How to Clean and Store a Meat Grinder

Owning a meat grinder allows you to prepare homemade sausage and other ground meats. The only downsides to owning a meat grinder is cleaning and storing it. If you do either one improperly, the grinder will rust. Not to mention the appliance will still be greasy. It’s almost enough to make you change your mind about grinding meat at home. Thankfully, the process is easier than you might think.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dry towel
• Zip top bag
• Rice
• Plastic storage container

1. Run bread through the grinder. Even if you use lean meat, a grinder can become greasy. Simply washing with soap and water usually isn’t enough to remove all the grease. A simple technique that will help clean away the grease is to run a few slices of bread through the grinder. The bread will help clean away grease and any meat that may be left in the grinder.

2. Wash the pieces by hand. Washing the pieces by hand not only protects the blades, but it also protects the grinder. If you have a cast iron meat grinder, the dishwasher is definitely out of the question. Even a plastic model can dry and crack under such high heat. Washing the pieces by hand will also help reduce the chances of rust.

3. Dry it thoroughly. It’s important to dry each piece of the meat grinder by hand. Allowing the pieces to air dry could cause them to become rusty. After you clean all the pieces, take a dry towel and dry each piece by hand before you store it.

4. Place accessories in a zip top bag with rice. The blades and any other small accessories can be stored in a zip top bag along with rice. The rice will absorb any moisture, which will prevent the accessories from rusting.

5. Store the grinder in a safe place. The main unit of the meat grinder will also need to be stored with care. The important thing is to store the grinder in a dry area. If you’re worried about moisture, you can always store the unit in a plastic storage container surrounded by rice.

Tips & Warnings

• Never store a meat grinder in an open area of the kitchen. Some cooking techniques create moisture, which could cause the unit to rust.
• Avoid using acidic cleaners and abrasive sponges.
• Make sure to get inside the holes of the blades when cleaning and drying.