How to Clean your Electric Meat Grinder [Avoid these Mistakes!]
To all the home cooks, the meat lovers, and the economical folks, we know how much your valuable appliance—your electric meat grinder means to you and to your lifestyle. So keeping that in mind, we present you some easy-peasy, yet amazing ideas to help keep your meat grinder hygienic and residue-free always, along with increasing the life span of this cherished trophy.
Hygiene is always the best policy, and keeping your appliances clean is the first step for healthy living. So here’s an easy procedure you can adopt to properly clean your electric meat grinder with perfection.
How to clean an electric meat grinder
1. Grind some bread in the grinder
Feeding your meat grinder a loaf of bread will take care of all the greasy remains that might have built up after multiple sessions of meat grinding. The bread will help to soak up any residue left or grease or oil from the minced meat.
2. Dismantle the grinder and soak all non-motorized parts in soapy water
After, you’ve ground a loaf of bread in your grinder, it’s time to unplug the grinder and dismantle the parts such as the pusher, the feed tube, the blade, and other removable parts. Now immerse the dismantled parts (of course, the non-motorized ones) in warm, soapy water and let it rest for a couple of minutes to discharge all the oil or grease from the parts. Mentioning again, do not immerse any mechanical part in the water. Instead, clean the mechanical parts with a clean damp rag and wipe them dry thoroughly.
3. Scrub the soaked parts thoroughly and wipe them dry
Scrub the non-motorized immersed parts carefully and prudently with a sponge and wash them with clean water consequently. You might have to take extra care while cleaning sharp metal components like the grinding blades and the auger.
4. Water and baking soda solution can help remove stubborn greasiness
If the parts still feel greasy even after cleaning in soapy water, then you might as well make a solution of a tablespoon of baking soda with warm water, and then soak the parts in it for some time. Finally, wash thoroughly with clean water. This will help the metal parts regain their lustre or their natural shine.
5. Thoroughly wipe all parts dry and reassemble your electric grinder
Now, as the parts are clean and washed, wipe them completely dry with a clean rag or towel. We advise you to completely dry out the metal parts so that you prevent them from rust or corrosion. Another way to prevent oxidation is by keeping the dried parts lubricated with slight amount of oil before you tend to store them.
Then, from next time onwards when you would start using the grinder again, you should bleach the previously oiled parts prior to usage and afterward clean with water to get rid of the bleach.
Tips and Advice
1. Wash the non-motorized parts manually and do not wash them in a dishwasher as it could damage these metal parts. You need to be even more careful with heavy-duty commercial meat grinders owing to their high price point.
2. Feed chilled meat into the grinder instead of warm meat to avoid mess during the process of grind. Also if you are willing to regrind the ground meat several times, then you could place the meat in a chilled bowl to maintain the meat’s temperature. Simply chill the required bowl by putting another ice-filled bowl beneath it.
3. Every time after you are done with using the grinder, we advise you to instantly clean it. Delaying in this could result in a formation of dry residue from meat, as a result, ensuring a troublesome clean-up.
4. Prudently shave off the tendons on meat as these would not only damage the machine’s blade and the meat’s texture but also create a hassle during clean-up.
5. Keep a check on your grinder’s blade if it needs to be sharpened or changed. Along with impairing the meat, a blunt blade could also affect the appliance’s durability. However, proper maintenance of the grinder would eventually lead to sustained sharpness in the blade over time.
6. Store the grinder in a cool, dry place.
Hope all these steps and measures would bless you with a squeaky clean meat grinder. So, eat fresh, cook healthy, and keep your kitchen appliances clean. Nevertheless, if these ways and tips do not solve your problem, you might as well consider getting a new one.
