How to choose a good electric meat grinder for the home?

Modern electric meat grinders are radically different from those simple but practical devices of a mechanical type that were in use several years ago. However, now another problem has arisen - to choose a suitable unit that can quickly grind products to the desired state, from the whole variety of options. It’s not so difficult to find a good meat grinder, modern manufacturers are trying to supply consumers with quality goods.

The main thing is to choose the best option, ideal for specific needs. Still at home you need to decide on the required basic options and additional functions of the device, only after that you can go to the store in search of specific household appliances.

First of all, you need to understand that electric meat grinders are conditionally divided into two groups:

1. Solo. This is a classic appliance specifically designed for processing fish and meat into minced meat. Modern products are often equipped with special nozzles that allow the device to serve as a juicer or grater.
2. Harvester. If you choose this multifunctional device for your home, you don’t have to worry about buying a grater, blender, mixer, juicer and ice cream maker.

Despite such an obvious advantage of the combine, it is worth considering that due to the design features, the processing power of the ingredients may not be sufficient. Also, one should not forget about the impressive size of the device and its rather considerable cost.

Basic features of a functional fixture

An understanding of technological parameters will help to make the right choice. If they are neglected, then an electric meat grinder will bring a lot of trouble.

• Power. Initially, it is recommended to evaluate what work is supposed to be thrown to the device and how much will be its volume. If you cheapen and purchase a device with a minimum power indicator, it simply will not cope with its obligations and will quickly fail. You need to proceed from the following formula - an electric meat grinder with a capacity of 1000 W is able to process about 1-1.5 kg of meat or fish per minute. This is an average indicator that can fluctuate slightly when trying to load too large or very small pieces of the product into the meat grinder.

Tip: Do not chase the maximum power, a difference of several hundred watts affects only if the electric motor has too much load. At home, this happens infrequently, only if in one approach you try to perform an unusually large amount of work or poorly clean the workpieces from the veins and bones.

• Materials In the case of the device body, the use of plastic is considered optimal, but only if it is food. The load on the case is not so impressive as to make it of metal. But the internal parts can only be metal, with rare exceptions.
• Screw. This is a removable part in the form of a spiral, on which nozzles and knives are attached, before placing them in a meat grinder. Rotating, this element pushes the product mass to the exit. Each time before starting work, you need to make sure that it is located correctly and that during regular use its surface was not damaged. Today, for the house, you can choose a model with two screws at once. One of metal for meat and fish, the other of plastic - for berries, vegetables and fruits.
• Knives. It is highly recommended not to use elements purchased separately; it is better to use the knives that are native to the device. They must be made of very strong and high-quality steel, then they will not need too frequent sharpening. By the way, it is better to trust this manipulation to professionals, you can do irreparable harm to important details yourself. Some home meat grinders are accompanied by self-sharpening knives, which greatly facilitates the operation of a household appliance.
• Lattice. A set usually comes with several options for grids with holes of various sizes. This allows you to get minced meat and other products of various consistencies. Before using the device, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the purpose of the parts, otherwise there is a risk of damage, both of the components of the structure and of food products.

Before choosing an advertised and beautiful electric meat grinder, you need to make sure its safety. For this, it must be included in the network, there should be no cod from the current supply. The auger after starting the device in all its elements and nozzles should be inaccessible. Some devices even have a function that blocks its operation if the elements are installed incorrectly.

Important and useful additional options

You can choose a suitable electric meat grinder, based only on the basic parameters, but the operation process will be significantly simplified, given the additional points.

• Reverse or reverse scrolling. A simple press of a button will make the auger work in the opposite direction. This is useful if the work has risen due to a dense vein that does not let the stuffing. In the absence of function, the meat grinder will have to be disassembled to restore its functionality.
• Motor protection. The presence of electrical, mechanical or thermal blocking allows you to suspend the mechanism when it is working at the limit, which prevents serious damage. The engine simply shuts off so that after a few minutes it can be restarted.
• Tray or loading platform with inlet. The presence of the extended part allows you to control the degree of loading of the device, to prevent the falling of pieces from the inlet pipe. You can choose food-grade plastic as a material, it is cheaper or lighter than metal, but it is prone to scratches, cracks, and with regular use it quickly fails. Metal is also used in meat grinders at home, but it is recommended to take it only if the product is used too often.
• Pusher. The main thing is that it is light, then there will be no problems with its constant use.

• Nozzles for sausages and sausages. They allow you to properly and quickly fill a natural or artificial shell without the risk of damage. Today, the preparation of homemade sausages is gaining more and more popularity, so nozzles are quite in demand.
• Citrus Juicer. Contrary to popular belief, not every electric meat grinder is equipped with a device for making fresh juice, so you will have to pay special attention to it at the moment.
• Graters, shredders, vegetable cutters. These are elements in the form of drums with holes of various shapes and sizes. Processing of components is carried out very quickly and efficiently, in this classic meat grinders are not inferior to combines.
• Nozzle for baking and homemade noodles. In the kit are not so common, but to find the suitable elements separately is even more difficult. For lovers of homemade cookies and pasta are a great help. They are nozzles with an original form, implying the removal of sausages, which must subsequently be cut. If desired, you can choose a machine that independently divides the dough into separate products.

In addition, in most modern meat grinders and combines for the home there is an option to form cutlets of the same size, which further reduces the time and energy costs of the cooking process.

The nuances that affect the selection process

Having decided on all the main and additional points, you can go to the store. Already in place, before choosing an electric meat grinder that is suitable for the requirements, it is recommended to pay attention to a few more nuances:

1. Compactness, appearance, product design. Household appliances should be not only functional, but also convenient, otherwise the device will be on the shelf most of the time.
2. The presence of trays for storing nozzles will save time and place in search of all the necessary elements.
3. The cord length must be sufficient to place the device in a convenient place for work.
4. It is equally important that you select the appropriate outlet height and tray. You may need to immediately select the right bowls for the finished product.
5. Any electric meat grinder is a rather heavy item, but here various options are possible. You should not purchase a practically non-lifting product if it will spend most of the time in a box.

Just before buying, you need to check the quality of the product. Do not be scared of his loud noise until you come up with a meat grinder working without sound. Considering that it will make noise only a few minutes, it will not cause big problems during operation. The main thing is that during the operation of all mechanisms there should be no cod, knock and other suspicious sounds.