We’ve poured over reviews and specs to find the best meat grinders on the market today.
Why buy a meat grinder when the corner butcher or supermarket has done it already?
Well, frankly, it is because of that reason exactly.
The supermarkets always set their standard ratios of lean-to fat and even if the pack is marked sirloin steak, how can you be sure you are getting top quality when you buy ground beef?
Besides having the choice of your ratios of fat and the best quality cuts of meat for your backyard barbeque, meat grinders have a whole other secret life you may not be aware of.
| Image | Model | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Gideon Hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder | * Powerful suction cup bottom * Good for light use as a meat grinder | Buy Now |
 | Weston #10 Manual Tinned Meat Grinder and Sausage Stuffer | * Wide opening on clamp * Large hopper opening 3" x 4" | Buy Now |
 | Sunmile SM-G31 Electric Meat Grinder | * 250 watts * ETL certified * 150 lbs/hr | Buy Now |
 | Cuisinart Mg-100 Electric Meat Grinder | * 300 watts * Limited 3 year warranty * 3 lbs/minute | Buy Now |
 | ALTRA Stainless Steel Electric Meat Grinder | * 350 watts * 12 month warranty * 2 lbs per minute | Buy Now |
 | The Powerful STX Turboforce Classic 3000 Series Electric Meat Grinder; Sausage Stuffer | * 3000-watt locked motor * 3 Year warranty * Up to 240lbs/hour | Buy Now |
 | Kitchener Heavy-Duty Electric Meat Grinder # 12 2/3 HP | * Powerful 500 watt * 1 Year limited warranty * 330 lbs/hour | Buy Now |
 | LEM Products Stainless Steel Big Bite Electric Meat Grinder #12 (.75HP) | * 550 watts * 5 Year factory warranty * ETL Certified to UL standards * 11 lbs per minute output | Buy Now |
Other Uses for Meat Grinders
Grinding bones for healthy pet food.
We all love our dogs, and who knows what the manufacturers are hiding in their processed dog foods?
Time and time again dog nutritionists have stressed the benefits of a raw food diet for dogs. Why not use your grinder to grind bones to supplement your dog food? It is healthy and easy to digest in its ground form and Fido will thank you.
Grinding cookie dough?
Yes, some people swear by putting their cookie dough through their meat grinders, especially if they have heavier nuts that are a pain to chop. Plus, you lose a lot of the oils and flavor on the chopping board.
Get your veggies in on it!
Meat grinders make a great vegetarian alternative. Vegetables work brilliantly in the grinder. Make a killer sofrito by grinding peppers, onions, tomato and garlic, and a bunch of coriander.
Make a divine pickle relish base by grinding up cucumber, peppers and onion.
Cauliflower rice anyone? Falafel? The possibilities are endless.
Manual, electric, or commercial meat grinders?
Manual Meat Grinders
If you are not afraid of a little elbow grease, the hand-held meat grinders are more cost-effective meat grinders and make an impressive addition to your kitchen.
They consume no power (besides your biceps) and are more compact and less space-consuming than their electric cousins. This is a superb choice in households with smaller families who only need to grind smaller amounts of meat at a time.
Electric meat grinders
Electric meat grinders require less effort to grind and can process larger amounts of meat in a shorter space of time.
They also have more options to choose your mince density and usually have various attachments for greater purposes.
Unfortunately, the ease of use comes with a corresponding increase in price.
Commercial meat grinders
These are the powerhouses of the meat-grinding family.
Not only can they process larger pieces of meat and bone, but the volume of their output is high. Recommended for commercial use, these may be too space-consuming and bulky for an average family home.
So now that you are aware of the versatility of the multi-purpose meat grinder, let’s have a look at the best meat grinders in 2020.
Best Meat Grinders
Here are our top picks for meat grinders currently available.
Best budget meat grinders
Gideon hand Crank Manual Meat Grinder
- Simply place your desired meats or vegetables into the grinder and turn the hand crank. The meats turn into a fine grinded paste ready to be cooked in your favorite style and tasteful seasoning.
This good old-fashioned manual grinder is easy to use with a comfortable grip and manual grinding action. It is lightweight and has safely enclosed quality steel blades plus a meat pusher to keep your precious fingers out of the mix. The Gideon hand Crank grinder comes with fine and coarse grind plate options.
The grinder is small and sturdy with a suction base to prevent slipping. Best of all, it is dishwasher safe, which is always a selling point. It is so compact and easy to disassemble that it could even be an option for a camping trip.
Because it is so small and compact it is great for smaller cuts of meat. Although, not so great for processing coarse cuts and tendons.
Key features
- The meat the grinder comes with a three-year warranty
- Comfortable crank
- Sturdy and durable
- Easy to store or transport
Product information
- Product Dimensions: 10.91 x 6.69 x 6.1 inches
- Item Weight: 2.49 pounds
- Performance: 3 pounds per minute
- Manufacturer: Gideon
Weston #10 Manual Tinned Meat Grinder and Sausage Stuffer
- 2 Cutting Plates: Two Steel Plates 45 Mm & 10 Mm, Steel Knife, Sausage Stuffing Kit Including Adapter, Spacer & Three Different Sized Funnels
If you are seeking an excellent quality and versatile meat grinder for home use, Weston #10 manual meat grinder is a smart choice. The body is made of cast iron and has a steel grinding knife and a clamp base to keep it from wobbling in use.
Because of its compact and easy to store frame, this grinder is suitable for a smaller mince output with finer cuts of meat. The handle gives good leverage and the grind has a smooth action for the user.
The grinder comes with two cutting plates, two steel plates, and three size sausage horns.
Key features
- Clamp base
- Steel plates
- Easy to store and clean
Product info
- Dimensions: 10.25 x 8 x 11 inches
- Item Weight: 7.9 pounds
- Manufacturer: Weston
Sunmile SM-G31 Electric Meat Grinder – Max 1HP 800W- ETL Meat Mincer
- Basic simple but powerful meat grinder for home use with 250W rated power and 800W max locked power
With ETL safety certification and die-cast aluminum and stainless-steel parts with food-grade lubrication, this meat grinder is a cut above its competitors.
The grinder auto-regulates between 250 and 800 watts according to the density of the meat and has lower power consumption than other grinders of its size. The Sunmile SM-G31 can grind almost 150 pounds every hour, so it’s powerful enough for commercial use and perfect for a busy home chef.
Their self-developed motor utilizes only red copper wires which increase its durability and delivers a high amount of grinding power per wattage and lower energy consumption. The large-sized gears and gearbox grind tougher grains of meat with ease, and they have a built-in circuit breaker to protect the motor from burnout should a blockage occur.
The larger hold makes it easier to feed meat into the grinder, and they designed the meat tube and screw to feed the meat out of the tube smoothly. The die-cast aluminum is not suitable for machine washing because of discoloration, but the grinder is a breeze to disassemble and one can rinse all the parts with running water.
The Sunmile SM-G31 comes with a food pusher, sausage attachment, kibbeh attachment and three stainless steel grinding plates for fine medium and coarse grind options.
Key features
- · Auto-regulated motor between 250 and 800 watts
- · Simple operation
- · Durable and sturdy
Product information
- Dimensions: 14.8 x 7.7 x 14.2 inches
- Weight: 7.9 pounds
- Wattage: 250-800
- Performance: 150 lbs/hour
Best mid-range electric meat grinders
Cuisinart Mg-100 Electric Meat Grinder, Stainless Steel.
- Grinds a wide variety of meats, including beef, chicken, turkey, venison and more. Cord length : 34 Inches
The Cuisinart Mg-100 is compatible with any KitchenAid stand mixer and is a great all-rounder. The food-grade stainless steel housing makes this a great investment. With a 300-watt motor that can process at 3 pounds of meat per minute, this machine means business.
The Mg- 100 is simple to use and has low energy consumption for those more environmentally minded. It comes with a reverse option to help you clear up any jams that may occur in the feed.
The grinder comes with both medium and coarse cutting plates and two sizes of sausage fittings to fit your preference.
Key features
- Compatible with any KitchenAid stand mixer
- Low energy consumption
- Reverse option
- Stainless steel
- 3-year warranty
Product information
- Product Dimensions 9.25 x 16.38 x 8.5 inches
- Item Weight 8.5 pounds
- Manufacturer Cuisinart
ALTRA Stainless Steel Electric Meat Grinder, Meat Mincer; Sausage Stuffer
- 🥩【Professional Powerful Engine & Fast Efficient Meat Grinding】 Altra electric meat grinder engine with power up to 350W ( 2000W Max ). ☆2 pounds of minced meat can be produced per minute☆. This meat grinder is ideal for ground meat and stuffing making, fast and conveniently. 【Notice】☆Please allow the machine to cool down after ten minutes of continuous work.☆
This stunning little all-rounder packs power and versatility. It even has a built-in storage box to keep all their awesome accessories in. The Altra has an impressive base wattage of 350 watts (and can up to 2000 watts.)
The Altra Electric Meat Grinder boasts an impressive output of 2 pounds of ground meat a minute and a range of accessories such as 3 cutting plates, kibbe, and sausage funnel attachments
The Altra electric meat grinder has specially patented spiral circles and spiral rod technology that mimics handmade meat by grinding the meat without destroying the fiber.
The Altra is durable with three-layer reinforced stainless steel, aluminum alloy, and a stainless steel hard bottom layer that prevents corrosion. The operation is simple with on/off/reverse switches and the grinder one can easily disassemble for cleaning (it is not dishwasher safe.)
Key features
- Three-layer anti-corrosion body
- High volume output
- Easy built-in storage for accessories
- Heavy domestic and light commercial capacity
- Patented technology mimic handmade mince
- 12-month replacement warranty and lifetime service support
Product information
- Package Dimensions: 17.25 x 9.75 x 8.75 inches
- Item Weight: 9.03 pounds
- Manufacturer: ALTRA
Best Premium Meat Grinders
The Powerful STX Turboforce Classic 3000 Series Electric Meat Grinder; Sausage Stuffer
- The Turboforce 3000 Series Classic is a Powerful “Home Use” Grinder and has a Locked Motor Wattage of 3000 Watts but Normally Uses between 800 Watts & 1200 Watts “Under Load” (While Grinding). This Grinder Grinds between 180 and 240 Lbs of Meat per Hour (When Prepped for Grinding Properly - Stripped or Cubed). This also depends on the Size of Grinding Plate being used, the Type of Meat being Ground and the Consistency of the Meat being ground.
This home grinder is compact but powerful meat grinder with a locked wattage of 3000 watts, but it operates between 800 and 1200 watts in operation.
This grinder can deliver 180 to 240 lbs per hour, depending on prep and meat density. Although this machine is powerful, they do not advise using this grinder as a bone or tendon grinding machine.
This grinder comes with a great variety of accessories including 3 stainless steel blades, 4 plates, bean plate and 3 kibbehs and sausage attachment options. The STX Turboforce 3000 has variable speed settings of high and low, which is handy for making sausages and kibbe, and they place all power controls in a secure recess for safety.
Their meat augur comes with an Advanced Variable Intake (AVI) which allows you greater options in meat size and amount when grinding. Along with all of this, they allow a 30-day money-back guarantee and a three-year warranty.
Although this home grinder is not commercial grade, it allows the option of high-volume mince output for those who need it.
Key features
- Impressive accessory list
- 3-year warranty
- 3000-watt locked motor
- AVI technology
- Up to 240lbs/hour
- Free burger slider press with waxed transfer sheets
Product information
- Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 6.5 x 14.5 inches
- Item Weight: 12 pounds
- Manufacturer: STX INTERNATIONAL
Kitchener Heavy-Duty Electric Meat Grinder # 12 2/3 HP
- HEAVY DUTY: The product is crafted with long-lasting metal gears, stainless steel cutting knife and aluminium meat pan for extended service life. The steel gear-driven mechanism design make the grinding capability more powerful.
The Kitchener Heavy-Duty Electric Meat Grinder has a powerful 2/3 HP 500-watt motor that will grind up a whopping 330lbs/hr. With steel gears and a 12-inch neck size, they built this grinder to last and to perform. The air-cooled motor makes this machine not only powerful but it makes operations quieter than other grinders with similar wattage.
With three functions of slow, full grind and reverse mode you have every opportunity to make your perfect sausage (4 stuffing tube options), ground meat, or whatever catches your fancy. Perfect for heavy-duty home usage or small business use, this grinder is powerful enough to achieve both ends.
Key features
- Powerful 2/3 HP motor
- Steel gear-driven mechanism
- Smooth and quiet operation
- Enlarged throat and tray for greater meat intake
- 3-year warranty
Product information
- Weight (pounds): 15 lbs
- Dimensions (inches): 16.3 x 13.9 x 13.5
- Brand: Kitchener
Premium meat grinders
LEM Products Stainless Steel Big Bite Electric Meat Grinder #12 (.75HP)
- Electric meat grinder; Induction motor with a start and run capacitor (9 amps); Permanently lubricated, 110V motor (60HZ); 550 watts; ETL certified
The LEM stainless steel big bite grinder comes with a stylish brushed steel finish and it is strong enough to grind up a couple of deer a year if that is what you need.
Their GRINDER TECHNOLOGY features a unique auger design that will grab your meat and press it through the plate faster than other grinders. It has safety features such as a built-in circuit breaker and comes with a stainless-steel knife, three stuffing tubes, two stainless steel plates (coarse and fine) and a meat stomper.
This LEM grinder will process up to 11lbs of meat in a minute, and its rifled head allows for an easier second grind. The improved grease formulation reduces the noise for quiet and smooth operation.
Key features
- Quiet operation
- Five-year factory warranty and lifetime customer support.
- ETL Certified to UL Standards.
- 11 lbs per minute output
Product information
- Product Dimensions: 9.25 x 19.5 x 16 inches; 47 pounds
- Brand: LEM
Meat grinder buyers guide
Price
With the thousands of meat grinders on the market, many people may get lost in trying to find the grinder that suits them.
It is important to look at your needs when considering your choice of a grinder. Are you someone who is a “once a month” hamburger maker? Or are you grinding up meat daily for your enormous family or small business?
If your needs are small and you wish to have a grinder on hand for special occasions, consider the manual grinder options. They are smaller and take up less space and they are perfect for the sometimes chefs who want to impress their guests.
If you are a hunter or homesteader and find that you need to grind meat or make sausage on a larger scale, really consider an electric meat grinder in the mid to upper range with a stronger motor and a greater finished product output.
Those in the market for a decent average electric meat grinder should expect to pay around $100 or slightly lower for decent options. When one goes lower than the $50 mark there is a marked decline in quality and buyers should exercise caution.
$150 and above and the buyer moves into the semi-commercial territory and these would serve those using the grinder in a heavier home capacity or even on a small business scale.
Power
Motors are the defining mechanism for the price of electric meat grinders. They measure the power of a motor using a unit called watts, and the more watts the more expensive the grinder.
One should ideally look for a base power wattage of about 300 watts if you are planning on grinding 8 to 10 pounds of meat at a time. For bigger jobs look for a grinder with motors of ¾ horsepower or higher (and expect a higher cost.)
Functions
One way to drive up the price of a grinder is in the additional functions such as tubes for sausage making and special blades for salsas and sauces.
Make sure you have a need and will make use of those extra functions because you can end up paying a lot more for those accessories.
If you have simple needs regarding ground meat, stick with a simple grinder that matches your needs and saves you a bit of money. The manual grinders may be old fashioned but they do work if you are willing to put in a little effort.
That being said, a good quality meat grinder should include at least three quality grinder plates with coarse, medium, and fine settings. They should also provide a handheld meat pusher to press the meat into the grinder and sausage stuffer tubes to guide the meat into casings.
It is always best to look for a meat grinder that has a reverse function, especially if you are planning to make large loads of minced product. Jams occur even in the best of machines and no one wants to have to disassemble their grinder just to get out one piece of bone or tendon. The reverse function does this all for you and spares you time and energy.
Volume and output
When buying an electric meat grinder, one should always check the specifications regarding the grinders. Most manufacturers will reveal the amount of meat that the machine will process in a given time, under their “performance” tab (such as 185lbs/hour.)
This will give the consumer an idea of the capacity of the grinder and whether the particular machine will meet their needs. So if the volume of meat you intend to process through the grinder at one time is lower, opt for a grinder with less wattage.
Safety
Make sure to purchase a grinder that doesn’t have exposed blades and make sure it comes with a meat press or handheld tool to feed the meat into the grinder that is the appropriate size for the machine. It goes without saying, but also make sure to use these tools when using your meat grinder.
Before using your meat grinder, you’ll need to make sure that you fully assemble all the components including the feeding tray and throat. Also, you’ll need to make sure to be careful when cleaning the sharp blades within the meat grinder.
If you are planning to use your grinder for commercial purposes, it is important to have a built-in circuit breaker to prevent damage to your machine.
Some form of safety certification is also a must when you are using grinders with higher motor capacities. Preferably, one that is ETL Certified to UL Standards for the higher-end models. These independently tested certificates will ensure that the product fulfills all the safety protocols, but remember it is not a reflection of the quality of the product.
Warranty
Always check that your product has a warranty to make sure you are protected if something goes wrong.
Especially when purchasing a semi-commercial meat grinder, pay attention to what guarantee the manufacturer places on the grinder.
Blades are replaceable, but many gears/interior parts can be hard or impossible to replace.
Warranties vary from company to company from 1 to 5 years.
A great bonus is to have a company that provides lifetime customer support should anything go wrong with your grinder.
Final Thought About Meat Grinders
When searching for your perfect meat grinder, don’t be shy about shopping around. Many reputable companies provide grinders to suit most budgets and needs.
Don’t be tempted to buy a meat grinder that cannot handle the volume of meat you need it to. With such a variety of meat grinders available, you have the luxury to pick and choose.
These versatile instruments are a great addition to any kitchen. Once you have tried making your top-quality ground products at home, chances are you won’t be buying them from the supermarket again.
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