How to sharpen a meat grinder knife?

A meat grinder is one of those items that are present in every kitchen, every housewife. For the preparation of your favorite dishes, it is simply irreplaceable. Whether it is an electrical device or a mechanical one, sharpening of knives is necessary to the same extent in both cases.

As already mentioned, there are manual and electric meat grinders. But regardless of the drive, the principle of operation is exactly the same. The electric meat grinder differs only in that it works on electricity, and in a mechanical model, the handle will have to be turned independently.

Despite the process of improving meat grinders, any of the models is equipped with a flat fixed knife with many through holes (in the operating instructions it is also called a mesh or grate) and a knife shaped like a screw, which has four blades.

The very process of grinding meat or other products, both in an electric meat grinder and in a mechanical model, is carried out by rotating a cross-shaped knife, which drives a special auger. A part is separated from the main volume of the product and is pushed out through the holes under pressure. Depending on the diameter of the holes, the minced meat is obtained in a different fraction.

An important factor here is the very tight abutment of the knives to each other over the entire surface.

The quality of the issued product directly depends on this. As a rule, both of these elements are blunt at the same time, but nevertheless, the four-bladed knife dominates the chopping of meat, and its sharpness must be monitored to a greater extent.

As a rule, the understanding that this is required arises in the very midst of using the device. Grinding food becomes more difficult, especially if it is a manual meat grinder (the handle is rather difficult to crank).

The meat can turn idle, more juice is squeezed out of it, the veins are wound around the auger, and the minced meat itself turns out to be like gruel. In addition, if the knives of the electric model are dull, then it begins to spend more electricity on the grinding process. But the worst thing is that the engine overheats with this operating mode - your meat grinder may completely fail.

If the listed cases take place, then it's time for sharpening. But do not get upset about this, quit cooking dinner and run to the store for new knives. It is quite expensive and unnecessary.

Despite the fact that the manufacturers of this unit claim that the service life of the knives is infinite and they self-sharpen by rubbing against each other in the process of twisting the products, in reality everything happens differently. First, you need to figure out why the knives are dull. There are several reasons.

• The steel from which they are made is completely normal, even in expensive electrical appliances, it can rust and oxidize over time, which leads to their dullness.
• In meat grinders, meat products are most often twisted, which have a soft structure, but nevertheless they periodically contain small, crushed bones, cartilage and tendons. It is they who contribute to the gradual dullness of the knives.

There is always a choice in which way to fix this problem:

• give to a specialist;
• sharpen yourself;
• buy new ones.

Let's consider how to properly sharpen knives by hand.

Surely you have a whetstone at home, if not, then it's worth buying. By the way, with some modern models of meat grinders, it is included in the kit, but it is also available for sale. The stone must be new for the best effect, or not used before for sharpening ordinary knives and other objects, otherwise its surface may be damaged by chips and scratches, which will negatively affect the knives from the meat grinder.

Its grain size should not exceed forty - sixty microns, then it will not leave jags and scratches on the surface. Place the stone on a flat surface, it is better to lay a dense material under it so that the stone does not slip. Sprinkle generously with water from a spray bottle or soak for two to three minutes in a container of liquid. Care must be taken to ensure that moisture does not evaporate from the grindstone.

Now take a knife, place it on a stone, press firmly and rotate it to the left and in a circle until the cutting blades have a flat, smooth, mirror-like surface. Use a block of wood for better grip. Inspect carefully afterwards, check if there are any scratches. It is important that the sharpening is uniform across all four surfaces of the knife. If you still see scratches on the cutting part, then sand it with fine sandpaper.

If there was a film of oxidation, then with rotational movements periodically check that it is also peeled off evenly. This is extremely important, as it affects the further operation of the knife. After that, do the same sharpening algorithm with a mesh knife.

When you're done, don't forget to attach the four-blade knife to the mesh and check for a gap. It shouldn't be.

Now you need to rinse both elements well under running water in order to wash off small metal filings, assemble a meat grinder and rotate a piece of meat. You will immediately feel the difference and know if you did a good enough sharpening. If not, repeat the entire procedure one more time.

Perhaps this is the fastest way to sharpen knives, but not suitable for everyone. This requires skill in working with this device, and if you do not have it, then it is better to use a special stone, block or sanding paper. To use the machine, it is necessary to apply a special GOI paste (number four) with a fine abrasive on the smooth surface of the grinding stone and let it dry completely. Only after that you can start working.

We start the device and carefully press the blade of the knife to the rotating circle. The angle of inclination of the petals should be approximately seventy to eighty degrees, it is important here to preserve the angles. You constantly need to monitor the sharpened surface and let the metal cool down in time so as not to burn it. With the grill, do the same procedure, but use the same wooden block for pressure to avoid damage to the skin of your fingers.

The easiest and most affordable way, as sandpaper can often be found in a toolbox in any home. But even if not, then it will not be difficult to buy it at any nearest building materials store. The abrasive part of the sandpaper should be fine so as not to damage the surface, otherwise additional sanding will be required. The algorithm of actions is very simple and similar to the previous ones.

Place the paper securely on a flat surface, it is best to stick it on organic glass or other object. Moisten the knife with water, turn counterclockwise until a smooth surface appears. Do the same with the second knife.

If the cutting parts are severely rusted, a drill can be used to save energy and simplify the process. Fix the knife through the hole in the center using a suitable screw and gently at low speeds in reverse reverse mode, clean the rust from the surface until an even shine.

Finish the subsequent processing of the part by hand. Remember to rub both knives together to check for a snug fit. To do this, press one knife to the other and rotate, looking at the gap, so that there is no distance between them. A gap of 0.05 millimeters is allowed. This is the approximate thickness of a human hair. If the gap is larger, it doesn't matter how sharpened the knives are - they will not work very well. Therefore, it is worth repeating the grinding.

• Experts advise, for better processing of the cutting part of the knives, immediately before sharpening, lubricate them with any edible oil and let them stand for five minutes. A machine tool is also suitable, but then rinse thoroughly with a fat washer and wipe with alcohol.
• For uniform sharpening, periodically rotate the knife around its axis.
• The pressure when sharpening should be done directly on the central part. This avoids the risk of grinding off more metal on one side than on the other.
• For a long service life, the parts of the meat grinder must be well cleaned after use and be sure to dry on a towel or paper to avoid corrosion.
• Inspection of the meat grinder must be carried out once a month in order to sharpen on time.

In such simple ways, you can return your kitchen assistant to the "battle formation". By following the advice of experts, you will extend the life of your meat grinder for years to come.

For information on how to sharpen meat grinder knives, see the next video.