Electric meat grinder. Description, principle of operation, characteristics and choice of electric meat grinder. How a meat grinder works - description Mechanical meat grinder device

A meat grinder is a mechanical or electrical device made of metal (although the body may be plastic) for crushing meat. It can also be used to grind any other food, spaghetti, noodles, cookies and juice from soft vegetables and fruits.

What is included in the meat grinder package, the features of each part of the device, we will consider in our article.

Here are the main features that are usually mentioned in the characteristics of meat grinders:

1) Engine and reducer for meat grinder

The auger of each meat grinder will rotate in the opposite direction, and the stuck vein or bone will come out.

2)
Meat grinder device

Mincer power

On sale there are models with different powers - from 400 W to 2,000 W. Depending on the power, the productivity of the device varies - from 1 kg to 3 kg of product / min.

Kinematic scheme of the meat grinder

Meat grinder equipment

New models of meat grinders may well replace the food processor. In our opinion, meat grinders are even more functional. When you need to chop a lot of lettuce, the combine is good for this. Since only 200 grams of cabbage can get stuck in its bowl, and the rest will go as intended. And if you need one serving, then a meat grinder is preferable.

Meat grinder equipment

A meat grinder can also replace a food processor, because it is equipped with excellent attachments with which you can cut or chop. In addition, today there are many nozzles for meat grinders on sale to squeeze juice:

1) 2)
Attachment for meat grinder

In addition, there are many other meat grinder attachments that allow you to make sausages, sausage and other famous delicacies. There are nozzles for making liver, noodles, cutlets.
The main attachments are perforated cutting discs. They are divided into types according to the size (diameter) of the meat grinder grate:

1. Fine holes: 3 to 3.5 mm.
2. Medium holes: 4.5 to 5 mm.
3. Large holes: 8 to 9 mm.

Lattices for a meat grinder for minced meat

So, with the help of nozzles, you can get both fine and coarse grinding. And also cook almost fine powder from nuts and many more dishes.

The main work of the meat grinder and the crushing procedure itself is the knife. Modern models of electric meat grinders are equipped with forged knives, which are made of stainless steel. In the course of work, such knives self-sharpen. And the sharper the knife, the, respectively, and the device works much faster.

It is also important what shape the knife is. If it has a curved blade, it will protect the equipment, namely its screw shaft, from damage, easily cutting all the veins and fibers. In addition, this allows less disassembly of the device for cleaning.

Tray connected to the neck of the meat grinder

Also, to facilitate the use of the meat grinder, it is equipped with a tray (tray) and an electric pusher. Thanks to the capacious tray (made of plastic or metal), a large amount of food can be placed in it. The size of the tray depends directly on the performance and power of the meat grinder.

And with the help of a pusher, you can quickly and safely place everything you need for the future dish in the device. And, of course, the last component is the handle to hold the meat grinder.

Other "gears" for meat grinders

1. knurled nut- this is a necessary and fixing part that fastens the holes at the outlet of the device to the thread. With the help of it, nozzles and are fixed.

During operation, the nut can be tightened tightly and therefore, in order to facilitate it, some models have a so-called. grinder wrench.

knurled nut

2. Auger for meat grinders- this is an important and main working part (usually metal), as noted earlier, it is made in the form of a strong and strong spiral. A knife is fixed to one of the ends of this spiral. It is due to the auger that the minced meat is scrolled.

Meat grinder auger

And also among the equally important spare parts for the meat grinder can be called:

• Screw for grinder
• And the sleeve for the meat grinder is a safety clutch for the auger.

Meat grinder gears

All meat grinders have basically the same device of the actuator. In the body of the meat grinder there is a working chamber 8 (Fig. 1) for processing the product, which is a fixed hollow cylinder with ribs 1 inside, which prevent the product from turning relative to the chamber. The location of the ribs can be helical (spiral) or longitudinal (parallel to the axis of the working cylinder). The basic device of a meat grinder.

1 - ribs; 2 - scoring grate; 3,4 - knife gratings; 5 - thrust ring; 6 - clamping nut; 7 - knives; 8 - working chamber; 9 - auger.

The direction of the helical ribs is opposite to the direction of the screw turns. Usually, the right direction of the ribs is adopted, since the working screws for meat grinders for catering establishments are made with the left direction of the turns. The angle of elevation of the helical ribs is different and amounts to . The braking effect of the ribs depends on their number, height, shape and distance between them. To advance the product in the working chamber, feed it to the knives and push it through the knife grates, a rotating auger 9 is used with a pitch of turns decreasing towards unloading. A feature of the screw operation is the creation of pressure sufficient to move the product through the cutting mechanism without squeezing out the liquid phase contained in it.

The cutting tool of the meat grinder consists of a fixed knife grid 2, rotating knives 7 and fixed knife grids 3 and 4 with holes of various diameters. The fixed knife grid (Fig. 2 a) consists of inner and outer rings connected by three jumpers, sharpened on one side. The cutting edge of the jumpers is located at an acute angle to the radius of rotation of the product.

Rotary knives have radial blades with two cutting planes (rotating double-sided knives). The knives are combined into separate crosspieces, each of which has four beams. Fixed knife grids are made in the form of discs with round holes and are paired cutting parts with rotating knives.

In meat grinders used not by catering establishments, the cutting tool is usually equipped with three knife grates with holes with diameters of 3, 5 and 9 mm. The axes of the openings of the knife grids are perpendicular to the plane of the knife grid (straight holes). Knives and grills are put on a steel pin with parallel flats, screwed into the front end of the auger. The central hole of the knife has the same shape as the outer contour of the auger pin, due to which the rotation of the auger is transferred to the knife. The grids are put on the auger finger freely and are kept from turning with a key rigidly fixed in the meat grinder body. A tight fit of the working planes of knives and grates is ensured by a thrust ring 5 (Fig. 1) and a lock nut 6. The meat grinder body has a special device that ensures its connection with an individual drive or a universal kitchen machine body.

Meat grinders are equipped with a basic set of cutting tools for obtaining cutlet mass and a set of cutting tools for coarse cutting. The basic set includes a scoring grid, two double-sided knives, two knife grids with holes with diameters of 9 and 3 or 9 and 5 mm and a thrust ring. Coarse cutting set includes scoring grid, one double-sided knife, knife grid with 9mm holes and two stop rings

Three holes can be distinguished in the case, having seen which you can answer the question of how to assemble a manual meat grinder.

1. Meat receiver, where the loading of products required for processing is carried out.
2. The rear large exit of the auger shaft is designed for a handle that will rotate it. To make it sit firmly, manufacturers can equip the meat grinder with a special nut. Some housewives remove it because it interferes with work. Therefore, it is sometimes absent from old meat grinders.
3. The front outlet is designed for the thin end of the shaft, on which the knife and mesh are attached.

At the bottom, the case is equipped with a special device with which the unit is tightly fixed to the kitchen table for work.

What is included in the set of parts of the kitchen unit:

1. The screw shaft is a large spiral necessary for delivering processed products to the knife.
2. A knife in the form of a disk or a four-winged propeller, properly set, is able to grind many products.
3. The grate is a flat disk with a large number of holes, which determines how well the final product will be crushed.
4. Clamping nut, screwed from above and fixing the grate and knife on the shaft.
5. Handle attached on the opposite side. It can be freely installed on the outgoing end of the screw shaft or attached to it with a special screw.

Having dealt with all the details, you can learn how to assemble a manual meat grinder.

How to properly assemble all the parts

At the beginning of the assembly, the housewives collect all the parts from the meat grinder and arrange them on the table next to them. First, they pick up an all-metal housing and insert a screw shaft into it so that its thick edge comes out from behind into a narrow hole. A handle will be attached to it. If there is a nut for attaching the handle, it must be installed immediately, firmly tightening the screw. If there is no mount, the handle is attached last.

The thin side of the screw falls on a wide round hole. It is quite long, and two parts are held on it. First, put on a knife. The installation of this part of the meat grinder is the most important point in this whole process. The knife must be installed correctly, otherwise it will not work.

On the one hand, the meat grinder knife has flat wings, on the other they are convex. The flat side should be on the front side of the meat grinder and be clearly visible, and the convex side should remain inside near the auger.

The knife in the form of a disk is installed so that its cutting edges are outside.

It is important to keep the knives that came with this particular unit, because parts from another manufacturer may not fit the structure of the all-metal body, and the grinding process will be disrupted.

A meat grinder is the best way to grind meat and other foods. In other words, cut them into tiny pieces.
Probably, in every house there are metal devices inherited from our grandmothers, with the help of which they “twisted” minced meat, having made remarkable physical efforts for this. With the advent of new technologies, this difficult everyday task has turned into an exciting procedure for grinding a variety of products to implement the most interesting recipes. This does not require male power, and time is saved.

Despite the fact that there are many models of household meat grinders offered by manufacturers, there are only two main types of such devices for grinding food: mechanical and electric.

Mechanical meat grinder

This type is the most basic design of a minced meat device, invented as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is distinguished by its simplicity and accessibility, and functions only when controlled manually using a special handle.

Distinctive features:

• Mechanical devices are smaller than electrical devices and can grind a small amount of food at a time.
• Simple, standard, easy-to-operate design consists of parts made of epoxy coated cast iron, tin or stainless steel.
• This is a good option for people who are on a budget, have a small family and plan to mince only a small amount of meat.

Electric meat grinder

The electric meat grinder has a great advantage in terms of labor utilization. It does not need any human assistance and can process a large number of products at the same time.

Distinctive features:

• The tough parts of raw meat that a manual machine cannot handle can be easily minced in such a machine.
• It not only works with a high processing speed, but also cuts a large amount of meat in a short period of time. Consumers who prefer precision and speed in their kitchen are in favor of such a device.
• Electric shredders come with a variety of settings to choose from. You can choose very finely or coarsely chopped meat depending on your preference.
• The stainless steel grates, together with the four-blade knife, make this electric machine particularly efficient.

General principle of operation

The meat grinder has a funnel at the top of the feed hopper through which you add chopped cubes of meat or whatever you want to grind into the meat hopper. From the funnel, the food is transferred to the screw conveyor. This is achieved by a manually operated twisting mechanism or an electric motor. The auger, constantly rotating, steadily pushes the meat down the shaft towards the knife. At the same time, large pieces are cut into smaller pieces with the help of ribs on the screw.

The knife and grate are what produce the final shredding. The knife is a small cross-shaped piece of metal with sharp blades on each blade that rotates against a grid, also called a die. It is a round metal plate with holes cut into it. As the auger continuously pushes the meat towards this grate, the blades of the knife, sliding along its flat surface, grind the meat into mincemeat. Its texture depends on the size of the holes in the grating. The smaller they are, the smaller the stuffing will be.

The disk cover, screwed to the body, securely presses all parts to each other, and maintains the integrity of the structure.

Differences

In addition to the fundamental difference in the method of control: with the help of a handle that sets in motion all the components and parts of the device, or an electric motor, the main types of devices for grinding products have some more design features.

Mechanical

Must be attached to some fixed flat surface, such as the edge of a countertop. This is done by means of feet with rubber pads at the bottom of the case and a screw clamp. With this clamp, the legs are tightly screwed to the edge of the tabletop, which ensures that the device is securely fixed during operation.

Electrical

• They have a fairly massive body, inside which there is an electric motor, and rubberized legs from below. This ensures the static immobility of the device.
• There is an on/off button on the case.
• At the top of the meat receiver there is a tray on which you can store pieces of prepared products before pushing them with a pusher into the hopper. The larger this tray, the more convenient it is to grind large batches of products.

How to choose

Before you start choosing a meat grinder, answer yourself a few questions:

• What type of meat will you mince.
• How much meat do you want to process per hour.
• How often will you use it.

By answering these questions, you will get a clear idea of ​​​​a device that will meet the necessary criteria:

Engine

The power of the engine determines the performance of the mechanism, that is, the amount of food that can be chopped per hour. Usually two power levels are indicated - nominal and maximum. Normal operation requires rated power ranging from 400W to 1000W.

However, in case of extreme loads, for example, when processing accidentally fallen cartilage or bones, maximum engine power is required. It can range from 1500 to 3000 watts. This mode of operation should not exceed a strictly defined amount of time (usually no more than 60 seconds). If this condition is not observed, there is a risk of rapid wear and damage to the motor.

Meat grinders with the most powerful engine can grind up to 3-4 kg of meat in 1 minute, less powerful - 1-2 kg. The best choice for an average family would be a meat grinder with a power of 1000-1500 W and a capacity of 1.5-1.8 kg of minced meat per minute.

Motor protection function

If some solid particles, such as bones or tendons, are hit, even the most powerful motor can overheat. In modern models, there are two ways to protect against breakage or combustion:

• Blocking of the engine by means of a safety heat element. In the event of an emergency (when a certain temperature threshold is crossed), this sleeve bursts. The motor is blocked and the mains is disconnected. To resume operation, it is necessary to replace the plastic safety sleeve, which is often supplied in the kit.
• Another way to protect the engine from combustion is a bimetallic plate under the power button. When the engine overheats, the bimetallic plate snaps off the power button and the power supply stops, the engine stops. Further resumption of work is possible after cooling.
  The presence of such simple functions will give additional reliability to the engine, and can significantly extend its service life.

Construction material

All devices are made of different materials. Most often it is plastic, metal alloy or stainless steel. A meat grinder with a metal or steel body is more durable and durable. And, if the material of manufacture is not so important for the case, then the internal parts must be made of stainless steel. Only such can withstand heavy loads during the operation of the device.

Additional accessories

All people like to get additional pleasure from the purchase. If we talk about a meat grinder, then the first auxiliary equipment may be additional grates that allow you to adjust the texture of the minced meat. Most of them have only two grates (for coarse and fine chopping), but there are some that come with attachments that have different openings for cooking sausages, dough tubes, or different ways of cutting vegetables.

A meat grinder is an electrical or mechanical device used to process food - meat and others, by grinding them. This appliance can be called an indispensable kitchen appliance that plays an important role in the process of preparing a variety of dishes.

Purpose of meat grinders

The main purpose of this kitchen appliance is to grind food. With its help, minced meat, fish or poultry is produced. In addition, this device copes well with the processing of some vegetables - both raw and after their preliminary heat treatment.

Reference! If necessary, the meat grinder allows you to crush nuts. By connecting various nozzles to the device, its functionality is significantly increased.

Electric meat grinder

Electric meat grinders are currently gaining significant demand. This is primarily due to their large number of advantages in comparison with other types of these devices. This applies to significant power, an increased level of security, as well as the absence of the need for rigid fixation on the table.

Device

In order to understand the principle of operation of an electric meat grinder, it is necessary to understand its device. This device consists of the following parts:

• case made of metal or plastic;
• lattice;
• knife for food processing;
• fixing disk;
• electric motor;
• pusher;
• minced meat receiver;
• tray;
• screw shaft.

Reference! Additionally, the components of electric meat grinders can be a variety of knives, nozzles or auxiliary devices.

Principle of operation

Well-cut foodstuffs should initially be placed in the meat bin. By means of a pusher, pieces of meat are pushed by a person into the sleeve, after which they fall on the augers. They have ribs that allow you to reduce the volume of the largest particles. After passing through this mechanism, the crushed pieces collide with the grate. Slowly pushing through the latter, they are cut with a sharp knife that slides smoothly over the surface.

Operating rules

In order for the electric meat grinder to be in good functional condition for a long time, it is necessary to adhere to some rules, such as:

1. Do not send pieces of meat along with the bones for processing.
2. All components of the device must be thoroughly washed and dried after use.
3. In constant mode, you need to monitor the sharpening of cutting elements. This will reduce the rate of engine wear.

By following the above rules, you can achieve a long and reliable use of an electric meat grinder in the kitchen.

Mechanical meat grinder

Mechanical meat grinders are currently losing their popularity a little. Their main advantage is low cost. At the same time, these devices have some disadvantages - low power and the need to fix on the edge of the table. In addition, it is worth noting the high level of danger of working with a hand-held device.

Device

The standard assembly of a mechanical meat grinder consists of 9 important elements, such as:

• metal case;
• trumpet;
• screw shaft;
• blade or disc knife;
• nozzles;
• metal grate;
• fasteners for fixing;
• pen;
• screw.

Additionally, some models of mechanical meat grinders use other parts.

Principle of operation

By scrolling the handle of the device by a person, its grinding mechanism is launched. In parallel with this, the user must feed the crushed food particles into the meat receiver, after which they fall to the shaft. The latter allows you to divide the largest pieces into smaller ones. In addition, it contributes to their advancement towards the grid. Passing through the latter, homogeneous minced meat is produced.

Operating rules

The basic rules for operating mechanical meat grinders are as follows:

1. It is necessary to monitor the sharpening of the knives used.
2. After using the appliance, all its parts must be thoroughly cleaned of food debris and dried.
3. Do not feed meat with bone fragments into the device.
4. All parts of the device must carefully adjoin to each other.

By following the above rules, it is possible to ensure long-term operation of a mechanical meat grinder for more than a dozen years.