Best Commercial Meat Grinder (2023- Reviews and Buying Guide
If you’re into the food business and meat dishes are your forte, you realise the value of a commercial grade meat grinder in your kitchen. To dish out the best, finely minced, melt-in-the-mouth meat to your customers, you know you can’t do without one. And why should you? Besides the beautiful texture and taste they lend to the meat, a heavy duty meat grinder is simply better for the health of your customers too. All the preservatives added to the packaged meat lying around in the supermarket (since we don’t know when) isn’t going to do your health any good.
This is why shopping for one’s needs to be done carefully, for a single-time investment into a professional meat grinder will take you a long way in terms of returns for your business. To simplify things for you a bit, we’ll be reviewing a couple of heavy-duty, commercial-grade meat grinders in this post. There’s also a buying guide towards the latter sections here to help you get just the right restaurant meat grinder, one you’d always been looking for. Let’s look at the best commercial meat grinder there is this year that serves your purpose just right.
Note: This post highlights meat grinders for commercial restaurateurs and chefs in the meat-based food business; not for light domestic usage. We’ve compiled a separate list of the best meat grinders for domestic use in a separate article.
Comparison of Our Top Picks
Best Commercial Meat Grinder Reviews – 2023
1. LEM Products Stainless Steel Electric Meat Grinder
Build quality and appearance
Compact, stainless steel body, fast and efficient, it’s difficult to find a combination like this in the meat grinder market. It’s highly productive too, boasting of an ability to grind up to 4lbs. of meat per minute. And extremely powerful as well in comparison to LEM’s previous model. I like the fact that this one has an upgraded horsepower rating of 0.35 from 0.25 which facilitates a more efficient grind.
Grinding capabilities & performance
The sole reason why I have this one as my top pick is it unreal grinding speed. Catering to true commercial requirements, this meat grinder is rated to grind up to 780 lbs. of meat per hour. That’s not it though. I’ve used this one for myself and can vouch for its robust motor. The thing pierces through tendons, ligaments and bones, you name it. I’ve had no problems grinding dog food in this one.
Despite being extremely powerful, the grinder is comfortably quiet in operation. The make is fairly robust too and it lends an impression of lasting forever, However, the stainless steel parts can’t be washed in the dishwasher which may sometimes prove inconvenient especially during the after-party clean-up.
Safety & other features
The meat pan in this meat grinder comes with a safety guard which is a thoughtful addition given that it might be used in stressful conditions often. Also, the feet of the meat grinder are sturdy so that the machine stays firm when operating.
Value for Money
This one, in contrast to other on my list of the best commercial meat grinders in 2023 happens to be priced steeply. But again, I think for the kind of reliability, robustness and uncompromised performance LEM meat grinders offer, this is a great deal.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product Weight | 49.6 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 20.3 x 17.9 x 17.3 inches |
| Motor Power | 1 HP |
| Output/hr | 780 lbs |
2. Weston Butcher Series #12 Electric Meat Grinder
Build Quality and Appearance
Robust build, uncompromising peak performance and augmented durability are the key highlights of this commercial meat grinder from Weston. Besides, the brand is known for manufacturing heavy-duty appliances and is seen as a fairly reliable option in the high-end range. The same can be held true for this absolute workhorse. This electric meat grinder is specifically made for heavy usage, and is, hence, suited for commercial applications.
Speaking of the external appearance and design of the meat grinder, things look pretty thoughtful, here too. The unit displays a very compact construction; thereby takes up less space on the counter. Weighing 48 pounds, it’s certainly not the heaviest option in our list.
Grinding Capabilities & Performance
The grinding components of this 3/4 HP meat grinder is permanently lubricated while the machine is is rated to grind 6-9 lbs. of meat per minute taking the hourly output to over 500 lbs. The high ouptut power and sturdy stainless steel grinding components translate to a very satisfactory performance.
Users have clearly mentioned that the machine handles chicken, rabbit and turkey bones with great ease. Meaning, it can also double as your vending machine for homemade pet food! It comes with two stainless steel grinding blades (7 mm and 4.5 mm) and a sausage stuffing kit.
Safety & other features
Despite that, the grinder has a sturdy handle to conveniently move it around. Also, the underside of the machine has non-slip feet designed to avoid potential mishaps while handling large meat grinding batches. The thoughtful offset hopper design further augments the safety and heavy use application of the grinder. Additionally, it is rather convenient to disassemble the grinder, clean the insides and then put it back together; which is a necessity in such high-output grinders.
Value for Money
Truly compatible for high daily meet grinding usage, I think this one is one of the best commercial meat grinders out there. Most impressive of all, Weston covers the meat grinder with a massive 5-year warranty.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product Weight | 48.24 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 22.25 x 16.37 x 12.62 inches |
| Motor Power | 0.75 HP |
| Output | 540 lbs |
3. Barton Commercial #22 Meat Grinder with Cutting Blade
Build Quality and Appearance
No matter the usage, I prefer my appliances as portable as they can get without compromising on performance. I like this one for its compact yet robust build and fierce performance standards. The body of this commercial-grade meat grinder is constructed with precision engineered strong steel giving it a rather sturdy frame, suited for heavy commercial applications. Further, a compact footprint coupled with just 49 pounds of total weight, the meat grinder is fairly portable as well.
Grinding Capabilities and Performance
To put it shortly, this meat grinder is an absolute workhorse. It comes with a 1 HP, ultra-quiet motor and pushes out an impressive 250 lbs. of minced meat per hour. Dog food with bones? No problem! Many users have green-flagged the Barton 90803 for grinding pet food. Comes with just #6 and #8 cutting blades and no other accessories though.
The stainless-steel auger is pretty heavy-duty as well and is polished, making it easy to clean. The manufacturer doesn’t explicitly state that all parts are dishwasher safe but they appear to be, of course apart from the motor. I’d still recommend you to not manually clean the grinder, it’s not that labour intensive.
Safety & Extra features
All four grinder feet are padded with rubber blocks so that it firmly stays in place while operating. Further, the hopper is designed narrow enough to ascertain there are no chances of mishaps. Also, for occasions when you grind tough meat or a batch with a lot of tendons, the switch has a reverse setting to unclog the grinding chamber. All in all, a smooth grinding experience is ensured with this one.
Value for Money
For the kind of build and robustness it brings for this price, I believe this one is a solid option for someone with moderate to high daily meat grinding needs. Competes toe-to-toe with other established products in this space in my opinion.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product Weight | 49 pounds |
| Dimensions | 22″ x 8″ x 15″ inches |
| Motor Power | 1 HP |
| Output/hr | 250 lbs. |
4. STX Turboforce Heavy Duty Electric Meat Grinder
Build quality and appearance
This one according to me is one the best low-end small-scale commercial grade meat grinders out there. Just like its name, this appliance too works like a turbo. There’s no slowing down this powerful machine that has the capacity to grind huge amounts of meat in relatively shorter time. And it’s not just the efficiency and speed of the product that makes it among the popular commercial grade meat grinder in the market.
Durability, longer warranty period and super-easy cleaning and maintenance are the other sought-after features. The 2000-watt high-power motor will make grinding literally a piece of cake in any commercial kitchen space.
Grinding capabilities and performance
You can expect to grind at least 320-360 lbs. of meat in 1 hour. Besides, the speed can be adjusted to low or high levels, depending on the type or texture of the meat and how fine you want it ground.
All stainless steel parts included; rust-free coating to prevent early damage to the appliance. Ideal for both fine and coarse grinds and operates at excellent speed too. Its easy cleaning and maintenance helps ensure quality for longer duration of time. Any function or gathering, you’d always be ready with perfectly-ground meat.
Safety & other features
Despite that, the grinder has a sturdy handle to conveniently move it around. Also, the underside of the machine has non-slip feet designed to avoid potential mishaps while handling large meat grinding batches. The thoughtful offset hopper design further augments the safety and heavy use application of the grinder. Additionally, it is rather convenient to disassemble the grinder, clean the insides and then put it back together; which is a necessity in such high-output grinders.
Value for Money
Highly compatible for high daily meet grinding usage, I think this one is one of the best small scale commercial meat grinders out there. Most impressive of all, Weston covers the meat grinder with a massive 3-year warranty.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product Weight | 13 pounds |
| Dimensions | 17 x 8 x 12 inches |
| Motor Power | 1 HP |
| Output | 225 lbs |
5. PRO-CUT KG-22-W Restaurant Meat Grinder
Build quality and appearance
Probably the heaviest grade construction in this line-up, I think the Pro-cut clearly dominates in a lot of areas when compared to contenders. The motor has 1 HP and a powerful 28 lbs.-ft. spin to grind meat. All the gears of the device are made of food-grade stainless steel for higher durability and absolute grinding precision. There’s a large feed tray to allow for comfortable grinding and a strong headstock with permanent safeguard.
Grinding capabilities & performance
True to its name, this heavy duty meat grinder works with meat just like a pro! Not comparable to anything else in this category, it allows for grinding of as much as 1,700 lbs. of meat per hour in the first grind itself! There are two separate-sized grinding plates to facilitate a second grind too wherein more than 800 lbs. can be processed in an hour.
Safety & other features
The body of the grinder too has non-slippery rubber feet affixed to the base to guarantee additional safety during use of the appliance. Extra accessories included for greater convenience. The product comes with a one-year warranty for labour and parts from the manufacturer.
Value for money
This grinder cuts meat just like a pro when placed in any restaurant kitchen. Its strong 1HP motor is its USP and a gear-driven grinder which can cut or grind meat for any kind of meat-based dish. The one-year warranty from then manufacturer for labour and parts both makes it a good option to consider for actual commercial restaurants.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product Weight | 134 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 31 x 17 x 21 inches |
| Motor Power | 1 HP |
| Output | 1700 lbs |
Commercial Meat Grinders – Buying Guide
After reviewing the top buys in 2020 in the meat-grinder category, we detail here some key points to know before you proceed with your purchase.
What is a Commercial Meat Grinder?
It’s specifically designed for use by commercial kitchens – restaurants, hotels and any food joint involved in meat-based food preparation. The need for one arises to handle large grinding projects at ease. Commercial kitchens must ensure little waiting time for customers. Commercial meat grinders help, quickly grinding meat to its best.
How are Restaurant Meat Grinders Different from Domestic Meat Grinders?
The most glaring difference between the two stands out in the form of size itself. On first glance, a majority of commercial meat grinders come across as large appliances with huge blades and grinding plates. They’re specially designed too to slice through any shape, size or texture of meat and process it easily in literally no time.
The domestic type, on the opposite, is designed for relatively smaller grinding tasks – mainly for light and everyday usage in home kitchens. The meat pieces need to be cut up into much smaller pieces too (unlike the huge meat chunks thrown into commercial ones).
Factors to Consider while Buying the Best Commercial Meat Grinder
1. Heavy Duty Construction
Purchasing a commercial meat grinder is often a one-time investment, considering the expense involved. Most of these grinders can be quite heavy on the pocket. This is why durability of the product is the foremost thing that should come to your mind when considering a specific meat grinder for purchase.
It’s wiser to consider a commercial electric meat grinder that uses thick-gauge stainless steel alloy in construction. Not just the body of the appliance but also its parts (blades, grinding plates, motor, etc.) should ideally be of stainless steel. A heavy-duty construction model is more likely to ensure longevity in use.
2. Power Output
This is another vital consideration before buying a restaurant meat grinder. Higher the power efficiency of a grinder’s motor, more output it’s likely to produce. This is why greater horsepower motors have been seen to display higher pound-per-hour output rate (from the reviews above).
This is also important because the power output of your commercial meat grinder must ideally be in accordance with the peak requirements of your food business. If more people flock to your restaurant for lip-smacking minced-meat dishes, a high-power meat grinder which can grind several pounds of meat in one hour would avoid making them wait.
3. Sausage Stuffer and Other Attachments
Meat grinders can be used for several reasons at a restaurant. It depends largely on the most popular items at any particular meat-based food business. For instance, if your sausages are more popular among your customers than any other meat item, a meat grinder accessory such as sausage stuffer could be of great help.
This is why some accessories that generally come with a commercial grade meat grinder may be better suited for your business than the others. It’s therefore important to always check for the optional/complementary accessories that come with a commercial meat grinder when considering it for purchase.
4. Grinding Plate Options
Grinding plates in a meat grinder are important to be considered too – their size in particular – because it makes a huge difference to the final desirable output. Different-sized plates tend to lend different coarseness to the ground meat. This is why before finalising a meat grinder for your food business, it’s better to know the ideal grind-size that would work best depending on the preferences of your customers. Based on this, you can then start checking all available plate sizes in the commercial electric meat grinder market and zero in on the one that’s the most compatible with your needs.
5. Warranty
Finally, the product warranty helps make the final decision for any purchase. And usually, the higher product warranty offered by the manufacturer, the more it becomes a preferred choice for a large number of customers. The same rule applies when considering a commercial meat grinder for purchase.
Make sure you check the duration of manufacturer warranty assured on the grinder. Also check whether the warranty extends to the labour and parts of the meat grinder as well. Some companies offer a 30-day money-back guarantee in case of dissatisfaction with the product. Remember to check all these conditions before finalising your purchase.
Conclusion
The commercial meat grinder reviews described in this post are aimed at helping any commercial food business thrive by improving efficiency. For any commercial kitchen, a meat grinder is an excellent investment, well worth its every penny spent. However, it’s important to take certain aspects into consideration before purchasing which can help you make a wiser choice.
The buying guide section of this post was intended to offer assistance in this direction. Hope this helps. We chose to review the top 5 commercial meat grinders of 2020; feel free to add more to this list if you think they’re worth the investment.
