Maintenance And Care: Cleaning Your Meat Grinder
Last Updated on by Berry Walker
A meat grinder consists of few parts and there is no complicated circuit involved.
Almost all meat grinders have simple gears inbuilt.
Every meat grinder has a feed tube from where the meat passes and you push the meat with a pushing tool. After that, the meat is brought to the grinding plate and cutting blade with the help of a screw. Augers, stompers, meat trays, blades and grinding plates need extreme care if you want to preserve their functionality and serviceable life.
If you are using them with care and clean them after every grind, your meat grinder will last for several years without creating any issues.
How to clean your meat grinder and care for it? It’s really rather simple…
Today, every kitchen is equipped with many electric appliances to save labor and time while preparing meals.
You can also take advantage of a variety of recipes using these kitchen gadgets.
A meat grinder is one of the most important kitchen tools that help to impart flavor, texture and freshness to your daily foods.
Quite simply, if you buy pre-ground meat from the market, you don’t know what you are putting in your stomach. A meat grinder can help you gain control over your diet.
Take care, though, to carry out proper maintenance and cleaning.
You might want to know how to clean a meat grinder, how to take care of it, how to use it and how to store it…
Follow some simple instructions and your meat grinder should not let you down.
How To Maintain, Care For and Clean Your Meat Grinder
Get Your Grinder Ready For Cleaning
You have processed the meat and now want to clean your equipment. Stray raw meat residue could cause food poisoning if it is not removed immediately. When you are finished with the grinding process, run one or two pieces of bread through the feeding tube of the grinder. The bread will gather the tiny pieces of remaining meat by soaking them up. You can also wash the grinder’s parts but it will take time and effort. Once you have performed this rapid action it will be easy to wash your meat grinder. Now unplug your grinder and dismantle the unit’s parts carefully.
Washing and Cleaning the Parts
Before you start cleaning the grinder parts, you should be aware of how to clean meat your grinder. Unplug it then wash the parts in hot and soapy water to remove the oily remnants of meat. Remove the auger, cutting blade, grinding plate, screw, feeding tube and other gear from the main body ready to wash them. Don’t use the dishwasher as this will discolor the parts and give them a shabby look.
When washing the blade, be careful that its sharp edge does not cut your hands. The blade can become dull if not handled properly and a dull blade will smear the meat during the next grind. Put all the parts in hot and soapy water for a few minutes so that the meat residue is easily removed from them and, after that, wash them softly using a sponge.
A bottle brush will clean the inside of all parts easily, although the feeding tube and hopper which require more effort. This will help you to prevent your grinder from bacteria and germs. Don’t soak the motor into water and use a moist cloth to clean the motor housing. After washing all the parts, don’t put them away wet. Using a towel, dry them off to prevent corrosion. After washing and drying with towel, let these parts dry naturally.
Storage of Grinder Parts
Store the parts away after coating them with a thin layer of oil to prevent rust and corrosion. Food-grade mineral oil is used for this purpose by many people but other oils will also do the same job. If you want to use a spray bottle instead of coating them with cloth or a sponge. It will work well and all inner/outer parts will be nicely lubricated. Use a plastic sheet and wrap it around the parts or put them in a plastic bag. A rice bag is much better because the rice sops up moisture and your parts will remain dry even if there is high level of humidity.
If you have enough space in your freezer, it is the perfect place to store your parts in because cold parts will grind better when you are going to process your meat. When you want to use the machine again, use bleach to get them oil-free. However, sterilize with bleach before using these parts. One tablespoon bleach is enough for a gallon of water.
Take Care of Your Blade
The process of grinding meat sharpens the blade when it rubs against the grinding plate so you will seldom need to sharpen the blade. However, if the blade gets too dull then don’t hesitate to get it sharpened by a professional or purchase a new one. A sharp cutting blade is the key to great grinding.
Conclusion:
A meat grinder is perhaps the most beneficial kitchen appliance if you love added texture, freshness in your meals.
Even the most expensive meat grinders are prone to problems if not well maintained. Cleaning is essential to get the best grinding results.
Following the above tips, you can learn how to clean your meat grinder and avoid any snags from occurring.
