Grinding Wars: The Best Manual Meat Grinder Today! (2022)

Various kitchen recipes require ground meat as an ingredient. Yes, you always have the option to buy it in your local supermarket. But wouldn’t it be great if you could make it by yourself?

As you are so eager to know more, I have no choice but to introduce the best manual meat grinders to you. This kitchenware is both simple and practical in nature, and very efficient in making ground meat products, regardless of their cut and toughness.

I have tested various manual meat grinders over the years that I’ve spent improving my kitchen skills. Even if electric meat grinders can do this job more efficiently, manual grinders clearly provide greater control and output. Of course, this task might not be achievable if you decide to use a meat slicer.

Although it is true that a kitchen can live without a meat grinder, it does make economic sense to invest in one if you consistently cook ground meat. In this article, I will list some of the ideal choices that are available. Are you curious to find out what they are? Then grind on!

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The Best Manual Meat Grinder: My Top Picks

Each of these meat grinders has its respective features and capabilities. If you want to know all about them, I encourage you to read the comprehensive reviews that I’ve written about them all. Let’s get started!

In-Depth Review Of The Best Manual Meat Grinders

1. Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder

Image from Amazon.com

This is one of the most innovative manual meat grinders that I have ever tested. It has the power to deal with large and tough chunks of meat. Despite its straightforward design, it’s proven to be very effective in making ground meat.

Fortunately, you don’t need to exert too much effort when turning its hand crank as the blades and plates are so sharp you won’t have to muscle your way out of the process. The result is a batch of fine, well-gound meat, without any uneven cuts!

The design of the Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder is very impressive. It is made out of a combination of both commercial grade plastic and heavy duty stainless steel, so you can expect this tool to last a long time in your kitchen.

This manual meat grinder has a basic attachment and also comes with two screens, one fine plate, and one coarse plate. You can guarantee your safety while using this device, as the blades are tightly ensconced, preventing any accidents and injuries from occuring. There is also a meat pusher installed that removes the need for you to push the meat manually.

Pros

• Extremely ergonomic.
• All the necessary attachments are present.
• Safe to use.
• Easy to clean.
• Durable and rugged.

Cons

• No drawbacks.

2. LEM Products #10 Stainless Steel Clamp-On Hand Grinder

Image from Amazon.com

It is clear from the quality of this product that LEM Products is a great manufacturer of manual meat grinders. This clamp-mounted model is ultra durable and rugged. It has a heavy duty construction that features 100% stainless steel design, which means it is impervious to rust and corrosion. Cleaning this tool is easy as well!

The clamp has a wide opening. This particular innovation allows you to mount it on any table or countertop in your kitchen. It is also extremely stable and balanced, so it doesn’t wobble at all when you turn its hand lever.

The LEM Products #10 Stainless Steel Clamp-on Hand Grinder has two stainless steel plates. One is a coarse 3/8-inch plate, and the other is a fine 3/16-inch plate. Their performance is convincing enough and you can be sure that they won’t leave any chunks of the meat while they are grinding. It also has three stuffing tubes that you can use for processing other meat products.

Pros

• Heavy-duty construction.
• Stable and can be mounted on any tabletop.
• Easy to clean and maintain.
• Powerful grinding action.
• Can cater for large chunks of meat.

Cons

• It has some sharp edges that need to be deburred.

3. Baban Meat Grinder

Image from Amazon.com

Straight out of the box, the Baban Meat Grinder is indeed a compact model. It is a unique meat grinder that is not clamped or bolted onto any surface. Lke a stand-alone mixer, it comes with a grinding capacity. Despite its small size and unique design, this meat grinder is essentially versatile. It can work with various meat, fish, poultry, and more! It can even work with fats and hard vegetables too.

This meat grinder offers safety to both its user and the environment. Specifically, its entire body contains integrated resin materials that prevent any food contamination. Its body is fairly durable so you can use it non-stop. It doesn’t feel cheap either.

The blades of this meat grinder are made of stainless steel, and their innovatine design means they can cut through tough meat and flesh. As a result, you will get the best results, regardless of the texture and type of meat that you put into this grinder.

Meanwhile, you will love the efficiency of the way its screw pushes the meat through its blade and plates. The meat feeds through the device smoothly and will never choke, even if you don’t exert too much force when cranking. 

Pros

• Easy to clean (all of the parts are removable).
• Durable and rugged.
• Compact and portable.
• Has a smooth grinding action.
• Works with various ingredients.

Cons

• No noticeable downsides.

4. Bellemain Manual Meat Grinder

Image from Amazon.com

The Bellemain is another meat grinder that you should consider buying. It has a straightforward design that makes it very easy to use. The crank operation is pretty simple too, giving you sufficient control whatever you are processing. The cuts it makes are even and free from undesirable chunks. Therefore, you can guarantee that this grinder will provide the best ground meat for you!

Instead of using bolts or clamps, the Bellemain uses a suction system on its base. It has a strong grip on the surface that prevents the entire device from moving while you are grinding. It also has an integrated meat pusher so that you don’t have to risk your fingers throughout the process. This component makes the Bellemain a truely ergonomic manual grinder.

The construction of this meat grinder is rugged too. It has a sturdy plastic body that houses its stainless steel blades and plates. None of these parts will break easily as they have formidable resistance against wear-and-tear, even if you use this tool constantly. Just take note that the Bellemain Manual Meat Grinder is not intended for high volume and commercial production. Instead, it is an ideal choice for normal and moderate applications.

Pros

• Easy to use.
• Cleaning this device is easy (with dishwasher safe parts).
• Compact size (storage is not a problem).
• Durable construction.
• Stable performance.

Cons

• Not ideal for large-scale production.
• The handles are somewhat short.

5. CAM2 Manual Meat Grinder

Image from Amazon.com

The CAM2 is an example of a premium meat grinder. This clamp-mounted beast has a rugged stainless steel construction. It is extremely durable and follows the design of traditional meat grinders. I have tested this grinder myself, and it is truly impressive from the get-go.

The clamp of this device has a wide opening, which can be adjusted to the size of different tables or countertops, regardless of their thickness. I also love the stability of this manual grinder, even when you are exerting a significant amount of force while cranking its handle. It simply doesn’t wobble at all!

When it comes to grinding, you can certainly trust the CAM2 Manual Meat Grinder. It offers two plate attachments (coarse and fine) so that you can have control on the size and texture of your ground meat. It also has a filling tube so that you can make homemade sausages. Meanwhile, it features two replaceable stainless steel blades. 

Pros

• Heavy-duty design and construction.
• Clamps well on any platform.
• Comes complete with attachments.
• Easy to clean and maintain.
• Rust and corrosion resistant.

Cons

• Slightly expensive.

Our Ratings

Should You Grind Your Own Meat?

It is a fact that ground meat is very common. You can always see it in your wet market and local meat shops. Therefore, a lot of people assume that owning a meat grinder is not necessary anymore. Well, I am not really in the right place to debunk such a point of view. After all, we all have our respective preferences, especially when it comes to acquiring kitchen ingredients.

However, it is still important to point out the benefits of having a personal meat grinder. These perks are not superficial and shallow as they can improve your overall flexibility in the kitchen.

Well, I know that some of you are scared about investing in this item. One probable reason is its cost. I have been in a similar dilemma once. But then I realized the advantages of this kitchen tool, and I have now forgotten the amount of cash I spent. It was not that big either, compared to the convenience that you can gain from having this item in your kichen.

Here are the specific benefits of having a manual meat grinder:

Provides Safer Alternative

Pre-packaged meat is okay, but there are some instances when you cannot guarantee its quality. This predicament is quite common, especially with ground meat. After all, it has been pre-processed already. As a result, it is not that easy to determine the quality, source, safety of the meat.

There are some records of meat contamination that usually take place when no proper quality control has been implemented in the processing plant. Animal endemics can also cause contamination. Therefore, if you are not really certain about the ground meat that is being sold at your market, you might want to make it yourself. A fresh stock of beef or pork can easily be chopped with the use of a manual grinder.

Gives Great Flavor

Manual grinders bring out the best in your meat. Not all of us are expert butchers, which is the biggest reason why we are very dependent on what our markets have to offer us. This leaves us with no option but to buy the ground meat they have in stock, even if we don’t know what its fat content is.

On the flip side, a meat grinder provides you with the freedom to choose the meat cut that you are going to grind. This allows you to get the best ground meat possible, which in turn, leads to tastier results in the kitchen!

Fresh Texture

Pre-processed meat has its own advantages and disadvantages. If we are going to look at their drawbacks, pre-packaged ground meat has been compressed for some time already. It has also been exposed to a considerable amount of air (which causes oxidation).

These factors reduce the freshness of the meat and affect both its texture and taste. As we want to avoid these types of deterioration as much as possible, grinding your meat while its fresh is the ideal approach to keeping it extremely edible and bringing the most out of your recipes. 

How To Choose The Best Manual Meat Grinder

You can only determine the quality of a meat grinder once you know how it works. Because of this, you will need to know about all of the details and specifics of this device. I have written a simple guide that will show you the different parts of a manual meat grinder. Check them out below!

Parts Of A Manual Meat Grinder

• Hopper and pusher – These are two components where you place all of the chunks of meat that you are going to grind. As its name suggests, the pusher is the part that pushes the meat into the tube or hopper of the grinder. The rule is, the larger the hopper, the easier you can feed the meat through the device.
  Most of the meat grinders today have a tray that is installed on the feed tube. This is where you are going to latch the extra chunks of meat. The wider and bigger the tray, the easier it will be for you to grind large batches of meat. 
• Screw – This part is pivotal to the overall operation of a manual meat grinder. It is the component that actually pushes the meat cubes through the blades. 
• Plate and Blade – These two parts work together to accomplish the “meat grinding” task. Many of the manual meat grinders you can see in the market today have different blade shapes. The meat grinder may possess multiple blades, which are attached to the individual arms. They rotate, cut, and push the meat through the plate or the “die.” The latter is a flat and thin layer of metal that has multiple holes in its surface.
  There are different styles of the plate. Some allow you to make fine cuts while others provide coarse results. Specifically, it is the hole size that determines the texture of the ground meat. You can use any of these plates depending on your preference. 

The standard meat grinder has all of these parts. However, you can still find some models that have unique designs and innovative features. You just have to choose which one of them will suit your own personal needs and requirements.

Placement Of The Grinder

Manual grinders are your practical option when it comes to getting fresh, quality ground meat. You can opt for the electric models, but be warned – there is a high price tag that comes with them. Manual grinders are also great alternatives to stand mixers.

There are two designs when it comes to the mounting or setting up a manual meat grinder. 

• The first one is the bold-mounted model. It is a perfect choice for those who have working tables in their kitchen. Bolt-mounted grinders are ideal for constant grinding. They are fairly durable and rugged, so some of them can last for decades of duty.
• ​The second option is the clamp-mounted meat grinder. This will allow you to install the grinder on any surface without the need to install it permanently. It is a convenient choice, especially to casual grinders. However, you will have to remember that clamp-mounted grinders are not as rugged as their bolted counterparts. They are also difficult to assemble.

Attachments

A meat grinder can come with various attachments to optimize its tasks. These could be in the form of sausage stuffers, Kibbe components, or additional plates. These accessories will provide you with more versatility when you are processing your meat. Just take note that not all of the manual grinders have compatible or available attachments. Therefore, you have to make sure the unit you choose will give you this convenience.

Durability And Ruggedness

The meat grinder that you choose must not be flimsy or constructed from cheap and fragile materials. Otherwise, it won’t hold up for a long time. Take note that you are handling meat here. There are inevitably times when the meat that you are going to process will be hard or large. If the build of the meat grinder is too rickety, it will eventually break while it’s operating. Trust me, that is a very disheartening sight.

If possible, make sure that the meat grinder you get is made from either stainless steel or specialized plastic, as these are the devices that will provide you with the durability you require. They are easier to clean too! 

Final Verdict

It is pretty clear that the Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder has the best performance among all of the units that I have featured. It has a strong and durable body, with a stable mounting system. It also includes all of the necessary attachments and accessories that are needed to make the grinding process both efficient and convenient. With all of its features, I deem it to be the best manual meat grinder of the lot.

Despite this, the rest of the meat grinders that feature in this article (such as the CAM2 Manual Meat Grinder) are well constructed and will provide you with a decent performance in the kitchen. You just have to weigh up all of the benefits and decide which one of them can best meet your own needs and preferences. At the end of the day, you can be sure they will not waste your time or money.

Did you like my simple guide about meat grinders? If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to ask me in the box below. I will be waiting!