Where to sharpen meat grinder knives. How to sharpen a meat grinder knife at home: effective ways

The meat grinder is an indispensable mechanism for the kitchen. With its help, it is easy to grind almost any food from which you can cook delicious dishes. In some cases, a meat grinder may even be more necessary than a blender or food processor.

Meat grinder blades become dull over time and need to be sharpened.

But over time, even the highest quality mechanism ceases to please us with its serviceability. This problem does not bypass the meat grinder, in particular, its knives. As a rule, after a sufficiently long use, even the most expensive parts become dull. This is due to the fact that a small depression is formed in the place where the grate is pressed against the knife. And in some cases, it becomes dull on its own if the quality of the blade is not high enough.

Characteristics of knives and the principle of operation

Before proceeding to consider the process of how to sharpen a meat grinder knife, it is advisable to dwell in more detail on the principle of its operation. Without this knowledge, you are unlikely to be able to sharpen the mechanism well with your own hands.

Any meat grinder works on two knives. The first one is stationary. It is a circle according to the diameter of the meat grinder opening, inside of which there are a lot of small holes. During the operation of the device, this knife remains motionless. The second is a spare part of a slightly smaller diameter, having blades (usually 4 of them). During operation, these blades rotate, due to which food is crushed.

So, the one that rotates ensures the quality of cutting food into small pieces. And the stationary mechanism ensures the passage of these pieces through the holes, which makes it possible for them to be crushed even more and turn into a single mass.

Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the sharpening of individual blades of blades of the second type, since without sufficient sharpness the products will not be crushed, which means they will not be able to pass normally through the holes of the first type knife.

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Basic sharpening methods

Sharpening a knife on sandpaper or a grindstone.

How right? Before any method of sharpening, it is necessary to properly prepare the knives. This is necessary both for the best quality of work, and so that the sharpening tool does not deteriorate immediately. Therefore, before the process, you need to lubricate the blades with ordinary sunflower oil and let it dry slightly for 5 minutes. The same must be done with the sharpening tool. This procedure will additionally protect the knife from the formation of splinters due to the possible incorrect rotation of the blades during operation.

Let's move on to the main process - sharpening knives for a meat grinder. You can do this in several ways. So that you can choose the most suitable and convenient method, we will consider them all in more detail.

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Sharpening on a special machine

The first most convenient method is to use a special machine that is designed to sharpen blades for a meat grinder. This mechanism has a very smooth abrasive surface, which in its appearance is very similar to an ordinary disk. How to sharpen a knife on a smooth disk?

The thing is that before sharpening, a paste specially designed for this purpose is applied to this disc, which contains the smallest abrasive particles. It dries fairly quickly, after which the disc becomes rough and ready for sharpening work.

Then you need to turn on the machine - the circle will begin to rotate. You need to take a knife and gently press it with the blades. At the same time, sharpening is carried out in several stages with interruptions, so that the metal has time to cool enough and not overheat.

But this method has two main disadvantages. The first is the difficulty of sharpening in the absence of skills. As a rule, people who have never worked with meat grinder knives before will not be able to sharpen them at the right angle on such a machine. Plus, it can be unsafe. Therefore, for such work, you need to seek help from a specialist.

The second inconvenience is the cost of the machine. A design of this type costs a lot of money, and it is not so easy to purchase it in a regular home appliance store. Therefore, before dwelling on this method of sharpening, think about whether you need to spend money on a machine just for this.

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Using a whetstone

The disc knife needs periodic sharpening, for this it is driven in sandpaper or a grindstone.

The second method is the use of an ordinary grindstone. Here you can try sharpening in two ways. The first comes down to the fact that you will need to move the stone, and with the second, the emphasis when moving is on the meat grinder knife. Let's consider both methods.

The first way is by rotating the knife. To do this, you need to take a grindstone, the surface area of \u200b\u200bwhich is 2-3 times the diameter of the knife. In this case, the fraction should be very small. Otherwise, it will take a very long time to sharpen, or the work will not turn out to be of sufficient quality.

Place the knife in the middle of the whetstone so that the blades fit snugly against its surface. Next, holding it in the middle with your finger, make circular movements with the knife. You need to try to press hard on it, gradually increasing the speed of rotation.

During the sharpening process, check the uniformity of the blades from time to time. When they all become equally uniform without visible irregularities and notches, sharpening can be considered finished. Consider also the moment that this method of sharpening is ideal for blades that are not too dull. But it is absolutely useless in severely neglected cases.

The second method is by rotating the stone. This is a more radical method that will make it possible to undermine even a very stupid mechanism. The sharpening stone must also be used with a fine grain fraction. The sharpening force will be achieved due to friction on the surface. The size of the stone can be taken equal to the size of the knife.

So, you need to put on a mitten on your hand to protect yourself and take a knife with this hand. A stone is taken in the other hand, tightly pressed against the knife and moves in a circle. It will even be much more effective, if possible, to fix the knife so as not to hold it yourself, and then sharpen it with a piece of stone.

After the end of the procedure, you need to let the knife cool slightly, and then rinse it under running cold water to remove unnecessary metal residues. Sharpening can be considered finished. With this method, due to the stronger adhesion of materials, cardinal sharpening occurs.

A meat grinder is an indispensable thing in the kitchen. With its help, every housewife will be able to cook a huge number of dishes from minced meat and vegetables. Despite the fact that other universal appliances, such as a blender or a food processor, have already appeared in the modern kitchen, the meat grinder still confidently competes with them. However, the blades of the device become dull after prolonged use, and the question of how to properly sharpen the meat grinder knives one day becomes relevant.

Depending on the frequency of use of the meat grinder, its blades lose their sharpness. This can occur due to the formation of small chips and depressions in the place where the movable and fixed cutting elements come into contact.

On the machine

This is a very simple and quick way to sharpen knives yourself. Sharpening is done using a rotating grinding disc. Before starting work, an abrasive goi paste is applied to its surface, which, when dried, creates a rough surface on the disc due to the content of small particles in its composition.

Important! Use Goi Paste No. 4 with a grit of 17-8 microns.

Grinding of the mesh knife on the machine is carried out as follows:

Apply abrasive paste to the surface of the machine disk and wait for it to dry. Only after that the device will be ready for operation.

Turn on the machine. The disk will start spinning.

Gently press the mesh knife against the surface of the disc. Try to distribute pressure evenly.

Sharpening a torch with a machine can be difficult if you are not experienced with a machine. It needs to be done in 2 steps:

First, sharpen each of the 4 knife blades by leaning them against the rotating disc at an 80° angle.
It is very important to maintain the angle of inclination relative to the machine evenly.

The second stage will be the grinding of the formed burrs. To do this, follow the steps similar to sharpening a mesh knife.

It is necessary to sharpen the cutter on the machine, observing small breaks between stages. This is necessary in order to allow the metal of the knife to cool.

sandpaper

One of the easiest and most affordable ways is to use sandpaper. She will definitely be in your home. In extreme cases, you can buy it at a hardware or hardware store. The cost of this tool is several times less than the cost of a grindstone or machine.

Important! For sharpening, it is not recommended to use sandpaper with large fractions of grains, as it can significantly damage the surface of the knife.

So, the sharpening process is carried out in the following sequence:

Place a sheet of sandpaper horizontally on the desktop. For convenience, it is desirable to provide him with additional fixation.

In a clockwise circular motion, begin to rub the knife until you achieve a sheen and sharpness of the blades.

Do the same with the mesh.

Important! The movements should be only circular and resemble wiping the surface.

Video: sandpaper sharpening master class

The process of sharpening knives for a meat grinder at home is quite feasible even for people without special experience and skills. All you need is a sharpening tool and some free time. If you notice a deterioration in the sharpness of the blades in the device, do not hesitate to process them.

What makes a meat grinder turn a piece of juicy pork into minced meat for cutlets or dumplings? The main roles are assigned to two parts: directly to the knife, which grinds almost any solid product, and the mesh, which does not let too large pieces through. Due to constant contact with meat veins and moisture, the tool becomes dull, and you have to give it to the master or look for ways to sharpen it yourself.

Sandpaper option

If you need to slightly refresh the meat grinder knife and remove the darkened layer, it is recommended to use sandpaper with medium or large grains. To facilitate the work, you should stock up on a round bar or wooden rocking chair, rubber band or tape, and protect your hands with special gloves.

The knife is sharpened together with the mesh, because if the surface of the second one is uneven, even perfectly sharp blades will not be able to chop the meat as required. Parts must be washed and cleaned, removing food debris and dirt, dried and treated with vegetable oil. The lubricant will protect the metal from chipping if the blade suddenly slips and turns at the wrong angle during sharpening.

When the oil dries, you can start:

Wrap a sheet of sandpaper around a bar or rocking chair, securing it with tape or an elastic band.
With one hand, which is wearing a glove, take a knife, the second tool for sharpening the part.
Treat each blade separately, moving from the thick part to the thin tip of the blade.
Finally, you can sand the base of the knife, and then rinse it under the tap to remove any residue.

The work can be considered completed when the part becomes lighter, and its color is uniform without dark blotches. It is advised to move smoothly, because the metal used to make knives does not like high temperatures, which shorten the life of the tool.

Important: Sandpaper is one of the quickest and most economical options, but it will not cope with serious problems.

Method two: grindstone

A whetstone, which is used to work with ordinary kitchen knives, is also used to process meat grinder parts. There are two ways: the rotation of the knife or the stone itself. The first is less effective, but safer for the blades. The second should be resorted to if the knife is dull almost hopelessly.

Rotary blade option
The stone should be slightly more detailed. Wear gloves on your hands to avoid injury while working. Fix the sharpening tool with the help of special devices, or press it against a table or other stable surface and hold it with your fingers. Apply a paste with abrasive substances to the surface of the stone, which will facilitate the process and protect the metal from severe damage. It is advisable not to wet the knife and working tool with water or grease. The metal heats up during operation, and an oxidative reaction occurs, due to which rust appears on the surface of the parts.

Important: The finer the grain of the stone, the faster the knife is sharpened, and less time has to be spent on the process.

Place the part on the fixed tool. Turn the side with which the knife is adjacent to the net, and press it against the stone with force. Put your finger in the center of the part, holding it and at the same time rotating around its axis. You can not rush, so that the metal does not overheat. When the procedure is completed, allow the knife to cool and rinse under the tap to wash off the remaining chips.

Rotating stone option
Fix a clean and dry knife with a bracket or holder. The stone can be taken large or slightly smaller than the part itself. The material must be fine-grained. Move the tool counterclockwise so that it slides off the blades rather than climbing them towards the thicker part.

The tool should move slowly, gradually increasing speed. The metal must not be allowed to heat up. When the surface of the parts becomes uniform in color, without spots and notches, the work is completed. Be sure to rinse the knives in water immediately after sharpening and dry thoroughly.

Method three: Working with the machine

You can’t buy equipment for sharpening kitchen and other accessories in a regular store, and such a tool will cost more than sandpaper and stone. Although if you learn how to work with the machine, you can not only update home knives, but also earn some extra money by offering your services to neighbors.

The device looks like a disk with a flat and smooth surface without notches. Do not do without a paste with abrasive particles. The tool is applied 10-15 minutes before the start of sharpening. The paste needs time to soak in, and then the surface of the disc will become rough.

The machine must be turned on to start the mechanism. Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from injury. The meat grinder knife is brought to the disk and the blades are pressed against a rough surface. Sharpening is carried out in several stages. As soon as the metal becomes warm, they take a break until the part cools completely. The blades must not be strongly pressed against the disk, so as not to damage them or remove the surface hardening, without which the cutting parts are quickly erased and become unusable.

Important: During work, you must hold the parts at a certain angle, otherwise you can break the knives or injure your fingers.

Method four: drill

You will need a large heavy stone for sharpening and a drill with an iron pin. The diameter of this alternative nozzle should be 12–15 mm. The edge on which the knife is fixed should be a square shape measuring 8 by 8 mm. It is carefully turned and polished.

Hold the drill strictly vertically, pressing the part against the stone so that it does not jump off during rotation and hit the leg or other part of the body. Select a slow rotation mode, no more than 400 rpm. Do not overheat the metal, otherwise the properties of the material do not change for the better.

Video: how to sharpen a meat grinder knife

Sharpening knives of meat grinders in our stands 225 r. for sharpening a knife and 225 r. for sharpening the grate of the meat grinder.

Meat grinders are sharpened

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When needed sharpening meat grinder knives?

Usually it begins to interest us when the manufacture of minced meat becomes a laborious process that takes a lot of time and effort. In this case, the meat grinder may simply fail, much more energy is spent on its operation, it overheats endlessly and may simply not withstand the motor.

Blunt meat grinder knives make the process of minced meat preparation too painful and time consuming. To avoid such problems, you need to monitor the sharpness and quality of sharpening knives. Usually this is done by special workshops, but you can sharpen knives yourself, at home.

The cost of sharpening knives for meat grinders and meat grinder grates is from 200 rubles.

Every home now has a meat grinder in the kitchen. It can be mechanical or electric, but the principle of operation of both meat grinders is basically the same. They differ only in that a mechanical meat grinder must be turned manually, and an engine is built into the electric meat grinder, which facilitates the process of minced meat preparation and speeds up the process several times.

In addition to home domestic use of meat grinders, they are used in industry in the manufacture of minced meat in large volumes. They differ from domestic ones in size and power, they are used mainly in the production of semi-finished products at catering enterprises.
The most common meat grinder consists of a fixed mesh knife with small holes and a knife consisting of four petals. With the help of the auger, the processed product gets between the holes of the knife and the product is separated in parts from the total mass. The sharp edges of the knife cut the product and crush it to the state of minced meat. The easier the handle of the meat grinder turns, the sharper the knife is sharpened.


Each of the meat grinder knives has its own equally important value. Therefore, the sharpening of each of them should be treated responsibly.

Sharpening knives for mobile meat grinders is not very laborious, it is especially easier to sharpen with an electric sharpener, maintaining angles within about 70-80 degrees. It is important that all the edges of the knife that are facing the grid form a single plane. To correctly fulfill this condition, you need to press the knife against a piece of sandpaper with fine crumbs, “null” is best. In those areas where there was contact with the abrasive, there will be lighter areas than on the entire surface of the knife. Processing should be carried out until the entire surface becomes light, at the same time with this action you will remove all notches and burrs from the cutting edges of the knife.


Meat grinder blades should not be sharpened by hand. The inaccuracy of manual sharpening can cause non-ideal closing of surfaces. Professional costs only 200-250 rubles.

You can also use a grinding machine, these machines are always available in all tool shops and repair shops where they work with metals.

It is much more difficult to sharpen a stationary knife, because the metal layer is removed mainly from the ends, and the entire area is much larger, which means that the requirements for high sharpening accuracy are quite high.

You will have to be patient and have enough time. You will need an abrasive block, so you need to make sure in advance with a ruler that the abrasive platform is installed strictly horizontally. Next, the knife-lattice lies on the surface of the bar and rubs against the bar, slowly turning the lattice-knife so that the scratches are in a chaotic manner. The bar should be moistened with water, then the surface to be sharpened will be much cleaner. The abrasive grains will do their job, even those that have crumbled or been crushed, and the water will hold them like a "paste".

After the knives are sharpened, you need to connect them together. This is done by rotating them one over the other, while controlling the degree of pressure. Know that well and properly sharpened meat grinder knives will work well and easily, you will not have to suffer when cooking minced meat, as is often the case if the knives are not sharpened correctly.

We carry out the following sharpening works:

Approximate price 400 rubles.
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approximate price 250 rub
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For many years, sharpening a knife from a meat grinder was a problem for me. Rather, I was afraid to spoil it, so I preferred not to experiment at home, but to take it along with ordinary kitchen knives to a craftsman who worked on a professional machine. However, then I got tired of it. And trips to the other end of the city no longer fit into the work schedule. And the toad began to choke, because for the price of a few sharpenings you could buy a new knife. In general, I had to learn a new craft.

Method 1: an unusual file

First of all, I went to a hardware store and asked the seller to show all the tools for sharpening knives from a meat grinder that are available. He shrugged his shoulders, slid an indifferent glance at me and said that they didn’t have such a thing, they didn’t have it, and it’s unlikely they ever will.

I kept insisting. If there are meat grinders and knives for them on sale, then there is an item that can restore the efficiency of these same knives. Let me get it even from under the counter, even from the ground, but otherwise I still won’t leave. The salesman thought for a minute, then perked up, went to some booth and returned a minute later with a file in his hand. It was he who solemnly handed me over, declaring that this file is called musat and together we will be happy forever.

I heard somewhere that ordinary knives can be sharpened with a file. But the fact that it is used for sharpening knives from a meat grinder was unknown to me. However, the thing was interesting, it was inexpensive, and I would definitely find a use for it, so I decided to buy it.

As a result, I repeatedly made attempts to put the knife in order using the same musat. No positive changes were observed, rather the opposite. But ordinary knives were sharpened well, which, however, did not solve the problem with a meat grinder.

Method 2: Sandpaper

On a warm autumn day, in order to pass the time left before the appointment with the dentist, I decided to take a walk around the market. It was very conveniently located (almost next to the clinic) and there was always something to see.

So this time, passing between the rows with all sorts of things, I involuntarily overheard the conversation of the seller with the buyer, who demanded to give him emery for sharpening knives. This interested me, therefore, after waiting for the man to leave and taking advantage of the absence of other customers, I interrogated the man who was standing on the other side of the counter. Needless to say, his patience was limitless. For this reason, half an hour later, I went home with a set of 10 sheets of waterproof sandpaper for metalworking.

As the seller assured, sharpening knives with emery is as easy as shelling pears. Especially if these are knives from a meat grinder. The process of sharpening, according to him, looked like this:

You need to put a piece of paper on a very flat, smooth surface. If it is bumpy, ribbed or something else, nothing good will come of it. Even one small grain that has fallen under a sheet of emery can ruin everything.
Place the knife on top so that it touches the abrasive surface with its cutting edges.
Press the knife down with your fingers and turn it counterclockwise. It is very important to do just that, and not vice versa.
After a while, the edges will begin to shine. When their entire surface becomes silver-shiny, the sharpening process can be considered complete.

However, that's not all. In order for the meat grinder to work no worse than the jaws of the megalodon, it is necessary to tidy up the metal mesh (a circle with holes) through which the minced meat passes. Manipulations with it are carried out the same as with a knife, but it is desirable to bring it to an even shine on both sides. By the way, you can rotate the grid in any direction, and not strictly counterclockwise.

Since this method was suitable for both an electric meat grinder and a manual one, I decided to first test it on knives from a cheaper fixture. I did everything as the seller advised, assembled the meat grinder, pulled out the meat bought on occasion from the refrigerator and was really surprised - the old meat grinder was grinding beef as if it were apples. And this despite the fact that she had her own knives - 1958 of release.

Conducting a second experiment, now with the participation of a knife from a modern and fairly expensive meat grinder, was no longer scary. And again, the result is amazing! In the future, I used this method exclusively for 5 or 6 years, and even now it remains my favorite.

Method 3: abrasive wheel

If not for another accident, I would hardly have learned about this method from someone. Firstly, because I was no longer interested in such information, and secondly, because, it seems to me, few people use it.

Late one evening, I was doing nothing more than canning tomatoes. When the hands on the clock showed five minutes to eleven, it turned out that the house had run out of salt. The last store closed an hour ago, and there was only one way out - to go for salt to a midnight neighbor.

Being invited to the kitchen, I noticed a strange set on the table - among the spare parts from the disassembled meat grinder, there was something of the same shape as the mesh, but without holes through which the minced meat passes. I can’t contain my curiosity, so I immediately asked about the name and purpose of this item. It turned out to be a special abrasive wheel for sharpening a knife from a meat grinder. It's easy to use:

It is enough to assemble the meat grinder by folding the parts in the usual way, however, instead of the grid, install this very circle and tighten the union nut (the one that holds the grid, knife and auger together) so that the handle turns with effort.
Turn the handle in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) until the cutting edges of the knife are smooth and shiny.

It is not easy to get such an abrasive wheel for sharpening knives from a meat grinder. You will have to walk around the flea markets or ask around the familiar grandparents if they have an extra one lying around. I was lucky to find it on the bulletin board and buy it for a few pennies - 40 rubles. Now I use it most often, which is very convenient.

In my "piggy bank of experience" so far there are only two ways to sharpen a knife from a meat grinder. I can recommend them with a clear conscience to anyone who needs such a recommendation. However, I think there are other, no less interesting and effective options. Tell us how you cope with this task - do you use the services of professionals or have you purchased a device that can be used at home?