Buying guide
Meat Grinder Buying Guide (2026)
Meat grinder buying guide on No. 8, 12, and 22 sizing, horsepower versus peak watts, plate and knife pairing, sausage stuffing, and cold grinding technique.
Decode grinder numbers first
Grinder numbers, No. 8, No. 12, No. 22, and No. 32, describe the head size: throat diameter, plate diameter, and how large a strip it accepts. Larger numbers grind faster and need larger strips cut less, at the cost of size and cleaning.
Most home cooks need No. 8. Bulk and game cooks need No. 12. No. 22 is for multi-animal or very large batch days.
Horsepower versus peak watts
Dedicated serious grinders rate power in continuous horsepower. Home units often headline peak watts, which describes a momentary maximum, not sustained output.
Compare HP to HP and rated watts to rated watts. Then weigh pounds per minute, duty guidance, and whether the motor is air-cooled for long sessions.
Plates, knives, and the second grind
Most home grinding uses a coarse plate for the first pass and a medium plate for burgers, or a coarse grind only for many sausages. Fine plates suit emulsified products and some pet or specialty recipes.
Buy a grinder with the plates you need included or available, keep a sharp knife matched to the plate, and replace a dull knife and worn plate as a pair for clean cuts.
Buy this type if, avoid if: a simple framework
Match the type to your proven volume:
- Buy a mixer attachment if you own the mixer and grind a few pounds at a time for burgers or trial sausage.
- Buy a budget or mid home electric if you grind monthly in batches under 10 lbs and are learning the craft.
- Buy a No. 8 stainless HP model if you grind weekly or process one game animal at a time and want years of service.
- Buy a No. 12 or No. 22 HP model if your sessions regularly exceed 20 lbs or cover multiple animals in a day.
- Avoid peak-watt budget models if you plan long game sessions, they will need rests that stretch the day.
- Avoid No. 22 models if your typical batch is under 10 lbs, cleaning will outweigh the speed gain.
Cold chain, cleaning, and food safety
Grind meat cold, chill metal parts where the maker allows, work in batches that stay cold, and refrigerate ground meat promptly. Warm, smeared fat is a quality failure and slow warm grinding is a safety failure.
Wash all contact parts in hot soapy water after use, dry fully before storage, and oil plates and knives lightly for long storage if the maker recommends it. Never grind with a dull knife, it mashes instead of cutting and heats the meat.
Sizing your grinder: a capacity walkthrough
Size by the batch you grind most. A few pounds at a time points to the KitchenAid attachment, the 9.5 pound Sunmile SM-G50 at about 2.2 lbs per minute, or the Cuisinart MG-100 at about 3 lbs per minute. Weekly batches of 5 to 10 lbs point to a No. 8: the Weston No. 8 and LEM Mighty Bite at about 4 to 6 lbs per minute, or the LEM Big Bite No. 8 at about 7 lbs per minute in a 29 pound unit.
Sessions that pass 20 lbs, or a deer in one sitting, point to a No. 12 or No. 22. The Weston Pro Series No. 12 is rated about 9 to 12 lbs per minute at 48 pounds, the LEM Big Bite No. 22 about 13 lbs per minute at 57 pounds, and the Weston Pro Series No. 22 about 14 lbs per minute at 58 pounds.
On a five-pound batch, setup and cleaning dominate and a No. 8 finishes the job as fast as a No. 12. Buy the smallest head that covers your volume, and your grinder will be quicker to clean, easier to store, and used more often.
FAQ
Questions, answered straight
Can I grind meat in a food processor instead?
Pulsed, partially frozen cubes in a processor approximate a coarse grind for a small batch. A grinder gives a far more consistent texture and handles fat distribution properly.
What is the best meat temperature for grinding?
Keep meat very cold, with the surface near freezing but strips still pliable enough to feed. Chill the head and parts for larger batches.
Do I need a dedicated sausage stuffer?
Not to start. Add one when batch size passes about 10 lbs or when casing control on a grinder stuffer starts limiting your results.
How do I store plates and knives?
Dry them fully, store them separated so edges do not chip, and keep them lightly oiled for long seasonal storage if your maker advises it.