A meat grinder is the most important kitchen appliance if you are a meat lover. When it is time to purchase a meat grinder, we sometimes become confused. There are too many terms that are associated with a meat grinder. Many of these are new to many of us. In this article, we will try to debunk the confusion about the size of meat grinders. After the read, you will be able to understand what is the significance of the size of a meat grinder and which size is appropriate for you.
Meat grinder size
To understand the size of a meat grinder, you need to understand the construction of it. A meat grinder consists of a ‘T’ shaped tube that we call the feeding tube. At the end of the tube, you need to set the grinding plate. Now the grinding plate is a round-shaped small part that has a certain diameter. The more the diameter of the grinding plate, the more spacious the feeding tube is. Therefore, the capacity of the grinder has a direct relationship with the diameter of the plate. Interestingly, the diameter of the grinding plates is not random. Rather, the manufacturers maintain a certain standard while producing the plate and feeding tube.
Common sizes of the grinding plates
In the market, we have a few common sizes of meat grinders such as #5, #8, #12, #22 and #32. There is another big-size meat grinder that is #42, but this is a very uncommon size. Below is the diameter of the grinding plate of each of these sizes:
| Size | Plate Diameter |
|---|---|
| #5 | 2 1/8" |
| #8 | 2 1/2" |
| #12 | 2 3/4" |
| #22 | 3 1/4" |
| #32 | 3 7/8" |
| #42 | 5 1/16" |
Which size is suitable for me?
#5, #8 and #12 – Home use
These are the smallest size and are suitable for home use. If you are an infrequent user, need to grind meat once or twice in a month, the volume of the meat to grind is not that much then #8 will be good enough for you. Meat grinders of small size are cheaper. Therefore, for a light home user, I would suggest getting a #8 grinder. But if you like to enjoy the convenience, want to put a larger chunk of meat on the tray, then I’d suggest getting a #12 which has a wider feeding tube to in-take more amount of meat. #12 is also applicable to a bigger family where grinding meat is a frequent incident.
#12, #22 and #32 – Grinding bones, Commercial use
There is no relationship between a meat grinder’s capacity to grind the bones and the size of the meat grinder. But in general, the higher the size of the meat grinder, the more powerful the motor is. Therefore, a person who wants to grind bones to prepare pet food should try #22 or #32. A #12 may also be appropriate if the motor is powerful enough. Commercial grade meat grinders need to be capable enough to process a larger amount of meat at a time. Therefore, for heavy home use or a small restaurant and butcher’s shop, a #22 or #32 will be appropriate.
Read our article if you want to know about the finest heavy duty meat grinders in the market.
Grinder plate hole size
Whatever the diameter is, every grinding plate has some holes in it. The smaller the size of the hole is, the finer the output. Therefore, the manufacturers provide 3 to 4 pieces of grinding plates as free accessories with the meat grinder having different hole diameter. The diameter of the plate has also some standard size. Below is a list of some common hole size of grinding plates-
| Hole Diameter | Output |
|---|---|
| 1/8" | Fine |
| 3/16" | Medium |
| 1/4" | Coarse |
| 3/8" | Coarse |
| 1/2" | Very Coarse |
| 3/4" | Very Coarse |
Recommended meat grinders for all sizes
LEM Big Bite #5 meat grinder
- Premium stainless steel body and meat tray.
- 0.35 HP motor. Better for light home use.
- Added with a storage tray for knife and grinding plate.
- Metal gear for smooth and quiet operation.
- Built-in circuit breaker keeps the meat grinder safe from overvoltage.
Sunmile SM-G73 #8 Meat grinder
- Equipped with a powerful 600W motor.
- Grinding speed is upto 185 pounds per hour.
- Food tray and grinder head is made of premium quality cast aluminium.
- The price of this unit is quite reasonable for the value it serves.
- It comes with 3 different size stainless steel grinding plates.
STX Turboforce 3000 #12 meat grinder
- It comes with a lot of free accessories.
- It grinds up to 240 lbs of meat per hour.
- Motor wattage of this unit is 3000W maximum.
- This popular unit is good for all kinds of home use.
- Three different speeds available – reverse, high and low.
Related article
Weston Pro #22 meat grinder
- Powered with 1.5 HP commercial grade motor.
- Accessories can be stored inside the accessory tray.
- Its grinding speed is 720 pounds per hour.
- The body and even the gears are made of premium stainless steel.
- Reverse motor speed is available.
Hakka Brothers #32 meat grinder
- It is a stainless steel commercial grade meat grinder.
- This unit grinds 710 lbs of meat per hour.
- It has a built-in circuit breaker that protects the equipment from overvoltage.
- Better stability at the countertop for nonskid feet.
- It comes with an easy carry-handle for better transportation.
Final words
I hope now you know what the significance of the size number of a meat grinder is. Can you now decide which size meat grinder do you need? Let me know in the comment section. If you find this article helpful, you can share it with your friends so that they can also get benefited from it. Have a good day!
Thank you very much for this guide. It was very succinct and full of useful information. I particularly appreciated the info correlating the sizes to the intended use (home, small restaurant, commercial). I am about to buy my first grinder (never used one before), and I am using this info to help make my purchase. 🙂 Thanks – Shawn
Hi Shawn. Thanks for your comment. It’s a huge appreciation for me.
What size grinder do I need to grind horseradish?
Hi Leanne, I don’t think it’ll be any different than a meat grinder for bones. Try to get a #12 or higher size. Thanks.