The meat grinder is one of the most popular kitchen appliances. It was invented for another two centuries, so it can even be called a historical tool, which has become indispensable.
When it comes to a meat grinder, first of all, thoughts about delicious meat dishes appear. But the range of use of this element is wider. With it, you can cook not only stuffed meatballs, but also sausages, squash caviar, various types of sauce and even shortbread cookies. This is not the whole list of delicious dishes that can be prepared using a meat grinder. The principle of operation of the meat grinder is practically unchanged, whether it is manual or electric. As we know, absolutely any devices must have the correct operation, they should be carefully looked after. Knives that need to be sharpened periodically need care in a meat grinder. Grinding knives for a meat grinder can be carried out at home. How to do it? This article will answer this question.
The principle of operation of the elements
To grind a meat grinder knife at home, you need to know how they do their job. If you look at the device from the top, namely the tray where the meat is placed, then you can notice the auger. It has rotation thanks to the handle of this kitchen tool (if mechanically controlled) or an electric motor. Thus, the meat pieces are delivered to the cutting edges of the apparatus.
Many may not know, but this tool has two cutting elements. The first one is a knife in the form of a mesh, having holes and being stationary, the other is a four-blade knife that rotates. The process consists of two stages:
- First, a movable four-blade tool grinds meat pieces.
- Then they are pushed through a mesh knife.
The process of chopping pieces of meat should not be inconvenient. This is achieved thanks to the correct installation of cutting tools and their sharpening. The first sign that the cutting elements are becoming dull is an increase in your efforts when twisting the product. Simply put, if the procedure goes with some inconvenience, they should be sharpened.
There is a second sign, which indicates that cutting devices need sharpening. It can be found when cleaning the meat grinder. If the meat fibers are stuck between two knives, then this means that their fit is loose. They need only to be corrected.
Basic information
Consider some information and features of the cutting tools of a meat grinder:
- The cutting quality of various types of products is mainly independent of the sharpness of the cutting edge. Perfect flatness of the work surface is the key to the quality of cutting products. Therefore, this is the main goal during sharpening.
- Grinding at home is done only with the help of abrasive material, which has small fractions. This material allows you to maintain a snug fit between the two types of knife.
- Sharpening should be manual, without the use of any additional electric tools or devices. The main reason is that it is possible to overheat steel. This will lead to the fact that this cutting element will become unsuitable for further operation. It remains only to throw it away. Grind by hand.
- During the procedure, the work surface should be abrasive treated with the part that comes in contact with the disc after assembling this kitchen appliance.
- Processing are both types of device.
- Before sharpening, the cutting components must be thoroughly rinsed and dried.
Sharpening methods
Sharpening knives for a meat grinder is an easy procedure, so it can be done at home. You just need to have a whetstone or sandpaper at your disposal. As such a tool, you can use not only them, but also other abrasive products having fine grain size.
Possible tools that are used for processing:
- First of all, a bar can be used.
- Another option is an abrasive wheel.
- And another tool is sandpaper. An instrument that has a perfectly even surface is wound with sandpaper.
How to sharpen a movable meat grinder knife? For this procedure, the cutting tool should be attached to the grindstone. Next, the whetstone scrolls several times. Make sure that you are able to press the device tightly. Circular movements of the grinding tool should be counterclockwise. This is done so that the cutting edge does not get damaged. After such a knife treatment, you can look at it. If the sharpening is successful, then on the surface of this cutting tool you will notice areas that shine. This means that the metal appeared, and before that the oxides were removed. If all the dark oxides have not disappeared from the surface, then the procedure can be repeated.
If you are using an old and rusted knife, it is best to first process it using a grinder. In the event that you do not have a grinder at hand, then there is an alternative.
This is a very specific method. Find a bolt that matches the hole diameter of the tool. Pass the bolt through this hole and insert it into the chuck of the electric drill. The electric drill should work at low speeds, while reverse stroke (reverse) must be used. After that, it must be carefully leaned against the abrasive product. Apply with a flat surface. A kind is also a grinder. Of course, in order to bring to perfect sharpness, its sharpening must be manual.
Of course, you can get the most sharpened tool from the hands of specialists who have at their disposal a surface grinding machine suitable for sharpening meat grinder knives. Such a specially designed device removes an even steel layer from the surface. He also makes adjustments to the cutting edges at the required angle. Yes, to see such an apparatus is a difficult task, but there are workshops where you can use this service.
But how to grind a knife-grill? Sharpening this type of cutting tool is practically no different from the previous one. The peculiarity is that you will need more patience. Only that part of the cutting tool with which it has contact with a moving knife is sharpened. It is necessary to straighten this side very carefully. If a slight skew is allowed, then there will be no close contact between the cutting components of the device. Even if they are perfectly sharp, you will not be able to cook high-quality minced meat.
Important Tips
There are tips to help you make better and faster sharpening:
- Wet the abrasive wheel or sandpaper. Thanks to this, you can achieve the smoothest surface. And the cutting element can be dipped in oil.
- For processing a mesh knife, it is best to use an abrasive cloth that has a large size.
- When sharpening, move the cutting object over the entire surface of the blade.
These tips are most effective.