kitchen Basics Meat Grinder
Kitchen Basics 3-in-1 is by far the most versatile model on our list of the best manual meat grinders. Namely, apart from being a meat grinder, it can also serve as a sausage stuffer or pasta maker. The appliance is made of heavy-duty plastic with a plastic grinder (steel tang), steel blade, and 2 plates for coarse and fine processing. It also comes with 3 plastic stuffing nozzles and a pasta-making attachment. Note that the hand-crank is rather long, so you will not be able to turn it if you do not position the unit at the very edge of your table/countertop.
Kitchen Basics Meat Grinder measures 7.5 x 5 x 5 inches (HWD) and weighs around 2 pounds. It is kept firmly in place by a strong suction cup operated with the provided plastic wrench. The grinder is designed to handle softer meat cuts, so it is likely to have difficulties grinding game and other tough meats.
The unit comes with Amazon’s general 30-day money-back guarantee.
| Technical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7.8" x 5.6" x 5.4" |
| Weight | 1.9 lb |
| Material | Plastic |
| Grinding plates | 3 sizes |
| Sausage kit | |
| Clamp | |
Why Get A Manual Meat Grinder
Before we provide you with the most common reasons for buying a meat grinder, we need to establish a clear difference between mincing and grinding meat. Both online reviewers and specifications provided by manufacturers oftentimes use these terms as synonyms, even though they cover two completely different meat-processing actions.
Mincing meat means cutting it with a sharp slicing edge whereas grinding implies friction between two or more surfaces. Simply put, mincing includes taking a whole cut of meat and dicing it with a sharp blade or food processor. Grinding, on the other hand, represents an emulsion of fat and meat.
As you can see, there is a huge difference between the two processes, which is also reflected in the quality of the final product. For example, if you make a burger using minced meat, it will be much drier and prone to crumbling.
With that out of the way, the first major advantage of using a manual meat grinder is full control over the contents of your meat products. In other words, you will know exactly what type of meat is in your home-made sausages, burger patties or meat casseroles. You can also make sure that your food does not contain any artificial additives, steroids, antibiotics, and other chemicals that can endanger the health of your entire family.
Secondly, you are also fully in charge of the flavor of the food you make. Home meat grinders allow you to mix meat with your favorite blends of spices and curing agents and avoid the foods you do not like or are allergic to. In other words, you can make your sausages, burgers, and other meat products as salty, spicy or extravagant as you wish, which is something you cannot get when purchasing these products in your local convenience store or butcher shop.
Manual meat grinders also affect the overall quality of your dishes. Home-made sausages cannot be crafted without some kind of grinding unit and burgers and similar products will simply fall apart as you are grilling them. Basically, apart from adding extra moisture and flavor, the grinding process also maintains the structural integrity of the final product.
When it comes to the technical side of things, manual meat grinders make the whole process significantly easier and less messy than their alternatives. The hand-operated mechanism is designed for ultimate performance and ease of use, so you should not get overly fatigued even with larger batches of meat. Speaking of mess, these units are very easy to clean and maintain and some are even dishwasher-safe, which saves additional time and effort.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing The Best Manual Meat Grinder
Now that you are familiar with all the major benefits of using a manual meat grinder, we can go over some of the most important factors to keep in mind when looking for a unit that is ideal for your personal meat-processing needs and preferences.
Materials
The best manual meat grinders are made of tinned cast iron and stainless or carbon steel. Occasionally, some of the reputable manufacturers design a model made of heavy-duty plastic that can still perform on the highest level thanks to the overall quality of the construction. Even though the materials used for the main frame and meat hopper can vary without any negative consequences, the blades, augers, and grinding plates absolutely HAVE to be made of stainless steel for optimal performance and food hygiene.
Design
Here, we are primarily referring to the dimensions of the unit, its overall weight, and finish. It is important to be aware of the measurements of the grinder you are about to buy, especially if your kitchen is on the smaller side. Additionally, if you intend to take the grinder with you on your camping trips, you should look for lighter units.
Stability
In order to prevent potential injuries, you need to be aware of the stabilizing mechanism implemented in your chosen meat grinder. Most of the reputable manufacturers either go with a simple clamp that you use to attach the grinder to your table or countertop or a strong suction cup, usually operated with a provided wrench. You can place a grinder with a suction cup on any firm and level surface whereas those units with clamps usually have limitations regarding the maximum thickness of the table or countertop they can be attached to.
Performance (Grinding Power)
The construction quality of a grinder dictates its potential grinding output. In other words, you should look for a unit that can turn a properly diced cut of meat into a finely structured emulsion, not into mush.
Accessories
All of the best manual meat grinders on this list feature a certain array of convenient accessories that can either turn them into sausage stuffers or even pasta makers. Some of them also feature collection tubs, rubber pads to protect fragile surfaces, meat stompers, different grinding stars and blades, plates for fine and coarse grinding, and other extras.
Capacity
Manual meat grinders designed for home use usually feature a 2-cup meat hopper, which is more than enough for your regular grinding purposes – but keep in mind that these appliances require constant reloading with larger batches of meat.
Versatility
The best manual meat grinders can process any type of meat, ranging from soft cuts like poultry to more demanding options like lean beef and game. Additionally, they can puree fruits and vegetables for baby food and numerous dishes and they can also crush garlic, nuts, herbs, and other similar foods. On the other hand, these units are not designed to handle bones, so we strongly recommend against placing bones into your grinder since they can cause structural damage to the unit.
Maintenance
Your chosen meat grinder needs to be easy to disassemble for cleaning and storage. Additionally, it should feature a smooth finish without any crevices and irregularities where bacteria and other germs can hide from your brush.
Durability
Once you buy a dedicated home meat grinder, you want to be sure it will serve you well for years to come. The best indicators of potential durability are the materials used in the construction of the unit as well as the quality of the finish.
Price
As with any other product, you should look for units that provide the best value for your money. Manual meat grinders are usually pretty budget-friendly (even the best of them), so bear in mind that there is no big price difference between the premium and subpar options.
Warranty
Finally, a grinder’s warranty is also an important part of the whole equation. The general rule of thumb is – if you are purchasing a product from an unknown manufacturer, do not settle for anything less than a 1-year warranty. On the other hand, if your chosen appliance is made by a well-known company, a 30-day warranty is more than enough time to test the product and see if it works for you.