Keeping your meat grinder oiled and well maintained is essential for this piece of equipment and its longevity. If you are a regular user of a meat grinder, or you happened to have purchased one recently, it’s best to have some oil ready for when you need it. But what is the best meat grinder oil type to use? White oil, as well as food-grade mineral oil, are the two recommended oils to use with your grinder, and here we will discuss these options in more detail and how to look after your grinding equipment overall.
Using oil with machines ensures that they run smoothly. And using oil with a meat grinder helps to prevent rust and oxidation. Keeping on top of oiling your meat grinder will extend its life for as long as possible. In contrast, the flip side to not oiling your grinder, means you could reduce your machine’s lifespan by one-third. As well as extending the life of your machine, oiling can also help in other ways:
Makes Storage Easier
Oiling your meat grinder helps to make sure it is stored properly. Following an oiling, you don’t have to worry about any side effects whilst it is stored until you next use it.
Makes Rotation Easy
This is more for anyone who owns a manual meat grinder. Regular oiling help will reduce the force necessary when rotating the handle to grind the meat. The worm mechanism that is located in the food tube part of your machine will be able to operate a lot smoother. Oiling your device will definitely help to increase the smoothness of your machine and reduce the time it takes to grind.
Ultimately Save You Money
Keeping on top of the oiling of your meat grinder will save you money in the long run. Having the appropriate oil to hand to help with maintaining your grinder is a lot cheaper than having to rebudget for a new piece of machinery when it succumbs to rust. So always keep a bottle handy and keep your meat grinder well oiled.
Food safe, prevents absorption of food odors. Perfect for cutting boards, wooden utensils, salad bowls and chopping blocks.
Keeps stainless steel appliances looking brand new. Prevents wood from drying out and cracking.
Colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Mineral Oil will not break down and become rancid like vegetable oil.
Can be used for, but not limited to: lubricating food processing machines, rust prevention on knives, stainless steel cleaner, and much more!
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There are two types of oil that will work best with your meat grinder, either white oil or food-grade mineral oil. Both will perform the same job and will be available online and in most hardware stores. Both are safe for your machine and will help to reduce the chances of rust and keep your machine running smooth.
Cleaning and Maintenance of Meat Grinder
Once you have used your meat grinder, it is best to clean it straight away. Regardless of what you have used your machine for, be it grinding vegetables, making pasta, or just to grind meat, it is imperative you clean it thoroughly, followed by oiling.
We will discuss here the best procedure to make sure your grinder is free of all dirt and debris and how to oil your equipment.
1) Run a slice or two of bread through your grinder to rid the inside of any oils transferred from meat or vegetables. The bread will absorb the oil as it passes through the food tube. If you feel it needs more bread, run a couple more slices through to pick up any leftover oil.
2) Dismantle the meat grinder by following your instruction manual. If there are any remnants of food or bread leftover at this point, brush them away.
3) Soak the parts you have removed in hot soapy water for around 20 minutes. Only soak the non-motorized parts of your machine if you have an electric meat grinder. You don’t want to damage the machine beyond repair.
3) Wash the removed parts thoroughly with both a sponge and a brush. Avoid touching the blades with your hands to avert any injuries. Use the brush to reach places where your hand is unable to reach with the sponge. Rinse off with clean water to get rid of any soap suds before leaving to air dry thoroughly after washing.
4) Once the washed parts are dry, grab your oil, and lubricate the parts that you will store, especially items such as the screws and the pushers which will touch the meat.
5) When you are finished with the oil and satisfied with the lubricated parts, store them in sealable plastic bags with rice. This step will help to make sure that any leftover moisture is absorbed by the rice.
6) If you have room in your fridge or freezer, store the removable parts here. Storing meat grinder parts in your fridge or freezer is known to help make your grinder more efficient when grinding meat. If you don’t have the room, don’t worry; just store them in a cool and dry place, and when you go to use your machine, store them in the freezer for around an hour to bring the temperature down. Again, if you are using an electric grinder, do not place the motorized parts inside the freezer to avoid any unnecessary damage.
7) Before you put your machine back together, you will have to sterilize it. Use 1 tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water, and spray over the parts you have oiled. Rinse with warm water before reattaching the parts back together.
Don’t wash any parts in the dishwasher, as the heat exposure could lead to rusting and oxidization regardless of oiling. Some manufacturers will suggest that some parts of your grinder can be washed in a dishwasher; but if you would like to extend the life of your machine further, wash it by hand instead.
Conclusion
Meat grinders are great machines and a handy tool in your kitchen, and now your meat grinder is ready and protected against rust and any possible future oxidization. Buying either white oil or a food-grade mineral oil and following the steps above will have your machinery in the best possible state to prolong its life.
Hi, my name is Kunal Sharma, and I am a self-certified foodie. I love everything about food - from its preparation to cooking, raw ingredients to final dishes.
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