All Things You Should Know About Meat Grinder Plate Size Chart

Ground meat is a great dish. It’s simple, easy to make, and easy to combine with different ingredients. However, not all meats are created equal. You can quickly notice the different textures of meat when enjoying salami, sausage, or jerky.

Tools that make a difference in the texture of ground meat are the meat grinder plates. When you use meat grinders of different sizes, the results you get will be different. Therefore, it becomes vital to study the other parts of meat grinders and their outputs.

If you are wondering, “what meat grinder plate sizes should I have” then this article is for you. Let’s join we to choose the most suitable meat grinder diameter.

Let’s read on to discover!

Meat grinders

What Is The Usage Of A Meat Grinder Plate?

Once you look closely at the parts of the best electric meat grinder, you will see a part with a disc-shaped structure with holes of similar or different sizes. This part is the grinder plates. Its primary purpose is to give your meat a final look, whether beef jerky or summer sausage.

On the other hand, a meat grinder blade is a chopping meat device before passing it through the grinder plates. You need to be able to distinguish the difference between the two parts.

Both parts play an essential role in a meat grinder. Without the cutting blade, it will be difficult for a piece of meat to fit through the grinding plates. When you choose a different blade diameter and hole size, the results you get will be different.

Meat Grinder Plate Size Chart: Meat Grinder Numbers

To find the right size grinding plates, check the table below before purchasing.

You can also check out this video for a more intuitive view of choosing meat grinder plates.

How Are Meat Grinder Plates Measured?

An easy way to tell which size meat grinder is is to measure the hole diameter. You can measure the diameter of the plate and reassemble it with the table above to match the appropriate number. If you still don’t know how to measure your grinding plates, refer to the following steps.

View more: Vintage meat grinder

• Equip a ruler or measuring tape.
• Place the grinder plates flat on the table. If you intend to buy a new one, you will have to remove the grinder and remove the disc.
• Use the ruler on hand. Start measuring the distance through the center of the meat grinder plate.
• Write the disc diameter on the paper. This number is what you will use as a cross-check when choosing meat grinder sizes.

What Is The Right Meat Grinder Size For Each Use?

Grinding meat to make everyday dishes is exciting, but if you want to do it most methodically, pay attention to the hole size. The diameter of the hole is what determines the texture of your ground meat.

3 to 4 mm – Fine Ground

Fine ground plate

When you grind meat with a meat grinder disc with a small hole size of 3 to 4 mm, you will get highly smooth results. After passing through the grinding plate, the meat has been pureed and can be used in recipes that require a high degree of fineness of ground meat.

Foods that you can easily make with pureed meat are beef jerky, burgers, and even bologna. The smooth texture of the meat will make the dish more tender and delicious.

4.5 to 6 mm – Medium Ground

Medium ground plate

When using a meat grinder plate with a larger diameter, you will get coarser and slightly fuller meat than finely ground meat. You can use it in cooking recipes that call for coarser meat, such as coarser hamburgers or breakfast sausages. Another low-stress meal idea is to stuff ground meat in the pepper to create a meatloaf.

The medium ground meat gives you more texture and flavor than the first.

10 to 12 mm – Coarse Ground

Coarse ground plate

Finally, if you’re looking to try recipes that call for coarsely ground meat, invest in the bigger hole size of the meat grinder plate. With sizes ranging from 10 to 12 mm, it allows you to make a multitude of meats appear in a wide variety of dishes. Typical examples are coarse sausages, bratwurst, or even ground beef.

Coarse meat grinder plates are also perfect for those who like tough and coarse meat. It’s not smooth at all but full of flavor.

What Is The Meat Grinder Number Meaning?

Those who are just starting to use a meat grinder should pay attention to this question. While choosing commercial meat grinders, you may notice that they often come with different identifiers. These numbers serve as a guide to the diameter of the disc so you can get an idea of ​​the size of the grinder you want to buy.

Knowing the diameter of your plate is an essential factor as it affects the texture of all the dishes you will prepare later. Unless you own a restaurant or diner, we recommend going with small family-friendly blenders.

Large meat grinders are often bulky and expensive, while you will not use the whole performance that it brings.

Different types of grinder plates

Should You Choose A Carbon Steel Or Stainless Steel Meat Grinder?

The premium stainless steel blades and plates will typically last three times longer than carbon steel. It also has a shiny appearance and a much more luxurious design.

The stainless steel grinder is the optimal choice for those who regularly grind meat because it is more durable and heavy-duty. The manufacturer has used metal to form the gears on the inside. Cleaning is also straightforward as this metal is dishwasher safe, which is a nice bonus.

The only downside of this material is the weight. Stainless steel appliances are usually much heavier and bulkier. So, it will be a burden if you want to move the device around.

How To Sharpen Your Meat Grinder Plates?

It would help if you sharpened your grinder plates frequently

You will always have to sharpen your grinder plates regularly as they tend to wear out over time. If you grind meat with dull plates, the finished product will not achieve consistency and reduce the dish’s taste.

One of the easiest and simplest ways to sharpen your meat grinder disc is to use the Sausage Maker sharpening system. You can also sharpen knives with this tool.

• Soak the stones in the grinding system in water for about five minutes. Be gentle as these stones are very perishable.
• There are two plates in the package, a round hole stone for the grinder plate and a square hole for the knife.
• If you only want to grind the disc, place the stone in the grinding head of the meat grinder first. Then place the blunt disc on top and secure both with the retaining ring. Please don’t make it too tight.
• Turn on the meat grinder for five seconds or longer as you like.
• Repeat this process to make sure all sides and holes of the grinder plate are sharpened.

You can also use a few other ways to sharpen meat grinder plates, such as a sharpening stone. However, this method will take a little more work and elbow grease.

This video will help you with a step-by-step guide on sharpening grinding plates.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, through this article, we have helped you understand more about meat grinder plate sizes and their uses. You can now quickly answer the question “what size grinder plate for hamburger” yourself.

On the market, the most common sizes of meat grinders are #5, #8, #12, #22, and #32. Choosing the size of your meat grinder will significantly affect your recipes and finished products. Make the most informed decision.

Thank you for your reading!