The KitchenAid KSMMGA Metal Food Grinder Attachment is our recommendation if you own a KitchenAid stand mixer. Its all-metal construction is sturdy and allows it to be pre-chilled.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Shengmao.
The best burgers and sausages are made with freshly ground meat. Serious Eats has been saying this for years and has run plenty of kitchen experiments to back up the claim. Burgers made from freshly ground beef have better texture and flavor than ones made with the pre-ground stuff available in most grocery stores. Plus, grinding meat at home gives you more control; you can dial in on a preferred lean meat-to-fat ratio and the texture of the grind, and you get to pick the quality and cut(s) of the meat.
A meat grinder isn't an essential piece of equipment, but if you are looking to make the best meatballs, meatloaf, chorizo, or smash burgers, it's a worthy and affordable investment. I tested eight grinders to find the best options for home cooks, from hand-cranked models and stand mixer attachments to countertop electric grinders.
The Winners, at a Glance
For people who already own a stand mixer, purchasing a food grinder attachment is the best option. This sturdy meat-grinding attachment takes advantage of a KitchenAid stand mixer's powerful, variable-speed motor, and its large food tray makes it easier to grind bigger batches, satisfying the meat-grinding needs of most home cooks without taking up a lot of storage space.
This entry-level electric meat grinder features a compact design and delivers solid results at a very reasonable price. It has straightforward controls (including a reverse function), and can handle larger jobs with its moderately-sized meat tray despite how small it is.
This is a professional-quality grinder with multiple speeds and plenty of additional features, like an auto-reverse function. Of all the grinders I tested, this one produced the best, most consistent ground meat with an ideal texture. It's a great option for anyone who takes their meat grinding seriously, and its large food tray can accommodate enough sausage for the whole neighborhood.
A manual meat grinder is as old-school and no-frills as it gets. This model excels at its job and is built to last. Its smooth grinding action offers minimal resistance, and, without a motor, it's by far the quietest model I tested. It does require a counter overhang to be properly mounted, however, which is something to keep in mind before purchasing.
A Brief Overview of a Meat Grinder's Parts
All meat grinders have the same basic anatomy, made up of the following parts: the pusher and hopper, the screw, the blade and plate, and the cover. As we explain in depth here, these parts all work together.
The Criteria: What to Look for in a Meat Grinder
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
A good meat grinder will work through pounds of meat in minutes, extruding uniform cylinders of ground meat that have clearly distinct bits of ground lean muscle and fat, at a steady clip. It should be easy to set up, use, and clean so that you look forward to using it.
All meat grinders come with the same basic parts, but to produce high-quality results, good meat grinders should have the following:
What We Learned
The Differences Between Electric and Manual Meat Grinders
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
For this review, I tested both motorized and hand-cranked meat grinders. Electric grinders don't require much effort on the part of the user: Turn on the machine, feed meat into the food tray and hopper, and other than having to coax more meat down through the hopper with a pusher, the motor takes care of the rest. Sure, if the meat isn't well-trimmed before grinding, you may encounter the occasional jam if sinew gets caught on the screw or blade. But that's generally an easy fix, especially for electric grinders that have a reverse function, which should undo a jam without you having to disassemble the grinder.
Because they don't require any elbow grease to operate, electric grinders get the job done faster and at a more easily controlled speed than manual models, especially if you are grinding large batches (five pounds or more) at a time. They're also the best option for anyone with limited mobility.
A motor takes care of most of the grunt work of meat grinding, but it also takes up space, draws power, and makes noise. Stand-alone electric grinders are bulky unitaskers that often end up gathering dust in the depths of above-refrigerator cabinets. Before purchasing a niche countertop kitchen appliance, it's always worth making an honest assessment of your cooking needs. For this reason, I have long recommended the grinder attachment for people who already own a stand mixer; you get the core qualities of an electric grinder, without having to find room for a big, new piece of equipment.
However, hand-cranked grinders shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. With no motor to house, they have a much smaller footprint, and they're consequently easier to store when not in use; they are also much quieter when operating. They're easy to set up'our favorite manual grinder uses a clamp mechanism similar to that of a manual pasta roller'and straightforward to use and clean. A good hand-cranked grinder doesn't require much strength to use. Grinding meat for four burgers is a breeze, and can be done faster than with an electric grinder once you factor in set-up and cleanup time.
Does Motor Power Matter For Electric Meat Grinders?
Yes and no. On the one hand, a motor is only as good as the money you pay for it. Cheap electric grinders perform similarly to a stand mixer fitted with a grinding attachment, which is more than enough juice for the needs of most home cooks. The benefits of a more powerful and expensive machine really only pay off for dedicated hunters or charcuterie enthusiasts who do a lot of grinding frequently.
What About Adjustable Speeds and Reverse Functions?
Being able to adjust the speed of grinding is a plus, but not a must. For grinding, consistent speed is more important than variability. Multiple speeds are more helpful for sausage stuffing, which requires a good amount of force to push a mix into casings. A reverse function is useful for resolving minor jams during grinding, saving you time as you won't have to disassemble the grinder every time a piece of troublesome meat gets caught on the blade. Most stand-alone electric grinders come with a reverse function, and with a hand-crank grinder, you can reverse course just by turning the crank in the opposite direction.
How Useful Are Sausage-Stuffing Attachments?
Meat grinders are made for grinding meat, not stuffing sausage. Grinders often come with sausage-stuffing attachments that work in a pinch but are far from ideal. You end up having to feed a seasoned ground sausage mix back through the hopper, and it gets pushed through the grinder by the screw and into a length of casing fitted over a plastic attachment that is fitted onto the mouth of the grinder in place of the blade and plate. Even for grinders with adjustable speeds, this process takes a lot longer than it would with a piston-based sausage stuffer. People who make a lot of cased sausages should invest in a sausage stuffer. The good news for everyone else is that uncased sausage patties taste just as good as links.
The Testing
Test 1: Grinding Beef Chuck
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
If given the choice of a single cut of beef to grind for burgers, chuck is the way to go. It's affordable, has great flavor, and has a natural distribution of lean meat to fat that comes very close to the 80:20 gold standard ratio for juicy burgers.
For this test I cut chuck into two sizes for grinding: 1 1/2-inch cubes and 1- by 3-inch strips. The meat was chilled in the fridge and the grinder parts were chilled in the freezer for one hour prior to grinding. I then ran 1-pound batches of both the cubes and strips of beef through the medium plate of each grinder, noting speed and ease of operation, consistency of grind, and overall quality of the grind, paying particular attention to any fat smearing.
Every single grinder performed acceptably here, producing ground beef that I'd be happy to use for burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, but some grinders were much more pleasant to use than others. The Sausage Maker had the most consistent grind, easily cranking through the pound and putting out ground beef that looked like it came from a well-run meat counter. The hand-cranked Chop-Rite produced ground beef that was charmingly rustic in comparison (turns out there's no standard diameter for the holes on a medium plate), but took only a minute longer than The Sausage Maker to grind from start to finish. Meanwhile, the LEM #8 575 Watt Countertop Grinder (a contender but not a final pick) was serviceable in this test but loud and clunky in a manner that didn't encourage future meat-grinding sessions.
Test 2: Grinding Pork Butt
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Pork butt is another well-marbled cut of meat, with an approximate 75:25 lean meat-to-fat ratio that makes it a popular choice for grinding for fresh and cured sausages. It also features a good amount of connective tissue and sinew, both of which can cause jams during the grinding process if they wind themselves around the blade or auger. Basically, it's the perfect cut for testing the mettle of a meat grinder.
As with the beef chuck, I trimmed the meat into 1 1/2-inch cubes and 1-by-3-inch strips and chilled them in the fridge. Grinder parts were chilled in the freezer for one hour.
This test separated the contenders from the pretenders. A few grinders struggled with speed and jammed during this test, which led to the dreaded fat smear. The heat from the friction of the jammed grinder caused fat to render, producing a soft, squishy paste rather than the ground meat we were looking for. Along with these poor results, the jams that couldn't be resolved by hitting a reverse button also forced us to take apart the grinders, in order to pick out the offending bits of sinew and then put them back together. This is a messy and frustrating process that could easily turn people off from grinding their own meat.
Test 3: Grinding Mirepoix
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
While grinders are essentially unitaskers, they can be used to grind more than just meat (they're often marketed as 'food grinders'). They can be used to grind sourdough into breadcrumbs, chickpeas for falafel, or mirepoix for soffrito. In light of these other uses, I ran a vegetable grinding test, passing onions, carrots, and celery through each grinder, using all the available sizes of grinding plates.
Fibrous vegetables gave some of the grinders a heavy workout, but none of them jammed. This test was easier to carry out with electric grinders with food trays that don't require you to constantly feed ingredients into the hopper by hand. The logistics of this test proved more difficult with hand-cranked grinders that keep both of your hands occupied at all times, making it harder to troubleshoot any issues during the grinding process.
If you need to have a lot of finely chopped mirepoix and your grinder is handy, it makes quick work of the task, so you can do things like grind veg and meat for classic ragù alla bolognese in one shot. Even so, this is a bonus use, not a selling point. Vegetarians or people who don't have an interest in grinding meat at home are better off investing in a food processor, which is a more versatile appliance.
Test 4: Stuffing Sausages
Finally, I tested the sausage-stuffing attachments for the models that came with them. As mentioned earlier, meat grinders are not going to blow you away with their sausage-stuffing capabilities. Models with variable speeds did perform better than those with just one-speed setting. Pushing sausage farce into casings requires a good deal of force, and single-speed grinders take forever to get the job done, which increases the likelihood of fat breaking and renderings as the farce gets pushed through the chamber by the screw.
Our Favorite Meat Grinders
What we liked: If you already own a stand mixer, purchasing a grinder attachment is most likely your best and simplest choice, especially if you are tight on storage space. It allows you to take advantage of the powerful motor of an appliance you already have and means you won't need to find a home for another bulky piece of equipment in the depths of your kitchen cabinets. You're stuck buying attachments for the brand of stand mixer you have, but if you own our favorite stand mixer, then this metal grinder attachment is the one you want to get.
This grinder produced textbook ground beef and pork, and it also performed well in the vegetable grinding test. The one caveat I had about vegetable grinding is that it can get messy when grinding juicy ingredients; the attachment fixes to the top of the stand mixer, so food comes out of the grinder mouth a good six inches higher up from the counter compared to other electric grinder models.
I highly recommend this metal attachment option over the cheaper plastic model. The parts are sturdier and can be more thoroughly chilled before use. The blade on this model is far better than the one that comes with the KitchenAid plastic meat grinding attachment.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we didn't like: Over and over, this grinder's major drawback was its height. Once you attach the grinder to the mixer and place it on a kitchen counter, the machine operates at an awkward height, which gives the grinding process a disjointed flow. I'm 5'7', so this would be even more of an issue for someone shorter. The high profile of the grinder also makes it hard to fit on countertops with overhanging cabinets.
Keep in mind the motor of this grinder varies depending on the model of KitchenAid you attach it to. They're all easily strong enough to do the job, but it can be tricky to find the ideal speed; at times the screw was spinning rapidly in the chamber and the meat itself was struggling to keep up.
This grinder attachment does work well for making sausage, but not stuffing them. You can easily grind meat directly into the stand mixer bowl, then add seasonings, pop the bowl onto the mixer with the paddle attachment, and work the mix until tacky (a key part of sausage-making). But when it comes to stuffing the mix into casings, the elevated height makes it difficult to manage feeding uncased sausage into the hopper with one hand while controlling the casing process at the other end. However, the multiple speeds built into the stand mixer are a boon for sausage stuffing. It comes with the sausage funnel accessory, three grinding plates (coarse, medium, and fine), a very useful cleaning brush, and a case for easy storage.
Key Specs
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we liked: If you want a reasonably priced electric grinder for grinding meat on a regular basis, this trusty Weston model is a little workhorse. It's got a simple and compact design, it works quickly and efficiently, and it's easy to assemble and clean.
It ground both pork and beef with no issues whatsoever. The meat looked like standard-issue quality ground meat and cooked up the same way. The main drawback of this model is its lack of finesse; it has a single, somewhat aggressive speed, and it's very loud. But if you're just grinding meat for a few burgers the process will be over quickly, the noise will be gone, and you can move on with your life. Foods go into the hopper with no fuss (the food tray can hold about a pound of meat at a time). If the grinder does jam up (it happens sometimes with any grinder), there's a reverse button, which can help resolve some issues without the inconvenience of taking the grinder apart.
This grinder comes with two stainless steel grinding plates, fine and coarse. Meat ground well on both, with no fat smear. The tray jiggles just a bit, but everything happens swiftly enough that it's not much of an issue.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we didn't like: This Weston model does come with a sausage funnel, but it proved tricky to use because the single speed made the sausage-stuffing process hard to control. I recommend this grinder primarily for basic meat and food grinding.
Key Specs
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we liked: If you're looking for a pull-out-all-the-stops electric meat grinder, this is the one. You get a lot with the grinder for the price. Of all the grinders I tested, this one produced the best ground meat, and it was effortless. After initial testing, I went and got more meat to grind for this model, just because it's so pleasurable to use. The ground meat had a remarkably consistent texture that looked like it could have been ground to order at a specialty butcher shop. Instead of being extruded out of the plate in long, worm-like stands, the meat comes out of the grinder in short cylinders.
It features variable speeds, which is an asset when stuffing sausage and comes with an auto-reverse that helps resolve any troublesome jams. The buttons were easy to operate, even with messy fingers, and the motor switched between speeds with ease.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we didn't like: The main drawback of this grinder is its size. It takes up lots of countertop real estate and eats up a lot of storage space when not in use. If you only grind meat occasionally, it's best to consider another grinder. This is a grinder for hunters and serious sausage-makers. It comes with a stomper and three grinding plates. Sausage-stuffing attachments are sold separately, and you can also add on juicer and slicer attachments if you want a grinder that can shed its unitasker label.
Key Specs
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we liked: If you're a hands-on type and enjoy getting a little exercise in the kitchen, the Chop-Rite manual grinder may be the one for you. Can you develop a crush on a meat grinder? I did. The Chop-Rite was so fun to use, I made up excuses to bust it out when testing was completed. Setting it up and cleaning it is easy enough to make you want to use it on a whim.
This hand-crank grinder is not cheap, but its quality craftsmanship is evident from the moment you start using it. It requires very little effort to operate the crank, and it grinds meat with surprisingly little resistance. It's a smooth operator, especially compared to the other manual grinders I tested. I ground five pounds of food in less than five minutes without tiring out.
The body of the grinder is cast iron that's treated with a nonstick coating to keep it from corroding and rusting. It produced ground meat that was a little coarser and more rustic than the meat ground by other grinders, but the meat certainly wasn't overworked and produced a mighty fine burger. And with no motor, it's got a very compact footprint and operates very quietly.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
What we didn't like: The biggest drawback of the Chop-Rite is that you need a table or counter with a good amount of overhang clearance to clamp it down. The clearance between the mouth of the grinder and the counter is also very small, so only a small bowl (no more than 2 1/2 inches high) can fit under the grinder mouth to catch food. (For those who'd like a permanent relationship with a grinder, there are Chop-Rite models that mount onto tabletops with screws.) In terms of accessories, it's as bare-bones as it gets; it comes with only a medium grinding plate and no sausage-stuffing attachments. You can order other size plates separately, but that seems like a stretch for an already expensive piece of equipment.
Key Specs
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
The Competition
FAQs
Is it cheaper to grind your own meat?
It's not necessarily cheaper, but the flavor's a whole lot better and you have more control over grind size.
Are Weston grinders any good?
Yes! In fact, our favorite electric meat grinder is from Weston.
Can you clean a meat grinder in the dishwasher?
We recommend checking the manufacturer's care instructions. And, when in doubt, just hand-washing with hot, soapy water. You can find our more in-depth guide to caring for a meat grinder here.
Which is better: An electric or manual meat grinder?
There are pros and cons to both, but in the end, it depends on your needs. A quality electric meat grinder takes the elbow grease out of grinding meat and can be great for those with limited mobility (or if you don't feel like cranking a manual one). However, they are often larger and take up more counter space than manual meat grinders. And manual meat grinders, while they require more physical effort, can also do a great job. In the end, it depends on your preferences and if you frequently find yourself grinding meat.
Are meat grinders worth it?
While investing in a meat grinder might not save you much money in the long run, meat grinders give you more control over the size of the grind and the freshness of the meat. We recommend a variety of meat grinders at different price points and think there's a good choice for anyone interested in making their own sausage or grinding their own meat for burgers.
Can you run potatoes through a meat grinder?
Just like with our mirepoix testing, meat grinders can be used to process potatoes as well. It's a handy way to break down potatoes for different types of dough and sometimes can be used as a replacement for a potato ricer.
Do you need to lubricate your meat grinder?
Not every meat grinder is the same, so we recommend checking the manufacturer's instructions for any ongoing maintenance needs. In general, most meat grinders should be lubricated with mineral oil, but where and when to apply can vary by model.
Can you sharpen a meat grinder's blades?
You can. Like any blade, you'll want to keep it sharp. Annual sharpening (some people use sandpaper, or you can have them professionally sharpened) is adequate for most cooks. Or, you can just buy replacement blades.
Why We're the Experts
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If you want to make the best burgers, meatballs or sausage, you need to grind your own meat.
You can experiment with different cuts and combinations of fat and lean meat, creating delicious blends you can't get at the store.
We've tested a range of grinders, from small hand-operated models to almost industrial-size grinders for processing large quantities of meat.
We think the STX Turboforce is the best option for most people, and will easily handle anything you throw at it.
If you do some serious home processing, you'll want to step up to the LEM Big Bite.
There are plenty of other good choices, depending on your budget, so read on to find the best meat grinder for your needs.
TOP PICK
STX Turboforce Meat Grinder
The STX- can chew through tough cuts of meat and can handle both fine or coarse grinds easily. The included attachments make this grinder especially versatile.
Check latest price
We purchased each grinder with our own money and then put them through the same rigorous tests.
Each piece of meat was par frozen and cut into 2' x 3' cubes to ensure consistency of results.
Each grinder had to process a 4lb, clean-trimmed brisket flat for a single grind through the coarse plate, and a 6lb Boston pork butt for a double grind: first through the coarse plate, then second through the fine plate.
We'll go into more detail about each grinder in the next section, but if you want a quick snapshot of the difference in performance this chart shows how much time each grinder took to get through the task.
Read our full STX Turboforce review.
OK, we'll admit it.
Our choice for the best overall meat grinder is probably a little bit overkill for the casual cook.
Want more information on heavy duty meat grinder? Feel free to contact us.
However, if you want to start grinding your own meat frequently, there's nothing worse than getting stuck with a cheap grinder.
The STX- grinder is a heavy-duty household machine that can bring a total of 1,200W to bear on any type of meat you feed into its funnel.
You can grind up to 360 pounds of well-trimmed meat per hour, which is plenty enough for most people (if you think that's not enough skip ahead to our enthusiast pick the LEM Big Bite).
The advanced variable intake technology, or AVI, allows the grinder to safely and quickly accept large quantities of meat in short time spans. The grinder is a solid choice when you need to grind a lot of meat for a lot of people in a short time span
Even if you only want to grind a few pounds, it's nice to be able to get it done quickly without your machine getting stopped up like some cheaper grinders are known to do.
The blades and plates are made of stainless steel and polished aluminum. The electric motor is strong and the rubber feet keep everything stable.
Both are exceptional materials for cleanliness, durability, and reliability.
You can switch between three speeds, one of which is a handy reverse function to help clear up any jams.
The STX- handled the 4lb brisket flat in a little over seven minutes, churning out a coarse grind with no problem or slow down.
Double grinding the pork butt started off well, but the second grind through the fine plate bogged the machine down. The internal silverskin and sinew started getting caught up in the blade and plate.
This took a little over 30 minutes due to having to stop and clean out the particles clogging up the blade and plate.
STX International STX- Test Results
TaskGrind time4lb brisket flat single grind7:276lb Boston pork butt double grind30:14The reverse function came in handy here, which helped to pull back some of the meat when it was starting to slow, as did the fact that you can choose between high or low speeds in managing meat flow.
Also, you'll want to trim your meat of excess silverskin and tendons. That's tough to do when grinding a whole pork butt or processing game as the blade bogs down and doesn't wholly cut through sinew. Granted, the company warns not to grind tendons for this reason. Best to have your meat super clean and well trimmed.
If you want something that can grind through anything without slowing down you'll want to check out the LEM Big Bite that we review below.
Other than those minor issues, the STX- is a great choice. It chews through tough cuts of meat and can handle both fine or coarse grinds easily. Just be sure to trim any tendons, silverskin and sinew that you can get to for fast and efficient grinding.
Note that if you want to grind a lot of sausages, you should also check out the select model options that include a foot pedal for hands-free use.
Read our full LEM Big Bite grinder review.
LEM is big in the meat and game processing market, and their products reflect that
Out of all the modes we tested the LEM is the most capable, grinding through pounds of meat fast and efficiently.
The LEM Big Bite electric meat grinder has several motors to choose from. You can pick between 0.35 and 1.5 Hp depending on how much meat you plan on grinding. The higher horsepower motors allow for truly fantastic speed and capacity.
This is a great choice for hunters who need to process a lot of raw meat, or if you need to make your own dog food. It doesn't slow down even with large chunks of meat or if you have some silverskin left untrimmed.
We selected the .50 horsepower model for our review. It can grind about 13 pounds of meat per minute without breaking a sweat.
This motor size is the sweet-spot for most people who casually grind their own meats. Anything larger and you're getting into the commercial realm.
If you find yourself grinding meat multiple times a week, every week, then by all means splurge on a larger motor.
It's made from modernized brushed steel to minimize fingerprints and keep it looking great. In addition, the head uses a rifling pattern to push meat forward consistently. It doesn't need constant prodding or pushing.
A storage drawer is located right beneath the grinder head to let you organize your accessories.
The LEM Products Stainless Steel Big Bite Electric Meat Grinder is by far one of the best meat grinders you can pick if you need a lot of meat ground in a short amount of time.
It flew through the brisket flat in roughly 3 minutes, never skipping a beat. I couldn't feed the machine fast enough for the coarse plate.
Double grinding the pork butt was equally as easy. It ran through six pounds of pork in 4 minutes for the first grind. Even switching plates I finished double grinding in about 12 minutes.
The feel of the grinder itself is rugged and sturdy, giving a commercial feel in heft and quality of components. It surpassed my expectations and made me wish I had a lot more meat to grind on test day.
This is a no-brainer for game hunters and processors, and a very forgiving grinder if you're not adept at trimming meat primals.
The .5HP motor never struggled even when the auger and hopper were full. It just kept pulling and grinding meat at a steady pace.
.5HP LEM Big Bite Test Results
TaskGrind time4lb brisket flat single grind3:086lb Boston pork butt double grind12:20Don't be shy on grind day as this machine is made for bulk processing. In total, I did ten pounds of meat in under a half hour, that's with cleaning parts and switching plates between proteins. You could very easily fly through 50 pounds of meat and not bat an eye.
I have very little criticism for the LEM Big Bite, and if you have the budget it's a noticeable upgrade in power output than the STX.
The ALTRA electric grinder is more affordable than many other electric models we've tested.
In fact, it's closer in price to a manual grinder.
Despite that fact, it remains a reliable low-volume meat grinder.
The electric motor can go up to 350W.
Included with the purchase are two cutting blades, one sausage tube, a food pusher, and 2 Kibbeh attachments.
These are used to simplify the preparation of Kibbeh, which is spiced lamb packed inside a wheat shell.
You also get three different cutting plates for varying consistencies or textures.
These are roughly equivalent to coarse, medium or fine grinding.
Many of the most important parts are made of stainless steel. This steel has been layered three times to allow for increased durability and rust resistance.
Other parts are made of aluminum alloy and high-end ABS, a type of durable plastic.
Operation is easy with an on/off/reverse switch, although it lacks a speed variable function.
The Altra performed steadily with the brisket flat, grinding it in a little under ten minutes total through the coarse plate.
It struggled a bit with the pork butt even through the coarse plate. I knew if I continued, the machine would get stuck on the internal silverskin, so I stopped halfway through and trimmed as much of the sinew as I could from the remaining cubed pieces of meat.
Altra Test Results
TaskGrind time4lb brisket flat single grind9:416lb Boston pork butt double grind44:25This helped the grinder move along much more efficiently, but still some of the initial tendons that got through in the first grind caused the machine to struggle a bit in the second pass.
All in all, it took about 45 minutes total to double grind the pork butt.
The loading tray wobbled a bit when pushing with the stuffing handle. That Altra best performed when I played slow and steady letting the auger take the meat at its own pace.
This is a great choice if you want the convenience of an electric grinder without having to pay for industrial-price equipment.
It's a lot lighter than other grinders we've looked at but still manages to churn through clean trimmed meat without clogging up.
Read our full Meat! Grinder Review.
If you do a lot of meat processing and like full control of sourcing and handling your food, then consider the grinders from Meat! Your Maker.
Meat! is relatively new to the industry with a range of meat and game processing gear offered direct-to-consumer.
They're going hard promoting their products through influencers, but we wanted to see how they stacked up against the competition.
The .5HP grinder comes with both coarse and fine stainless steel grinding plates and a stainless steel stuffing plate with three stuffing tubes for sausage. Underneath the unit is an accessory drawer for easy organization.
It's nondescript enough to sit on a countertop, but is easy to set up for heavy-duty, bulk grinding.
The .5HP grinder is priced accurately if you process the majority of your own meat throughout the seasons, but can be overkill if you only grind casually a few times a year. Meat! also offers a dialed back 500W grinder for slightly less, and 1.5HP grinder if you plan to process massive amounts of meat regularly.
I tested the speed of the grinder with a 4lb brisket flat, fully trimmed. The meat was parfrozen to 33°F for an easier grind. With all the meat loaded into the tray, it took roughly 41 seconds to grind through the brisket. Compare this to the 9 minutes it took for the Altra grinder we tested.
The Meat! grinder never wavered in its output and it was surprisingly quiet. I never had to force meat into the grinding head or use the stomper. That amount is aligned with Meat!'s statement of 5.5 lbs per minute.
Next test was a six pound pork butt, cut into chunks and parfrozen. Double grinding the pork butt took 84 seconds not including the time to switch the coarse plate with the fine plate.
There was no clogging of the plates due to connective tissue and no bogging down of the motor. I was left standing in awe at my fresh pile of house-ground meat wondering why I didn't plan to grind more while I had it setup and ready to go.
Overall, the Meat! .5HP grinder is a great product for volume processing. The price point is higher than other grinders we have reviewed, but if you use it as intended you get great, long-term value out of the meat grinder.
The Meat! .5HP is a direct competitor to the LEM grinder, and the two duke it out for the top, high-performing grinder spot.
We almost gave the Meat! grinder the nod for best high-end option. While it processes meat faster, with the LEM you get the customer support system and history as a reliable brand. I didn't have to work with either company's customer support, but after digging into the sites, product reviews, and corporate history, LEM edges into the top spot.
The ALTRA electric grinder is more affordable than many other electric models we've tested.
In fact, it's closer in price to a manual grinder.
Despite that fact, it remains a reliable low-volume meat grinder.
The electric motor can go up to 350W.
Included with the purchase are two cutting blades, one sausage tube, a food pusher, and 2 Kibbeh attachments.
These are used to simplify the preparation of Kibbeh, which is spiced lamb packed inside a wheat shell.
You also get three different cutting plates for varying consistencies or textures.
These are roughly equivalent to coarse, medium or fine grinding.
Many of the most important parts are made of stainless steel. This steel has been layered three times to allow for increased durability and rust resistance.
Other parts are made of aluminum alloy and high-end ABS, a type of durable plastic.
Operation is easy with an on/off/reverse switch, although it lacks a speed variable function.
The Altra performed steadily with the brisket flat, grinding it in a little under ten minutes total through the coarse plate.
It struggled a bit with the pork butt even through the coarse plate. I knew if I continued, the machine would get stuck on the internal silverskin, so I stopped halfway through and trimmed as much of the sinew as I could from the remaining cubed pieces of meat.
Altra Test Results
TaskGrind time4lb brisket flat single grind9:416lb Boston pork butt double grind44:25This helped the grinder move along much more efficiently, but still some of the initial tendons that got through in the first grind caused the machine to struggle a bit in the second pass.
All in all, it took about 45 minutes total to double grind the pork butt.
The loading tray wobbled a bit when pushing with the stuffing handle. That Altra best performed when I played slow and steady letting the auger take the meat at its own pace.
This is a great choice if you want the convenience of an electric grinder without having to pay for industrial-price equipment.
It's a lot lighter than other grinders we've looked at but still manages to churn through clean trimmed meat without clogging up.
If you already have a KitchenAid mixer, the Food Grinder attachment will let you grind your own meat without needing to buy a stand-alone grinder.
You get three different plates which allow you to grind lots of different things. The coarse plate is firm enough to grind, fruits, vegetables, and cheeses in addition to many types of meat.
Also included are two sausage stuffer tubes, a food pusher, and a cleaning brush.
The unit feels sturdy and is made of durable aluminum, while the plates are made of durable steel.
Everything is easy to take apart to clean.
If you want to save a little money you can opt for a plastic version that comes with two grind plates and no sausage stuffer tubes.
The all metal version definitely performs better though.
If you already have a KitchenAid, the food grinder attachment is definitely tempting.
The results aren't as good as you would get with a dedicated grinder like the STX-, but for the low price it's a great option to start experimenting with
The LEM Products #10 manual grinder is a better choice for occasional or experimental grinding.
It's much more affordable than electric models but is still built to last.
It boasts a heavy-duty stainless steel construction that makes it both easy to clean and resistant to rust damage.
It comes with a coarse 3/8' and fine 3/16' steel plates plus stainless steel knife and three different stuffing tubes, as well as a stuffing star. This helps you get meat through the grinder and onto your plate faster.
The handle turns very smoothly, which helps reduce the muscle fatigue you'll feel as you grind your meat into the consistency you desire.
This grinder is a great choice if you want to dabble in grinding your own meat, but don't want to invest in (or have the bench space for) an electric grinder.
Everything feels sturdy down to the rubber feet and the handle turns smoothly.
Grinding your own meat takes more effort and time than simply buying preground meat at the grocery store.
So why go through all this effort?
There are plenty of great reasons to ditch the store-bought meat and start grinding your own:
Finally, those of you who hunt your own meat will be able to use a grinder to create all kinds of foods out of your kills.
There are three major types of meat grinders on the market.
Each has there pros and cons, and the best one for you will depend on how you plan on using it.
Electric grinders like the STX don't rely on manual power, so they are great when you need to grind a lot of meat in a short amount of time.
If you plan on making your own sausages, then an electric grinder can lets you start and stop the process easily is crucial.
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Electric grinders can also be used effectively by hunters, since deer, for example, can contain up to 30 pounds of meat easily. Grinding all of that by hand would be tiring for anyone.
Most electric grinders can be set to produce meat of different textures or consistencies by choosing between different plates.
Electric grinders are more expensive than the other two types, most often. They're also often larger and will take up more space in your kitchen.
As the name implies, manual grinders rely on human labor to do their work.
This means that manual grinders are best used for smaller amounts of meat. Great if you just want to churn out some gourmet burger patties every once in a while.
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Since they don't require electricity, you can use them whenever you desire.
They don't require as much maintenance, although they still need to be cleaned thoroughly just like electric grinders.
In addition, manual grinders are often cheaper than their electric counterparts.
Finally, if you have a KitchenAid or Cuisinart stand mixer in your kitchen, you might be able to find a stand attachment grinder that fits your mixer.
In this case, you can save space in your kitchen and still grind meat.
They also rely on power from your kitchen mixer, so you shouldn't need to worry about finding another outlet for it to function.
These stand attachments can't grind the same quantity of meat as the more expensive electric options, though.
They also rely on power from your kitchen mixer, so you shouldn't need to worry about finding another outlet for it to function.
Stand attachment meat grinders are also usually cheaper than regular electric grinders.
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When searching for an ideal grinder, you should keep these key factors in mind so you can pick the right product for your needs.
Try and think ahead and plan how often you will be using the grinder.
For instance, if you only use the meat grinder once in a while, it's likely a waste of time to purchase an expensive electric model.
Those models are designed to grind a lot of meat in a short amount of time.
You'd be much better off getting a manual or attachment type. Those models can handle small quantities of meat every night or once in a while depending on your preference.
If you do decide to purchase an electric grinder, you need to choose one with the right motor power.
Higher wattage leads to greater grinding capability. If you need industrial-capacity get a model that has high motor power.
But how do you compare grinders when one is rated in watts and one is rated in horsepower? In ideal settings, 746 watts is the equivalent of 1 horsepower, but take that with a grain of salt. If a motor is 100% efficient, that's a 1:1 ratio, but when you factor in gears, blade sharpness, and auger size, you lose some power in translation.
That being said, in our testing experience, horsepower rated engines have stronger motors than those with equivalent 'max' rating in wattages.
Some meat grinders are easier to clean than others.
No matter which type you end up settling on, they'll all need to be maintained fairly regularly.
If you don't have the time or patience to clean and maintain a complex grinder, purchase a simpler machine. It won't take as long to take apart and wash after each grinding session.
Grinders can come with a variety of different features and attachments.
You want to make sure the grinder includes multiple plates to select different grind sizes.
I also like to have a grinder with a reverse function to clear any blockages like you get on the STX .
You'll also find some grinders that include attachments for sausage making, though meat grinders aren't very good at sausage stuffing.
These can work well for small batches, but if you want to make a lot of sausages, we suggest investing in a dedicated sausage stuffer.
Keep any possible cool features in mind if you're looking for an all-encompassing machine.
Some grinders are made from hard plastic while others are made from different types of metals.
You should definitely look for meat grinders that have stainless steel blades whenever possible.
This is because stainless steel is a hypoallergenic and rust-resistant material that is likely to retain its sharpness and durability longer than other typical steel types.
In general, grinders that have fewer parts made of durable metal will be cheaper while grinders made of higher-quality steel will be more expensive. For example, some grinders have plastic gears that wear easier over time, while others have all metal gears that last for the long haul.
This initial higher cost may translate to greater savings over time if the steel grinders don't break as often, or at all.
Now that you've found the ideal meat grinder for your needs, let's go over how to use it most effectively. For more detailed instructions check out our guide on how to grind your own meat.
First off, you'll want to make sure that you keep all of your equipment cold before use.
This includes grinder attachments and the meat you plan on grinding.
Warm meat warm can easily smear the inside of your grinder. In addition, the various compounds inside the meat will start to separate. The fat, for instance, will begin to leak out of the meat and change texture as it dries out.
To avoid this issue, place all of your meat-grinding stuff into the freezer an hour before you're ready to actually grind. You want that fat to stay cold and to emulsify into the meat mixture during a steady grind.
You can also simply keep it stored there permanently if that's easier over the long term.
Cheap fatty cuts of meat work best for grinding. Chuck is great for beef, although I'm also partial to brisket or tri tip.
You can also use different combinations to get different quantities of fat and lean meat.
Depending on your grinder, you'll need to trim your meat first.
If you have a cheap electric of manual grinder I would recommend cutting it into one-inch pieces and getting rid of any tough sinew that can catch around the entry hole for your grinder.
If you have a more powerful electric grinder then you might not need to trim at all. This is very helpful when you're trimming something like a pork butt that has a bunch of muscles and tissues that come together in one area.
Exact instructions will vary depending on your machine so consult your manufacturer instructions.
You don't want the meat overworked for hamburgers, so one grind through the medium plate will suffice. If it's still too coarse for your liking, you can grind through the same plate again, but don't double grind through the small plate or the meat will start to emulsify.
You don't want the meat to emulsify like a sausage. You want some space in the beef so juices can run through and spread throughout.
Salt dissolves certain proteins once it's been mixed into the meat. This is fine for sausage, which is generally tighter and springer than burger meat.
But if you want your burger meat to taste the right way, you should hold off on adding salt or other seasonings until after your patties are formed.
For most meat mixtures, it's a good idea to grind your meat twice, starting with the large coarse grind before running it through again using the fine plate.
Grinding twice is a great tactic in general for ending up with more tender meat if that's what you're after. All of this prevents smearing.
Speaking of smearing, you'll want to watch your meat as it comes through the grinder.
An easy way to tell whether or not your grinder is smearing your meat is to check how 'separate' each tiny piece is. In theory, perfect grinding will have all of your meat come out in tiny chunks with highly visible fat aspects resting alongside the protein.
Smeared meat will look mixed together and come out looking wet and clumpy. This leads to a bad texture, bad consistency, and potentially worse flavor.
To fix smearing, you might need to sharpen your blades, clean the plate, or perform other types of maintenance.
As always, keep everything cold too. Parfrozen meat is less likely to smear and keeps the fat intact.
You can also use a reverse function if your grinder is equipped with it to see if that clears up the trouble.
Blade sharpening is no joke. The sharper the better, since dull blades can squish or smear meat pieces around.
You should check your blades at least every few times you use the grinder to see if they are dulling.
Most meat grinders need artificial blade sharpening once a year. The good news is that the blades will technically keep themselves sharp if you use the grinder frequently.
This is because the blades will strike the plate microscopically each time that you use the machine. This will help keep the space between the blades plate small and tight.
However, you'll still likely need to artificially sharpen the blades every once in a while.
Keeping the plate clean is also important, because the meat that rests on the plate will quickly attract bacteria and germs.
You need to make sure that the plate is thoroughly clean each time you use it. Washing it manually with hot water and plenty of soap is the best way to ensure safety.
Finally, you can also remove the remaining meat chunks or bits from your grinder by grinding a piece of bread or a few wadded up paper towels. The bread will likely pass through and can be disposed of after absorbing some of the meat remnants.
The paper towels won't manage to come all the way through, instead of absorbing oil and fat remnants left behind. It'll be easier to clean the inside of the grinder after doing either of these two things.
While all of the options we reviewed are great for certain scenarios, the best overall is still the STX International STX- Turboforce Speed Electric Meat Grinder.
Its great capacity for grinding lots of meat in a short time span, excellent selection of attachments, texture and speed variations, and great durability all make it a worthwhile choice for anyone looking for a good all-around meat grinder.
Whatever your choice, remember to keep the parts clean and store your unit in your freezer before use! Happy cooking!
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