Everything You Need to Know About Buying and Operating A Commercial Meat Grinder

Unless your restaurant is vegetarian, a meat grinder could be an excellent addition to your kitchen. Being able to grind your own meat allows you to create your own sausage, meat patties, meatloaf, and much more. It frees you from having to source these things from local shops (or worse, buy frozen) while substantially increasing the range of freshly prepared foods you can put on your menu.

However, most meat grinders are not cheap, and they require care both in usage and in long-term maintenance. So, in this guide, we will cover the types of grinders and how they impact your purchasing decision, as well as tips on owning and operating them to get the best possible ROI.

I. Types of Meat Grinders

You've got several options here, depending on your budget and the amount of meat you intend to produce. 

i. Manual Meat Grinders

The most basic and affordable option is the manual meat grinder. These typically clamp onto a counter, or utilize screws-and-bolts for attachment, and require staff to manually crank the handle to get meat output while pushing the source meat in from the top.

In most situations, these are sub-optimal for a working kitchen. The output is low, and they require a lot of manual labor. However, if you don't foresee making frequent use of it, the price alone can recommend a manual meat grinder. With models typically only a few hundred dollars, and some less than $100, absolutely anyone can afford one.

ii. Electric Meat Grinders 

The most typical choice for a commercial kitchen looking to produce their own meat products is the electric meat grinder. You'll also see the widest range of prices and features here, ranging from inexpensive tabletop models to large floor units. The built-in electric motor means that all your workers have to do is push the meat in from the top, and some of the higher-end models can even handle that on their own.

The most important consideration with electric meat grinders is their capacity. Because of the electric motor, and how relatively easy they can be to clog up, you do not want to over-burden an electric grinder. Otherwise, you could easily shorten its lifespan. You'll want to pick a model that has a capacity for beyond what you may need, to ensure you don't put too much of a strain on it.

There's also the question of materials. When possible, go for stainless-steel. It's relatively strong and resistant while remaining easy to clean - and that's important because you'll be washing your grinder a lot.

iii. Buffalo Choppers

Buffalo choppers, or horizontal food cutters, are an alternative to a pure grinder. These utilize spinning horizontal blades which can quickly slice pretty much anything put into them. They won't dice meat, as in a grinder, but can quickly make a hash utilizing a lot of different meats, vegetables, fruits, and more. You can also freely add spices while chopping.

The results could even be put into a grinder, to make high-end sausage or patties.

However, buffalo choppers do have some major safety considerations. The spinning horizontal blade is exposed. Think carefully about the skill level of your staff, as well as how busy your kitchen is likely to be, before investing in one.

iv. Auto-Mixing Grinders 

At the top end of the grinder price list are the auto-mixing grinders. These are heavy-duty pieces of commercial machinery, capable of taking in large amounts of meat and other ingredients, and auto-grinding them until the hopper is emptied. These can often pump out dozens of pounds of ground meat every minute.

These may be overkill for most traditional restaurants, but they do allow for extremely rapid creation of multi-ingredient ground meat and require the least manual labor to operate.

II.  Common Meat Grinding Accessories 

On its own, a typical meat grinder will simply put out long strings of diced and somewhat compacted meat.  You may want to purchase one or more accessories, to help add utility value and expand your range of food prep options.

i. Sausage Spouts

At the very least, you'll almost certainly want sausage spouts which attach to the grinder plate.  These are simply funnels, which take the ground meat and redirect it through a single exit hole where your sausage casing would be.  Sausage spouts come in numerous sizes and dimensions and are cheap enough that you should be able to pick up a few to give yourself some variety.

ii. Grinding Plates

The grinding plate is the set of holes that the ground meat is forced through at the bottom of the meat grinder.  Grinding plates come with a variety of hole sizes, allowing for the creation of different levels of granularity in the final product.  Generally, they range from holes 3/4" creating extra-coarse grinds, to 1/8" holes for extra-fine meat.  Keep in mind, different meats and meat products will work best with different types of grinding plates, so you'll likely want a good selection.

iii. Meat Mixers

If you plan on making a lot of sausage, or creative meat patties, a good meat mixer is a must. Exactly as the name suggests, it allows for mixing meats of various types, along with spices and any other minced ingredients you want to throw in there. The typical usage scenario is to first grind the meat(s) using a very coarse grinding plate, then put it into the meat mixer along with the other ingredients, then send the resulting mix back through the meat grinder using a fine grinding plate.

Both manual meat mixers and electric meat mixers are available, depending on your needs and the capacity you're hoping to achieve.

III.  Meat Grinder Ownership Tips & Tricks

The most important things to keep in mind about owning and operating a meat grinder is to never over-burden it and to wash it every night after use. These things alone will help extend the lifespan of your grinder and ensure it provides a long, productive life that justifies the purchase cost.

Here are some more things to keep in mind.

1. Remember to lubricate

While a meat grinder will often receive enough lubrication from the fats being sent through it, you shouldn't rely on this "natural" method of lubrication. You'll want to have a food-safe lubricant to maintain all the moving parts. Otherwise, they could be prone to seizing up.

2. Chop meat before grinding

It's not a good idea to force whole cuts of meat through a grinder, as this can easily damage the machine.  It's best to first chop the meat into chunks before sending it through.  This is easier on the grinder, as well as making it easier for employees to push the meat through.

3. Keep parts frozen

Try to keep the grind plate, auger, knives, and feed tube in the freezer, or an ice bath, before use. Friction and mechanical work will cause the machine to heat up, which in turn will heat up the meat being sent through. Keeping everything chilled before use will reduce this effect.

Likewise, keep the meat as chilled as possible before grinding. Try to avoid even handling it too much.

4. Only grind meat or finely minced ingredients

This might go without saying, but avoid putting anything foreign in the meat grinder, particularly anything harder than meat.  In particular, meat grinders are not appropriate for grinding up bones, so be sure to thoroughly de-bone any meat you're putting through.

5. You may want to add some fats

Sausage and other processed-meat products need fat for binders, and for flavor.  Generally, ratios between 80/20 and 90/10 are preferred.  If you are using extremely lean cuts of meat, you'll want to have some beef or pork fat on hand to add to the mix.

6. Use bread to get the last bits of meat

Whenever meat stops flowing out of the grind plate, it's virtually guaranteed there's still some inside the machine.  To get it to come out, send a slice of bread through. The bread is well soft enough that it won't hurt the grinder, but it'll grab the meat on the way out.  Then you can either discard the bread or just leave it in since a little grain in a meat grind rarely hurts anything. 

7. Regularly maintain the grinder blades

It can be easy to forget about the grinder blades within the machine, but they'll go dull just like any other knife.  Dull grinder blades encourage jamming or, in worst case situations, could even damage the machine.  So be sure to keep them sharp and maintained, like every other blade in your kitchen.

8. Experiment with different grinds

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment with different grinding plates.  Different types of meat and ingredients will bind together more or less effectively depending on how coarse or fine the grind is.  Experimentation will help you make better products!

Zanduco Has the Restaurant Supplies You Need

We are one of the premier providers of supplies, accessories, appliances, and furnishings for restaurants. From food grinders to slush machines to high chairs, we have everything you need to make your restaurant exceptional.

Interested in a bulk order, or outfitting an entire kitchen? Contact us for a quote!