A meat grinder is simply an indispensable device for grinding different types of meat. If previously most housewives used manual machines, now more and more users prefer electric devices. This is not surprising, because an electric meat grinder grinds meat of any quality in a matter of minutes, saving the housewife time and effort.
Unfortunately, all electrical appliances tend to break down, and repairing them is somewhat more difficult than manual ones. This article will tell you how to repair a meat grinder at home, and what you can do with your own hands.
How to assemble a mechanical meat grinder
To properly assemble a mechanical meat grinder, you need to know its design and understand what its components look like.
Any manual meat grinder includes:
- directly the body is made of cast iron or aluminum;
- a specially shaped shaft for scrolling meat – auger;
- knife for chopping disk or star-shaped products;
- grid for adjusting the degree of grinding;
- fastener for elements (cap nut);
- handle for rotating the mechanism.
All parts are installed in a certain sequence. Before assembly, check that all components of the meat grinder are present.
How to install the screw shaft
The screw shaft is inserted first. Insert the part into the body of the meat grinder so that its wider part is closer to the handle, and the narrower part is located in the outlet hole.
Knife installation
If the knife of the device has one cutting side, install it with the sharp part towards the auger. This way, the flat part of the knife will be on the outside and will slide smoothly along the grate.
If the knife is sharp on both edges, it can be installed on either side.
Attaching the grille and screwing the handle
Once the knife is installed, you can begin attaching the grill. There are small grooves in the hole on the body of the meat grinder that correspond to the protrusions on the grill. Insert the part into the recesses and, holding it with your hand, secure it with a union nut.
If the set includes a meat receiver, secure it in the corresponding hole on the body.
There is a hole for the handle on the back of the device. Insert the handle into the housing and secure with a screw. This completes the assembly stage.
Installing the meat grinder on a work surface
At the bottom of the body there is a special tab and a screw for fastening. Place the device on the table so that the foot is on the surface of the table top and the securing bolt is under it. Tighten the bolt until it makes contact with the bottom of the surface and the meat grinder is in a stable position. To prevent the device from fidgeting and swaying during operation, place a piece of fabric or rubber under the foot.
Causes of breakdowns
The main reasons why electric meat grinders of all brands fail is their improper use. Only a small percentage is due to poor quality workmanship. The quality of the parts themselves depends on the reliability of the manufacturer. You shouldn’t skimp on it, as repairs can be much more expensive, and parts are not so easy to find on sale.
If the meat grinder turns black after washing it in the dishwasher and how to clean it, read here.
The most common malfunctions of meat grinders:
- the device does not turn on at all;
- the meat grinder turns on, but the disc does not grind the product;
- the drive works, but does not reach the required number of revolutions;
- you can hear burning or smoke during operation;
- increased extraneous noise or knocking that was not previously noticed.
How to assemble an electric meat grinder
The electric device allows you to turn meat into minced meat in a matter of minutes without any effort. The structure of the device is slightly different from its mechanical counterpart. The device is equipped with:
- an electric motor that powers the device;
- body made of plastic or metal;
- a bowl or food tray with a pusher;
- with a special rod on the auger for stronger fixation.
The assembly of an electric meat grinder is practically no different from the installation of a mechanical one, but it has some nuances.
Algorithm of actions:
- First of all, connect the electric gearbox to the auger. To do this, insert the screw into the hole in the meat grinder and turn it counterclockwise until you hear a characteristic click.
- The next step is to attach the knife and grid. Make sure that the protrusion on the auger exactly matches the hole on the grill.
- Secure all parts with a nut.
- The last step is to install a special bowl or tray for food.
Please note that the assembly of different models of electrical appliances may differ slightly; a more accurate algorithm for installing parts can be found in the instructions for the device.
Plug the meat grinder into the outlet only when the device is fully assembled and disassemble it only after completely unplugging it from the mains.
Typical faults
It doesn’t matter what kind of meat grinder you have - Kenwood, Zelmer or Mulinex, each of them has its own nuances, but the malfunctions of all are quite typical. Electric meat grinder repair specialists have compiled the following list of the main problems encountered in these products:
- violation of various contacts of the electrical circuit;
- engine rotor deformation;
- breakage of gear teeth of the gearbox - occurs due to increased load;
- electric motor malfunctions, extreme wear of brushes;
- wear of the cutting tool due to processing too stringy meat, small bones falling due to user oversight;
- breakdown of keys and safety devices;
- damage to insulation, power cord;
- replacing the motor or rewinding its windings.
Many failures of reliable equipment occur due to violations of operating conditions, and only a few are due to factory defects or human error during assembly.
Additional accessories and their installation
In addition to the main function of grinding meat, the electric device is capable of squeezing juice, chopping vegetables, making sausages or shaping dough. To prepare a specific dish, during assembly you need to select and install the appropriate attachment.
For squeezing juice
A similar attachment is included with almost every modern electric meat grinder. You can make juice with pulp or use a special nozzle with fine holes for a drink without chunks. In the first case, replace the regular grill with a suitable one with larger holes. In the second option, put a special device on the auger - a cylindrical grater, which will grind the products into juice.
For shredding
Most models are equipped with additional knives and graters for slicing and chopping food. For the device to perform its functions, attach a special housing to the gearbox and insert the required attachment.
For sausages
To prepare homemade sausage, after the classic assembly of the device, attach an oblong nozzle for sausages and sausages to the outer part of the body.
For cookies
For making cookies, the device comes with grids with original hole shapes. To give the original shape to the dough during assembly, replace the classic lattice with a suitable one.
We repair an electric meat grinder with our own hands
The electric assistant today is very popular and in high demand among Russian buyers. Despite high-quality manufacturing and high operational reliability, electrical appliances tend to break down over time. Many breakdowns can be fixed at home, so we will tell you in detail about repairing an electric meat grinder, which you can easily do yourself.
Operating rules
To ensure that the meat grinder lasts as long as possible, pay close attention to the features of its operation and the preparation of products before placing them in the tray.
- Prepare the meat thoroughly before grinding. Cut the fillet into small pieces and remove bones and veins.
- Make sure that the knife is always sharp. If you follow this rule, the device will quickly grind various products.
- To ensure that products pass smoothly inside the device, lubricate all components with sunflower oil.
- Always disassemble and wash all components after using the meat grinder.
- Store the meat grinder unassembled.
On the Internet you can find recommendations for cleaning the assembled meat grinder using lump sugar. In reality, such a process will not bring a guaranteed result. The device will still have to be disassembled and washed in the usual way.
What does an electric meat grinder consist of?
The design of this type of kitchen appliance consists of durable plastic. And if in the case of a manual one, the entire body consists of metal, then in this case there are only individual metal elements. A motor is built into this body, which performs the main function. By pressing the start button, the device is activated and begins to work.
Another difference is the absence of a handle. There is simply no need for it here, since the machine performs the main function independently, from the operation of the engine. Almost all models have a removable meat receiver, which must be attached to the main body before starting work.
The kit usually includes a special pusher for the food being processed, with which it is convenient to move the food towards the knife. At the end of the screw there is a corrugated plastic rod that provides fixation. And thanks to the convexities on the knife, more gentle and high-quality chopping of meat occurs. This is one of the differences between the new model and the old one.
Instructions for disassembling and troubleshooting at home
It is not always necessary to take the device to a service center at the slightest breakdown, where it can successfully lie for many weeks, and you will also have to pay a decent amount for repairs.
If the meat grinder does not turn on at all, the cause of the breakdown may be a lack of contact or a malfunction of the control panel.
Disassemble the device by unscrewing all the necessary screws. Sometimes the plastic parts of the case snap together, then you should find all the grooves and VERY CAREFULLY snap them off. Otherwise, the case may be damaged and you will not be able to fold it back. An example of disassembling the case can be seen in the drawings of the disassembly of the “SCARLETT” model.
SCARLETT meat grinder disassembly diagram: unscrew the metal panel
SCARLETT meat grinder disassembly diagram: remove the mounting screws
Scheme for disassembling the SCARLETT meat grinder: remove the gearbox
Check all the contacts, the connection of the power cord to the device, maybe something needs to be twisted or soldered.
If the meat grinder turns on, but the auger does not grind the product, the cause may be a faulty gearbox. Bearings could crumble or gears could wear out due to heavy load or stones.
In this case, disassemble the relay and check all parts for defects. Do the gears turn easily, are all the teeth present, and is there any excess play when moving? Turn on the device disassembled without loading the auger.
Meat grinder relay gears
Do this carefully so that all the parts do not fly apart and something does not interfere with the operation of the engine!
Don’t forget to take pictures or remember the location of the parts so you don’t have to worry about what to put where.
Relay failure is the most common reason for a meat grinder to fail.
If the cause is defective gears (which is very likely, since they are made of plastic), you should replace the damaged parts with new ones. It is not so easy to find new gears on sale; for most models they are not sold separately. You may have to contact local services to buy the necessary used part from another device or try spare parts from other models.
In some rare cases, the cause of interruptions in turning the auger may be wear of the socket for its fastening or misalignment of the shaft. This can happen from constant increased load on the device or improperly made socket from too soft metal. Loosening of the auger and licking of the rotational mechanisms is a very big problem. To eliminate this, you will need the help of specialists.
If the meat grinder works, but does not reach the required speed, there is most likely an overload. This problem most often occurs in Kenwood mg devices.
The device should be disconnected from the power supply, disassembled, cleaned and cut the meat before feeding it into the meat grinder into smaller portions.
The main cause of extraneous noise and knocking in the operation of devices is the ingress of unnecessary objects: small bones or veins. They can get stuck and clog the connections between different parts of the device. Also, food particles may dry out on parts that have not been washed sufficiently after previous use, which can cause blockages.
In such cases, the device should be disassembled, cleaned, and all foreign objects removed.
Sometimes the cause of extraneous noise and sharp sounds in the operation of an electric meat grinder can be scattered bearings. They are easy to find on sale and replace.
