Do you incorporate a lot of meat in your diet? Then getting meat grinder can be a great way to make sure the meat you eat has the ingredients of your choice. If you are facing the dilemma of choosing from a manual vs. electric meat grinder, then we have you covered. In this article, we are going to discuss various aspects of manual and electric meat grinders and also check out the pros and cons of both types of grinders. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of grinders, and you can choose the one that ticks all the right boxes for your specific needs.
If you are confused whether you should get an electric or a manual meat grinder, then read on. We are also going to take a quick look at the top manual and electric meat grinders, so that you can choose the product that best suits your requirements.
Introduction to Manual Meat Grinders
As the name suggests, manual meat grinders are those that work with your power instead of a battery or electricity. These meat grinders come with a crank that you have to rotate to grind the meat that you insert into the meat grinder. There are different types of manual meat grinders available that range from medium-sized meat grinders that are made from plastic and metal to large meat grinders that are bulky and made from metal.
Top 3 Manual Meat Grinders Comparison Chart
| Product Name | Power | Weight | Editor's Rating | Where to Buy? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Basics 3-In-1 Meat Grinder and Vegetable Grinder | Manual | 1.9 pounds | 4 | Check on Amazon |
| Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder | Manual | 2.55 pounds | 3.7 | Check on Amazon |
| Useful. Manual Meat Grinder, Mincer, and Pasta Maker | Manual | 1.46 pounds | 3.8 | Check on Amazon |
Manual Meat Grinders – Features to Expect
If you are thinking about buying a manual meat grinder, here are some features that you can expect from these meat grinders.
- Easy to Clean – As there are no electrical parts in these meat grinders, these are easier to clean than electric meat grinders. You can un-assemble the meat grinder and soak the different parts in soapy, warm water for easy cleaning.
- Simple Design – The design of manual meat grinders is simple and they are easy to put together and take apart.
- Small in Size – Manual meat grinders are generally smaller in size compared to electric meat grinders. If you have less space in your kitchen and you don’t mind grinding meat manually, these are a great choice. Under a foot and usually only a few pounds, these meat grinders are easy to store and transport.
- Freedom of Movement – Unlike an electric meat grinder, there is no power cord attached to a manual meat grinder. You can pick it up and take it anywhere you like. Greater freedom of movement means you can grind meat comfortably outdoors or in different areas of your kitchen.
- Ease of Repairs – In case your manual meat grinder develops a fault or breaks down it is easy to repair them, and you can find the parts at your local hardware store, too. The parts used for the construction of the manual meat grinder are simple and easy to replace, too.
Pros of Manual Meat Grinders
Let’s take a look at some of the pros of using a manual meat grinder.
- Highly Durable – Manual meat grinders are highly durable and these can last for several years if you take proper care of these devices. The manual meat grinders are often made from metal or high-quality plastic that doesn’t break easily.
- Affordability – If you have a limited budget for buying a meat grinder or if you are only starting with meat grinders, a manual meat grinder is the best choice for you as these don’t cost as much as their electrical counterparts
- No Added Costs – When you use a manual meat grinder, you only use your own manual force to use the meat grinder. There are no electric bills to pay for using a manual meat grinder and no replaceable parts like cables and switches that might give away after some time.
Cons of Manual Meat Grinders
Here’s a look at some of the cons of using a manual meat grinder.
- Low Power – Manual meat grinders are operated by the user’s own power and this can get tiring if you are grinding large amounts of meat in every session. The manual operation also means that the final cuts of the meat might not be uniform as the efficiency goes down as you get tired.
- Tiring – Grinding meat manually can be really tiring after a while or if you are grinding a problematic cut of the meat. In case you want to grind bones for a dish, it might take you a lot of force to grind the bones properly.
- Safety Concerns – When it comes to raw meat, the less you expose it to the elements, the better it is. But when you grind meat manually, the meat might be in exposed to the elements for a longer period, and it might get contaminated by bacteria.
Introduction to Electric Meat Grinders
Electric meat grinders use blades that are spun by an electric motor to grind the meat. There are different types of electric meat grinders available in the market with varying configurations of blades that are used to grind different cuts of meat. Another unique feature of electric meat grinders is that these can be used to grind meat at different rotation levels of the blades. Depending on your requirements, you can buy electric meat grinders of different wattage and performance levels.
Top 3 Electric Meat Grinders Comparison Chart
| Product Name | Power | Weight | Editor's Rating | Where to Buy? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEM Products W777A Stainless Steel Grinder | 180 watts | 31.9 pounds | 4.6 | Check on Amazon |
| STX INTERNATIONAL STX-3000-MF Megaforce Grinder | 3000 watts | 12 pounds | 4.1 | Check on Amazon |
| Sunmile SM-G33 Electric Meat Grinder | 800 w max | 8.82 pounds | 4.1 | Check on Amazon |
Electric Meat Grinders – Features to Expect
Let’s take a quick look at some of the features that you can expect from electric meat grinders.
- Extensive Grinding Capacity – Electric meat grinders are great when you want to grind large quantities of meat. These machines work fast and they can make ground meat from any kind of raw meat in a jiffy.
- Complex Design – There are many parts in the electric meat grinder to ensure proper functioning of the machine. Apart from the blades and the grinders, there is the motor and electrical components that control the movement of the blades.
- Heavy – Electric meat grinders can be heavy given the powerful motors that these devices use. These devices also have a heavy base to make sure they don’t move while they are in use for grinding meat.
- Versatile – If you prepare different types of meat for your dishes, then an electric meat grinder can be your most useful asset in the kitchen. You can use this device to grind meat in the way that you want, and you can also use unique attachments to prepare sausages or finely ground meat.
Pros of Electric Meat Grinders
The pros of using electric meat grinders are as following.
- Powerful – If you are grinding bones or hard meats for your dishes, an electric meat grinder can be of great use. There are different power settings that you can use to grind the meat slowly or quickly depending on the final result you are expecting. If you have requirement of grinding large amounts of meat, an electric meat grinder is your best option for getting the job done quickly.
- Added Safety – Electric meat grinders are safe for your food as well as your hands. As these devices are quick, they can grind out the meat quickly, and there is less contact of meat with the kitchen environment. Adding meat to the grinder is also easy as you can just put meat in through the provided attachment whereas in case of a manual meat grinder you might need to push the meat in with your hands.
- Easy to Use – There is added ease of use when you grind meat with an electric grinder. These devices are simply plug-and-play and you only have to add a few attachments to get them going. You can push the meat in through the hopper with a meat pusher that is provided with most meat grinders.
Cons of Electric Meat Grinders
Let’s take a quick look some of the cons of the electric meat grinders.
- Expensive – These meat grinders can be in somewhat expensive range because of the high-quality equipment used in them as well as the materials used for making the outer shell for the meat grinder. If you require additional blades or spare parts, these are going to be an extra cost added to the meat grinder.
- Dependent on Electricity – With electric meat grinders, you are always dependent on the power supply when you want to grind meat. If the power cord of your grinder is not long enough, you might be limited to your kitchen area to do all your meat grinding. If there is a power cut in your area or power failure in your home, you will have to wait for some time before grinding meat.
- Additional Costs – There are always additional costs associated with electric meat grinders in case some piece of equipment breaks down, and you need to get it replaced. There might also be instances when the meat grinder breaks down, or you need replacement of blades, and all these will cost you money in the long run.
Conclusion
The choice of the meat grinder depends on the kind of usage you want from the device. If you grind meat occasionally and that too small amounts, it is best to get a manual meat grinder that will work for your usage. But if you grind meat regularly and you plan to grind large amounts of meat, you should look into an electric meat grinder.
There are pros and cons of both types of meat grinders, and we have discussed them in the article above so that you can take an informed decision. If you have any questions or queries about meat grinders, feel free to post in the comment section, and our team will answer your query at the earliest.