How To Clean An Old Meat Grinder?

If you notice that something you want to go back to has suddenly developed some rust, what do you do?

Do you simply look for a way to bring it back to life, or do you throw it away with the mindset of getting another?

I will walk you through the step-by-step instructions on how you can clean an old meat grinder and bring it back to life in this post.

I would like us to go through what causes meat grinders to rust before I give you all that you need to restore that grinder that has developed some rust.

What Causes Meat Grinders To Rust?

Meat grinders are made from many different materials. When the iron in these materials comes into contact with water and oxygen, it causes the metal to oxidize.

What is the reason you may ask? The attraction is because iron and oxygen have different charge poles. When these poles come together, they form oxidation.

The chemical reaction they produce during their coming together causes rusting. One of the things about rust is that they change its appearance very quickly.

They also cause the metal to be weak and begin to fall with time. If you find out that your meat grinder is becoming rusty, the next best thing to do is to act fast to stop that rust.

Continue reading if you want to learn how to prevent your meat grinder from rusting.

How To Keep Meat Grinders From Rusting?

One of the most effective ways to prevent your meat grinder from rusting is to make sure that they are well cleaned and maintained after each use, as failure to do so will lead to bacteria build-up and inevitably cause them to rust.

If you got an old grinder and are trying to bring it back to life, what are you going to do?

If you have an old grinder and you are looking for the best way to clean them up and get them back to use again, then you might want to check out the below steps.

See also: How to Choose Grinder Plate Size?

How Can I Clean An Old Meat Grinder?

If you want to use an old meat grinder that has seen better days, you need to clean them up properly.

Cleaning them will make them safe for grinding and prevent any kind of Contamination. There are a few steps that need to be taken to achieve that.

Dismantle

The first thing you might want to do is disassemble the grinder, then take out the parts you don’t need, and put them in a bowl.

Soak

Now that you have dismantled all of the parts, it is time for you to put them in a solution of warm soapy water and white wine for 30 minutes to cure them.

Wash

After 30 minutes, take out one part at a time from the bowl, with a brush, gently brush, and make sure to pay special attention to the blades and every other part that comes across what you are grinding.

Repeat

Depending on how long you have left your meat grinder, you might want to repeat step 2 down to step 3 until you are certain that it is completely clean.

Rinse And Dry

You can finish it up by wiping the grinder and all its parts up with a dry clean towel after you’re sure that there aren’t any residual stains.

Store

If you want to use them once they are dried, you might want to assemble them, but if you want to use them in a few days, then you need to store them properly.

When it comes to storing meat grinder parts in a bowl, I like to place them in a bowl of uncooked rice. It will help to keep them dry and prevent them from rusting.

How To Get Rust Off A Metal Meat Grinder?

Getting rust off a meat grinder is something I have suffered from since I stopped using a meat grinder after my granny died.

If you have a rusty grinder, you might relate to the struggles that accompany getting them cleaned, but you know what.

You are in my possession, I’ve got you. I took the rust off my meat grinder to make sure it was safe for grinding.

Things Needed

• Vinegar
• Liquid soap
• Baking soda
• Wire brush
• Mineral oil
• Needle files
• Gloves
• Towel
• Sponge

Disassemble

The first step is to dismantle your grinder. Take out all the parts of your meat grinder and place them in a large bowl.

Soak

Put all of the dismantled parts in a big bowl and soak them in a solution with warm soapy water for 1 hour.

Brush

Once it is 1 hour, take the parts from the blade and brush them using a wire brush. Make sure to put on your rubber gloves when dealing with the meat grinder blade.

Until they are little to no stains, you should do this for every other part. Baking soda will be needed if they are true.

Add Baking Soda

In the case of stubborn rust, you will need to add baking soda to the affected part then brush it gently with your wire brush. By this time, the stains should have been completely removed.

Cover The Disk With Oil

After brushing the disc with baking soda and a wire brush, you will need to give it a quick rinse and cover the entire dish with mineral oil.

You will need to remove the rust from the holes once the disc is covered with oil. A Needle file is one way to accomplish this.

The rust from both sides of the holes needs to be taken out with a needle file.

If you want to get a good amount of rusty particles out of the holes, you should repeat this step the second time.

Re-wash

Now that you have taken out some of the rust from the individual holes, it is time to wash each part with soapy water and a sponge.

Rinse, Dry, And Assemble

It’s a good idea to rinse each part with clean flowing water and then towel dry.

Once dried, assemble your grinder and feed damp bread through it to get rid of any other particles before using it again to ground meat.

Note: 

If you are finding it hard to get rust completely from your meat grinder plate and knife, the best thing to do is to get a new one.

Other Ways:

• Using a type of powder called “Bar Keepers friend”.
• It is possible to remove rust from metal surfaces in a short period.
• You can brush the dismantled parts with a wire brush the next morning after soaking them in Coca-Cola. This works just as well as magic.
• If you want to get rust from your grinder, you can make a baking soda paste and wrap your blades with it.
• Allow it to sit on it for a few hours before using a brush to clean it off.
• If you want to remove rust from your grinder, you can sprinkle salt on the affected parts and then have a drop of lime juice.
• Allow it to sit for a few hours and then scrub it off with a brush.

FAQs

How To Restore An Old Meat Grinder?

You are looking for ways to restore that old meat grinder and bring it back to life again. Do you want it to look brand new, not just that?

If this sounds like you, then you should follow me as I walk you through the step-by-step procedures on how to achieve that.

Steps

• The first thing you need to do is disassemble and reassemble the grinder.
• Once you have dismantled the parts, you might want to soak them in a solution of vinegar for a couple of hours before starting the next step.
• Once you are sure that the dismantled parts are well cleaned, it’s time to give them a quick rinse, then towel dry.
• Now that the meat grinder parts are dried, it is time to prepare them for painting.
• This step is very important as it will help the coating adhere to the steel surface and provide extra protection to the steel, making them durable.
• After you primed your metal, you can spray on a few coats of paint to make it look better.
• It is advisable to cover the inside of your grinder so that paint doesn’t get into it.
• You are good to go once you reassemble your meat grinder.

How To Clean My Kitchenaid Meat Grinder Attachment?

The good meat grinder we have in the market is a Kitchenaid grinder.

If this is your first time using it, you might want to know how to clean up the attachment that came with it. Continue reading to learn how to clean your kitchen aid effectively.

Steps:

• If you want to clean your KitchenAid meat grinder, you need to completely disassemble it.
• With a bowl of warm soapy water, gently insert the dismantled parts one after the other, then use the brush that came along with the grinder to gently brush away meat particles or dirt that might have been stocked within the parts.
• The blades need to be put down to the ground screw.
• Once you have cleaned them, it is time to wipe them dry with a towel.

Note: 

Some parts can be used in the dishwasher. It is possible to place parts like the wrench, ring, and grind worm in the dishwasher without fear of ruining them.

How To Clean An Old Coffee Grinder?

Even if you think your antique coffee grinder is old and rusty, you can always clean it up and bring it back to life. This is a step-by-step process for how to do that.

Steps

• This is where you will need to take all the parts apart to make it easier to access cleaning.
• The dismantled parts should be soaked in a solution containing coffee cleaner and hot water for several hours.
• It is possible that the ground drawer needs to be cleaned because it may have been stained with grime.
• Don’t forget to wash them as well and dry them out right away.
• To clean the inside of the coffee grinder, use a brush or a damp cloth.
• It is advisable to do this several times until there is no gunk left in there.
• Once you are certain the parts are clean, you can put your coffee grinder back together and give yourself a treat.

Conclusion

The only way to bring them back to life is by cleaning an old meat grinder.

Regardless of how rusty they are, there are still ways you can restore them, that is what this post is all about.

Next time you are thinking of cleaning or restoring your meat grinder, make sure to refer to this post for steps on how to achieve that.