Do you have a meat grinder in your kitchen? If yes then you must have faced a problem regarding the grinding blade. After using the first few months, the knife becomes flat and dull. Therefore, you need to sharpen it. Otherwise, you have to replace the knife that may not be cost-effective. In this article, I am going to demonstrate you how you can sharpen the knife of your meat grinder. After the read, you will learn the various procedure of meat grinder knife sharpening and will be able to do it by yourself.
Caution and safety
What type of meat grinder are you using? If it is a residential grade meat grinder or a meat grinder that costs below 100, then you can sharpen the knife by yourself. But if it is a commercial-grade meat grinder, then it is wise that you should sharpen the knife by a professional. When you are dealing with a knife, you should handle it with care.
What to sharpen?
If you are an old meat grinder user, you already know that the meat grinder has a grinding plate and a blade inside it. Grinding plates have a flat surface. Therefore, we do not need to sharpen these. Grinding blades usually have four wings. If you see uneven scratches on the wings of the blade, it is the sign that it needs sharpening. You will aim to get rid of these scratches as far as you can.
What are the processes?
There are several ways to sharpen the grinding knife. You can sharpen it with a belt sharpener or with a sander. Another popular method is using a sharpening stone. You can use any of this equipment whichever is available at your home. There is no lone right or wrong equipment to sharpen the knife.
Belt Sharpener
- This method is applicable for those who have a belt sharpening machine at home. This is an equipment that has a belt with an abrasive surface. This rotating surface can be used to sharpen metal or steel.
- Belts are available with different grit – from fine to coarse. If your blade is extremely dull, then you can use a belt with coarse grit. Otherwise, if the blade is just a little bit dull, then you can use a belt with fine grit.
- When you are sharpening the grinding knife, your target is removing the uneven surface and give it a mirror-like finish. Deal with one wing of the blade at a time. Continue sharpening until the scratches go away and the wing looks clear.
- After you have done with sharpening all the four wings, wash it with soap water to remove the metal bits.
- It is better to test the sharpened blade before you close the project. Therefore, assemble it with the meat grinder and check whether it is smooth or not. Put some meat and try to grind it. If you are satisfied, you can close the project.
Using sharpening stone
- If you have a sharpening stone at home, you can use it to sharpen the blade. A diamond stone for example will be a good choice for this purpose.
- Selecting the right grit is always important. I always suggest starting with fine grit. If the surface is too abrasive, then you can go for a coarse grit. Choosing the stone with a grit of around 600 will be perfect.
- Now start sharpening the blade with back and forth motion. You can repeat the motion 10 times to see how it looks. If the scratches are gone, then deal with another wing.
- If you see that the scratches are not completely gone or the surface is not clear, then repeat the back and forth motion for another 10 times.
- Check the blade whether it looks shiny or not. If you are satisfied then give it a trial and test the performance.
Bottom line
If you need to flatten the grinding plate, you can do it with sandpaper. You can rub the plate back and forth following a similar way. These are the easiest way to hone the grinding plates and blade. I think the tips will help you revive your meat grinder. If you find the article helpful, you can share it with others. You can also share with us any better ideas if you have any. Have a good day!