The choice of a good meat grinder among a huge variety of models equipped with modern functionality depends on numerous criteria. A meat grinder is a very popular device in the kitchen, which is simply irreplaceable for chopping meat and other food products, making juice, for spaghetti, noodles and cookies.
Today we will try to figure out how to choose an electric meat grinder for the home, which will perfectly cope with its tasks and simplify the cooking process.
Content
Criteria for choosing a meat grinder
Now we will figure out how to choose the right electric meat grinder, given the huge range of these devices on sale, the many functions and capabilities? When choosing, consider the following criteria, which we will analyze in detail:
- power;
- performance;
- operating modes;
- reverse;
- noise level;
- body material;
- equipment, nozzles.
Power
Remember that insufficient power negatively affects the functionality of an electrical device - it will not be able to cope with tough meat, cartilage, and small bones. In addition, the best grinder (powerful and efficient) ensures good consistency of meat.
- 400-800 W - units with low potential, models from the category of inexpensive products intended for use in domestic conditions. If you want to choose a good electric grinder for occasional use and processing small amounts of meat, then these parameters will be enough.
- 800-1200 W is an average. Such electric meat grinders are suitable in terms of power if you do not plan to process several kilograms of meat every day. The meat grinder easily processes stringy meat, cartilage, but it takes a little longer than the next category.
- 1200-1400W - First-class electrical devices that handle large volumes. They are distinguished by improved functionality and properties.
Power also has an impact on the economy of an electric grinder. The higher the power, the more electricity is required to operate the device.
Expert recommendations: look not at the indicator that the manufacturer indicates in the main characteristics, but at the nominal power at which the device operates for a long time.
Performance
The performance directly depends on the power of the device - the higher this indicator, the faster, more efficiently the electric device processes meat. Productivity is measured by the amount of meat that the appliance grinds for 1 minute. Which electric meat grinder to buy depends on the frequency of operation and the volume of products. Power to performance ratio:
- 400-800 W - up to 1 kg per minute;
- 800-1200 W - 1.5 kg per minute;
- 1200-1400 W - from 2 kg per minute.
Despite the same power of the two models, the performance may be different - the parameters of the electric meat grinder depend on a particular company.
Often, productivity plays a high role only when you need to cook large volumes of minced meat for home use, productivity up to 1 kg / min will be more than enough.
Number of operating modes
Most units have one operating mode or speed. If you need to choose a meat grinder for your home, on which only meat will be processed, then it does not need additional modes. However, there are models on the market that have two modes. As a rule, such devices are sold with attachments that allow you to process fruits, vegetables and other products.
The attachments can be purchased separately. If your machine is equipped with two modes, then the second (more powerful) is used for meat, and the first for the rest of the products.
Reverse
Reverse is a rather useful function, which is equipped with electrical devices with low and medium power. If you take into account the advice of professionals, they recommend choosing a meat grinder with a reverse, since this function makes it possible to clean the unit from food without disassembling the structure.
Most often, this problem occurs when processing meat - tendons and other particles are wrapped around a knife or auger and stop the operation of the device. To restore the device to work and clean the parts, the reverse mode is switched on - the rotation of the auger and knife in the opposite direction. It is assumed that a high-quality, high power electrical model does not need to be supplied with a reverse, as it is capable of processing products of any structure and stiffness.
Noise level
The noise of an electric grinder is affected by its power. The more powerful the meat grinder, the louder it works. If you need to choose an electric meat grinder for home use, where a high noise level is unacceptable, buy a machine with an indicator of about 72 dB. The maximum permissible noise level is 82 dB.
Choice of body material
Which meat grinder is best suited for your kitchen - with a case based on plastic or metal - depends on the operating conditions of the device and the frequency of use.
The plastic housing needs to be handled very carefully, but overall the material has a sufficient level of strength to withstand stress during use.
Models with a higher cost are equipped with metal cases, which are more often intended for professional use than for home. Such models have a solid, expensive design. The metal is characterized by the highest heat resistance and strength.
Complete set and attachments
Standard complete set:
- motor block;
- knife;
- screw;
- tray;
- retaining nut;
- lattice.
Additional knives and grates are desirable. A detailed overview of the product allows you to study the packaging in detail. As a rule, the number of grilles in a set is at least three. The difference between the two is the diameter of the holes. Most products use a 4-6mm mid-section grid, but others may also be useful. Knives differ in the number of cutting edges - the more the better.
Quite often, in the configuration, you can find attachments designed for various operations and dishes:
- cooking sausages, sausages;
- shredder (vegetable cutter) for cutting hard fruits and vegetables;
- press - preparation of juices based on soft fruits and vegetables;
- citrus press;
- grater, there may be several drums with holes of different diameters;
- for tomatoes - turns tomatoes into tomato paste, juice;
- for the dough - spaghetti, noodles;
- for cookies;
- forms for cutlets - a modeling nozzle, with the help of which cutlets of the same size are made.
If the device is sold with a vegetable cutter and other additional attachments, it may well become an analogue of a food processor.
Pay attention to the presence of rubberized feet, which provide stability of the device on the table.
Additional functions
- juicer;
- motor overload protection.
The electric meat grinder with juicer function allows you to extract juice from citrus fruits. It is realized through a special attachment, which can be of two types:
- Citrus press is a cone with ribs that rotates non-stop. To get juice, you need to plant half of the citrus on a cone.
- Auger - Juice is obtained by turning the auger and grinding the fruit.
If the question arose which one is better to buy a meat grinder - a simplified model at an affordable price or a more expensive multifunctional home assistant, then there can be no definite answer. Are there other appliances in your kitchen: a food processor, a juicer, a blender, since all additional attachments and functions serve as a pleasant bonus and can significantly affect the price.
The motor overload protection is provided with a special fuse that prevents the electric motor from overheating during operation.
It is very important to choose an electric meat grinder according to the protection parameter, in order to be sure that the electrical appliance does not fail and the engine does not burn out.
- Blocking is a plastic sleeve, which, when solid particles enter the motor, a significant increase in its temperature, simply bursts and stops operation.
- An automatic circuit breaker - two metal plates that open when an excessive flow of electricity is generated.
- Heating element - when the temperature rises, the engine turns off.
The most common option is blocking, but a circuit breaker provides more reliable protection.
Which company to choose a meat grinder
In a wide variety of modern manufacturers, it is difficult to decide which company to choose a meat grinder for yourself, in many respects it all depends on what are your requirements for the selected device. We can only recommend companies that stand out for good quality and reliability, they include: Kenwood, Moulinex, Bosch, Philips. Positive customer reviews, high quality, a variety of attachments and additional elements in the kit, common to all presented manufacturers, make these brands the undoubted market leaders. I would also like to highlight the Russian-made meat grinders of the Axion company, which are more affordable than imported devices, but are not inferior in functionality and reliability.
Conclusion
In this article, we figured out which meat grinder to choose for the home in 2020, so that it will serve in your kitchen for a long time with faith and truth. Electrical appliances differ in numerous parameters, but after studying the main features and characteristics that you should pay attention to in the first place, you can buy an inexpensive but good electric meat grinder. The main thing is not at all which company you buy the device, but full compliance with the price and quality of the purchased model.
