There are so many recipes that call for ground meat. While there are many brands of ground beef in the grocery store, homemade beat them all hands down. There is an appliance that is the best food processor for grinding meat for you.
We put together this article because we know that many people shy away from recipes that call for ground meat for many reasons. One of those reasons would be mistrust of store bought ground meat. That, combined with the lack of time or energy to grind meat at home.
But with the aid of a best food processor for grinding meat, you’ll always look forward to exploring new recipes.
Table of Contents
Best Food Processors For Grinding Meat – Products
The products we are about to present to you are placed in different categories. These categories and products are as follows:-
- Best value for money – Cuisinart DFP-14CPYAMZ Custom 14 Food Processor Brushed Metal Series
- Best budget – Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, Black (70725A)
- High end food processor – Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
- Mini food processor or chopper– Homeleader Electric 5-Cup Food Processor/Chopper
- Best manual food processor – Brieftons Manual Food Chopper
They are so placed to save you the trouble of wading through the myriads of products that are on the market to find what you are looking for. So here goes:-
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – Best Value For Money
This category showcases a product that gives the buyer great value for money. The criteria for determining this includes the rating on Amazon and reviews from verified purchases.
Product Name – Cuisinart DFP-14CPYAMZ Custom 14 Food Processor Brushed Metal Series
Our Rating – 4.2 Star
Features
(i) 720 watt motor powerful enough to reduce any meat to grounds in a matter of seconds.
(ii) 14-cup capacity Lexan work bowl is made of BPA free material.
(iii) Intuitive on/off and pulse buttons are very easy to use.
(iv) 5 years full warranty on the motor and 3 years limited warranty on the entire unit.
(v) Removable parts are dishwasher safe.
The Cuisinart DFP-14CPYAMZ Custom 14 Food Processor Brushed Metal Series is a work horse in the kitchen. It is in this category because it delivers efficient and fast food processing at all times.
You can embark on making any recipe with ground meat of any kind thanks to the powerful motor and all the other features.
It even comes with a user guide and recipes to help you get a hang of the machine (in case you have never used a food processor before).
The 14-cup work bowl provides enough capacity for you to make large batches of ingredients. So you can grind up your meat for the week and store in the freezer.
There are other models and designs from Cuisinart (in case you are a Cuisinart loyalist). Read this review to compare and have more options to choose from.
Click here to check this out and buy on Amazon
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – Best Budget Product
The product in this category is one that has garnered over 2,000 reviews on Amazon and over 70% of those reviews are 5 star reviews. One of the things people love best about this product is its combination of affordability and optimum performance.
Note that this machine is not a heavy duty one but rest assured that it can deliver ground meat at a reasonable quantity.
Ensure that you read the user manual carefully and adhere accordingly.
Product Name – Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, Black (70725A)
Our Rating – 4
Features
(i) 450 watt motor with 2 speed options ad a pulse button.
(ii) Easy to assemble due to the stack and snap design.
(iii) Simple to understand function guide on the food processor aids user friendliness. It shows user which blade to use and the button to press for specific tasks.
(iv) Sealed work bowl design ensures there’s no leakage and spills while machine is operational.
(v) Every part that comes in contact with food is made with BPA free materials.
This Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor seems like a steal as it comes in at less than $50. Many satisfied customers rave about this product because of its affordability and user friendliness.
Imagine that you bought this machine at $50 and you used it for even as briefly as 6 months for grinding beef let’s say on a weekly basis. I think the machine would have paid for itself. But amazingly, this machine is durable and it more than delivers on its promise as advertised.
The extra-large feed chute allows you to process whole fruits and veggies, thus further reducing your prep time.
Just head over here and check out this machine, you’ll appreciate why it is our best budget product.
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – Best High End Product
High end products are so labeled based on at least three criteria (I) brand (ii) sophistication (iii) price.
The criteria of price follows the axiom that good quality cost a pretty penny. While there are many products that disappoint in that regard, this Breville product doesn’t.
The Breville brand is renowned and has proven integrity as regards its products. Most of its products are sophisticated and deliver optimum performance. That is why we present this food processor in this category.
Product Name – Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
Our Rating 4.4 Star
Features
(i) Comes with 5 multi-function discs and 3 blades. These attachments are adequate for all your food prep tasks. Not forgetting grinding meat.
(ii) The 5.5 inch wide feed tube is large enough to accommodate whole fruits and veggies. This precludes the need to cut up ingredients before processing.
(iii) The two processing bowls – 16 –cup and 2.5- cup are made with BPA free material.
(iv) 1200 watt heavy induction motor with LCD display multidirectional auto timer.
(v) Blades are made with high quality stainless steel and come in a storage box that can be stored vertically or horizontally as space permits.
The Sous Chef 16 Pro BFP800XL by Breville delivers consistent results that lead to even cooking of ingredients and excellent taste. With the three feed chute options and 8 precision tools, you are assured of professional results at all times.
Whenever you are faced with the task of grinding up meat for those delectable recipes, this machine would always come through for you. The serrated S-blade ensures that your meat is ground to you taste.
You can now grind p your meat in the big bowl and process smaller ingredients in the 2.5 cups without having to stop and clean out any bowl.
So give yourself the perfect Christmas gift and buy this high end best food processor for grinding meat.
Click here to check this out and buy on Amazon
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – Best Mini Food Processor/Chopper
Why is a mini food processor /chopper important?
Most often, people who cook for one are at a disadvantage when it comes to kitchen appliances. But the story is changing thanks to some mini food processors/choppers out there.
Similarly, some households have heavy duty large sized food processors and there are times when they just want to prep small ingredients. At those times, these mini food choppers come in handy instead of pulling out the big guns.
So you shouldn’t be deprived of your homemade ground meat just because you cook for one. Check out the mini food processor/chopper below and make an informed decision.
Product Name – Homeleader Electric 5-Cup Food Processor/Chopper
Our Rating – 4.3
Features
(i) 300 watts motor is strong enough to power through your food prep tasks. Grinds your meat in less than 30 seconds.
(ii) Has enough capacity for food prep for 1 to 4 persons. This makes it ideal for folks who cook for one or a small family.
(iii) The user friendly design includes the following:- slip resistant rubber ring at the base that keeps the unit stable while in operation, 2 handles for comfortable and easy grip and noise level lower than 40 decibels.
(iv) 4 blades made of rust resistant stainless steel
(v) 4 D glass bowl design.
The Homeleader Electric 5-Cup Food Processor/Chopper is a perfect appliance for small food prep. The size does not in any way diminish the strength of its performance.
You can either buy this as an add-on to a large capacity food processor or alone. It all depends on your needs. The size allows you to leave it out on the countertop without it taking up any space. This would also make it easily accessible and handy when you want to prepare small condiments. You are no longer forced to use a knife just because you don’t want to pull out your big food processor.
This small but mighty appliance comes with an ETL certification and one year parts replacement warranty. It is designed in such a way as to prevent the content of the bowl from spilling during processing.
Overall, this is a product that delivers as advertised. So check it out and make your decision now.
Click here to check this out and buy on Amazon
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – Best Manual Food Processor/Meat Grinder
You might ask why the need to include this category of product in this piece. Well, have you ever been on a vacation or trip and wished that you could make your own meat balls or hamburgers?
Or are you thinking of buying or hiring an RV and taking a tour of the nation? What of those camping expeditions when you had to make do with just anything edible?
There, you have the reasons why we are showing you this manual food processor for grinding meat.
Product Name – Brieftons Manual Food Chopper
Our Rating – 4.5 Star
Features
(i) Cost effective with zero power consumption.
(ii) Easy to assemble and disassemble parts that are also dishwasher safe.
(iii) Sharp blades made of top quality stainless steel.
(iv) User friendly features that include the following: – non-slip base, convenient and ergonomically designed lid, easy to pull cord and a large handle.
(v) No noise or mess while in operation.
The Brieftons Manual Food Chopper has a 2-cup capacity that allows you to do your food prep tasks fast and efficiently. Even if you are camping with family or friends, this appliance comes in handy for your meal prep. You can churn out large quantities of ingredients b making continuous batches without fear of the motor burning out (there’s no motor of course!).
Brieftons Manual Food Chopper is a general purpose food processor that can grind up meat in 8 seconds! You can use it in the middle of the night with your family in the RV without fear of waking them up. The blades are concealed to ensure safety for the user.
What’s more, this appliance comes with a user manual and 3 eBooks with many tantalizing recipes in addition to great customer care service.
Finally, the money back guarantee makes it a risk-free purchase. Do you have a loved one in college that loves to cook? Help them save on their power bill by buying one of this for them.
Click here to check this out and buy on Amazon
How To Use Your Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat
What is the benefit of having the best food processor for grinding meat if you don’t know how to use it? None of course! That is why we would share some tips and tricks with you here.
Prepare The Meat
When you getting ready to grind meat, cut the meat into 1 inch cube sizes. Then place them in a single layer in a tray and put in the freezer. Ensure that the meat does not freeze all the way.
Keep Everything Chilled
The trick to getting meat evenly ground without the fat melting is to keep everything chilled.
This means freezing the meat (after you have cut it into about 1-inch cubes). Just let it stay in the freezer until the edges and corners are stiff but inside is still soft.
Also put your work bowl and blades in the freezer for about an hour.
When you are ready to start grinding the meat, do not over-handle it. It’s best to use a spatula or whatever kitchen utensil you feel comfortable with. The reason why you are advised not to use your hands is because the heat from your hands can warm up the meat. Thereby defeating the purpose of the freezing.
Do Not Over-Process
When you use a food processor to grind meat, it would look crumbly or coarsely chopped. This unlike the texture of store-bought ground meat.
Do not attempt to get a paste like ground meat from the meat you grind at home. If you do, you would have over-processed the meat and it would be tough after it is cooked.
Clean the Food Processor Immediately
Do not ever leave your food processor or any kitchen appliance you use for raw meat to dry before washing.
It is best to rinse out the bowl, blade and cover immediately even if you want to throw them into the dishwasher. If you leave the food processor say maybe till you finish cooking, it would dry and some pieces of meat would be stuck in some hard to reach places.
You can also run those removable parts under the tap so that it would help dislodges pieces of meat that you may not see immediately.
One sure way of preventing cross contamination is by using disinfection dish washer to wipe out the bowl and all the parts that come in contact with food.
Help The Blade Retain Sharpness
You can elongate the duration of the sharpness of the blades of your food processor by washing them manually. Of course great care has to be taken with this process so that you don’t cut your hands.
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Before we round up this post, let us recommend the following articles to you for more tips and helpful information:-
- How To Use A Bundt Pan
- Icing Sugar — The Foundation For Cake Decoration
- Best Food Processor For Dough
- How To Make A Simple Cake At Home
- Best Toaster Oven For Baking
- Cake Pans – The Basics of Baking
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – Conclusion
One reason why we have taken time to write this piece is because there are great benefits to grinding meat at home by yourself.
First and actually most important is that you would be sure of what is in your ground meat.
Secondly, you would be sure that there is no risk of cross contamination and finally, you can always whip up your favorite recipes or quickly turn left over meat to an ingredient for something else.
Now that you have read to the end of this article, we know you have learnt one or two things. In addition to that, we know that you have also gotten information that would help you make an informed decision when you go shopping for the best food processor for grinding meat.
Check out this video to see how easy it is to grind meat with a food processor.
Best Food Processor For Grinding Meat – FAQs
Can I Use Food Processor To Grind Chicken?
You can definitely use a food processor to grind chicken. Just ensure that the chicken is properly deboned. Then you cut it up into small pieces. After that, you place the cut up chicken in foil and wrap it up. Put in the freezer for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is firm and solid.
The aim of putting your chicken pieces in the freezer is to get it firm and solid and not frozen. Firm meat has more structure and is easier to grind than soft meat. Refer to our main article on how to use a food processor to grind meat.
What Can You Grind In A Meat Grinder?
There are several ingredients that you can grind in a meat grinder and they include: vegetables, ham, bologna, dried fruits, dough and even cheese.
When you are making recipes such as relish, pickles, certain types of cookies and cakes or even pimento cheese, a meat grinder comes in handy.
In the absence of a food processor, a meat grinder can be used to turn your dried fruits into paste and prepare veggies for relish and such dishes. Same goes for a wide variety of ingredients that we use in our daily culinary endeavours.
Is It Cheaper To Grind Your Own Meat?
It is way cheaper to grind your own meat. Not only do you get to save money, you also get the assurance of knowing what goes into your ground meat.
So with grinding your own meat, you are making all round profit. So in summary, below are some benefits of grinding your own meat:-
You get healthier ground meat- this is because you can buy fresh meat and also prepare it in a safe and hygienic environment. In addition to that, you can also control the quantity of fat in your meat.
You get more flavorful ground meat – accruing from the first reason is the fact that your fresh meat would be juicier and more flavorful.
Finally, you get to save money
![ALTRA Stainless Steel Electric Meat Grinder, Meat Mincer & Sausage Stuffer, [2000W Max] [Concealed Storage Box] Sausage & Kubbe Kit Included, 3 Grinding Plates, 2 Blades, Home Kitchen & Commercial Use](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51tHwjTFRkL.jpg)
How Do You Grind Meat With A Meat Grinder?
We have talked about how to use a food processor to grind meat and we recommend you check out the tips given. We would say in addition that when you are using a meat grinder instead of a food processor, you would have to run your meat through the grinder more than once. This all depends however on the type of recipe you want to use the ground meat for.
So if you want coarse ground meat, you just run the prepared meat through the grinder once. For a smoother grind, you go a second time and then you get the smoothest grind, you go a third time.
How Do You Grind Meat Without A Food Processor?
You can use manual meat grinder to grind meat if you do not have a food processor. This kitchen tool is easy to use and has no learning curve; neither does it require electricity. Just cut your meat into small pieces and feed them into the meat grinder and then begin to crank the handle.
With a little elbow grease a few minutes of cranking, your ground meat would be ready.
In a situation where neither food processor nor meat grinder is available, you can use a knife and chopping board. Just start by slicing your meat in an angle of 45 degrees in thin slices of ¼ inch but do not slice the meat till it separates. Turn the meat the other way and repeat the process in reverse.
Finally, get a meat cleaver and chop the cut up slices until it’s as smooth as you want it.
Is It Worth Buying A Meat Grinder?
A meat grinder is worth buying because it is a very versatile kitchen tool. With a meat grinder, you not only get to grind meat but a wide variety of ingredients. We have already talked about some of the ingredients we can use a meat grinder to prepare; refer to that answer here.
Apart from being able to grind several other ingredients with a meat grinder, you can explore a wide variety of recipes. Additionally, you do not have to buy ground meat from the store ever again!
How Do You Grind Meat With A KitchenAid Grinder?
Grinding meat with a KitchenAid grinder is basically the same as using a meat grinder. The only difference is that the grinder is an attachment that is sold as an add-on product to a KitchenAid stand mixer.
So if you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, all you need to do is buy the meat grinder attachment. Then whenever you want to grind meat, you assemble the grinder and attach to the mixer. One advantage of owning a KitchenAid stand mixer is that you get an all-in-one appliance that wouldn’t occupy so much space in your kitchen.
Can You Grind Cooked Meat In A Meat Grinder?
You can grind cooked meat in a meat grinder. That is why a meat grinder is a great appliance for every homemaker to own. Imagine that you cooked some meat and you had leftovers; there’s no need to it to go to waste.
Just place the cooked meat in the meat grinder and grind it. You can then use the ground meat for so many different recipes.
Bear in mind however, that you would have to rework the meat so that you can get it to be more flavorful. Additionally, note the extra cooking time so that the meat would not be dry.
Is It Better To Grind Meat Frozen?
It is not better to grind meat frozen; rather you need your meat to be firm and solid. Frozen meat is most likely to damage your machine. It is advised that you place your meat in the freezer for about 40 minutes just to get it firm and solid. This would give it a good structure to pass through the machine. Some veterans even advise that you place your utensils too in the freezer before using it to grind your meat. This would help to enhance the ease of grinding the meat. Remember the meat should be firm and not frozen.
What Is The Best Meat To Grind For Meatballs?
The best meat to grind for meatballs is the cheap fatty part of meat. This part of meat would not be good to be used for sautéing, grilling or roasting but when you grind it, it has a nice structure that holds up for meatballs. In addition to that, this part of meat is usually juicier than other parts.
If you want to use beef, the best part to buy is the chuck; that is actually the most common part that’s sold as chopped meat in the market. Chuck has about 25% fat content which makes it excellent for ground meat.
For recipes that call for ground pork or lamb, the best part to use is the shoulder.
Finally, if you are in doubt about the best part of meat to grind for a particular recipe, you can always ask your local butcher for help.
