Finding the best meat grinder is essential for hunters and home processors looking to turn wild game into quality ground meat. Whether you’re tackling a couple of deer a year or processing large quantities of elk or moose, choosing the right grinder ensures efficiency, durability, and top-notch results. From compact hand-cranked units to commercial-grade machines, this guide dives into key features, motor capacities, and add-ons to help you make the best investment for your needs. Not all meat grinders are made the same, and knowing what each model is designed for and its capacity will ensure that hunters looking at processing game get the best meat grinder unit for their money. We tested everything from small ½-horse units to commercial grade 1½ -hp units and provided insight into what home butchers should look at for quality and value.
Test results: My view of the best meat grinders
The grinders in the test lineup were evaluated and given a name to represent performance and where they should be considered for those looking to purchase a new meat grinder. We don’t want to waste your time if you just came looking for my opinions so here are the results at the top of the article. Click the orange to jump to the section and/or see why it was chosen, click the green to shop.
- What to Consider When Buying a Meat Grinder
- How I Tested
- FAQ’s
- Best Commercial Grade Meat Grinder: Cabela’s 1½ hp Carnivore
- Best Meat Grinder for Mass Production: Weston Pro Series #22 Meat Grinder
- Best Heavy Duty Meat Grinder: Meat Your Maker 1½ hp Grinder (#32)
- Best Meat Grinder for Wild Game: LEM 1 hp LEM #12 BigBite Grinder
- Best Lightweight Meat Grinder: LEM ½ hp #8 Dual Grind Meat Grinder
- Best Budget Meat Grinder: Weston #12 Electric Meat Grinder
- Best Electric Grinder for Home Use: Weston #8 Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer
- Best Hand-Cranked Meat Grinder: Weston #10 Manual Meat Grinder
Considerations when buying a meat grinder
The size and use of a grinder are the biggest considerations. The least expensive is a manual hand grinder. However, nobody wants to churn out hundreds of pounds of meat in a labor-intensive marathon of milling meat. A hand grinder has its place, but dealing with any volume of meat means finding the right electric grinder. The question is whether to minimize size and expense or go fast, efficient, and long-lasting.
Can you do more with a grinder than mince meat? Absolutely, and having a machine that can cut jerky strips, press burger patties, or auger meat into sausage casings is worth considering. Some grinders will come with attachments; others offer after-market. If you are interested in meat processing add-ons, make sure the grinder you are looking at has features available and the attachments desired.
A big consideration many never consider when purchasing a grinder is the noise or decibel level of the machine in action. Be warned that some grinders require hearing protection, as prolonged exposure to loud, high-pitched noise can cause hearing loss. If nothing else, be prepared with the hearing protection you use on a hunt when processing the wild game you harvest.
The size and capacity of a grinder is perhaps the most relevant question. Do you need something small and easy to use or a larger unit with more power to deal with the big jobs, even if they are few and far between or seasonal? Buying an underpowered grinder can cause issues when trying to use it for a job bigger than what it was intended. Prolonged hard use can wear on gears and even overheat a grinder, so plan for the bigger jobs you may encounter and not the average. It comes down to the amount of processing you plan to do now and in the future. Some units are great for doing a deer or two a year. However, a big commercial unit is the best bet for dealing with big moose, elk, bison, or dozens of animals each season.
Grinding meat is like painting. The job isn’t too bad, but cleaning afterward can be daunting. How easy is it to set up a grinder and take it apart after? Cleaning the grinder and components is a must in order to maintain quality and food safety for the next job, and should never be put off; the sooner you tackle it, the better. Bigger grinders can heat up and cook proteins to the auger or throat of the grinder. They often require soaking, and a stout cleaning brush should be standard equipment for a thorough job. Some grinders come with cleaning brushes to ensure you have the equipment to handle all aspects of grinding meat, including cleanup.
Never overlook the safety features of a grinder. Feeding meat into the grinder by hand can lead to missing fingers. There are no second chances, and finger guards, meat stompers, or plungers are standard equipment for any big grinder. Education and knowledge are power; knowing how to feed grinder pieces of meat is critical to maintaining a consistent product and keeping fingers intact. Forcing a grinder to work harder by pushing meat forcefully should never be required and could damage the gears or components. The grinder will eat at its own pace, and if the blades are kept sharp, it will work the intended way.
Pay attention to the brand you are considering and check out online reviews to gain insight into the company’s reputation. The good news is that most major grinder and meat processing equipment manufacturers are in business because of their reputation and the quality of their products. Check for a warranty with the product and a troubleshooting center to get advice if needed.
Justifying the best meat grinder
Many people considering processing meat at home are limited by funds. The price of any unit is always a consideration. However, look into the current rates at a local butcher to find out what it costs to grind and package wild game. Chances are, a simple math equation will show that a sound investment will pay for itself quickly and help save money. There are value-priced grinders that offer everything a hunter requires to make wild game burgers or mince that is as good as any butcher shop can produce. Consider purchasing a grinder with family and friends who share your hunting passion to beat a big sticker price. A grinder only comes out of the storage closet several times a year, and sharing the cost and quality is always a smart consideration.
Meat Grinder knowledge
Grinders come in many shapes and sizes and come in different categories of grinding plates and motor sizes. Commercial meat grinders are usually fitted with #12, #22, and #32 plates. The numbers correspond to the diameter of the grinder plates in inches. They are easily differentiated from home-based units with smaller plates, often in sizes between #5 and #12. The numbers are important to pay attention to, as they dictate how much work the unit should expect to deal with at any processing event. A #5 or #8 grinder is smaller and best suited for grinding smaller quantities of meat, like the trim from a deer or two.
The holes in a grinder plate are also important, as the smaller the holes, the finer the grind. However, the smaller the holes, the slower the unit works, as it takes more power and time to mince the meat finely. The larger the holes in a grinder plate, the coarser the grind and the faster the output. The common hole sizes for commercial meat grinders are 1/8 inch, 3/16 inch, 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, and 3/4 inch. Most home units will simply specify fine and coarse grind.
Fine and coarse ground meat offers different uses. Coarse ground meat is often used for summer sausage, salami, or snack sticks. The larger bits make juicy hamburgers and hearty chili. The fine grind would be for anything where a dense texture is desired, like meatloaf, meatballs, fresh sausage, and other dishes where the connective tissues are minced fine and undistinguishable when chewing. It also works great for breakfast or dinner sausages like bratwurst.
Torture testing the best meat grinders
A significant amount of meat was needed to properly test multiple grinders and differentiate the features, quality, speed, and end product. Harvesting a moose helped, but cleaning out the freezers and grinding everything from deer, elk, axis deer, black bears, mountain goats, cougar, ducks, geese, and even pheasants meant we switched gears to provide the best information possible. Hamburger patties were a test for mince without the chewy bits. Hundreds of pounds of sausage and summer sausage were produced, and friends and family lined up to taste the results and judge the quality of the ground meat for themselves.
Interesting considerations arose, including cleaning, assembly, and storage. The add-on features are something to consider and can be used to get the most out of any grinder unit purchased. Some grinders have storage drawers to keep grinder plates and attachments clean and accessible. Some even came with covers to keep units dust-free.
We ground 15 pounds of meat through each grinder as a starting point. The units were tested with waterfowl and other meats to see consistency. The grinders that came with attachments cranked out nearly 200 pounds of fresh sausage and two varieties of summer sausage. We made smash burgers to determine if connective tissue was ground fine enough to disappear. We worked hard but ate like royalty to celebrate having an abundance of wild proteins to process.
Best Commercial Grade Meat Grinder: Cabela’s 1½ hp Carnivore
- Watts: 1,125
- Grind plates: coarse and fine
- Speed: Extremely fast
Accessories: It comes with 3 sausage-stuffing funnels (23mm, 29mm, and 39mm), a 2-piece snack stick funnel, a meat stomper, a 10mm coarse grinding plate, a 4.5mm fine grinding plate, a 1-way cutting knife, and a stuffing star. A convenient side-entry storage drawer with smooth-sliding ball-bearing slides and a removable, vibration-dampening mat makes it easy to keep these accessories close at hand.
Unique features: Cool-Tek Ice Pak
Assembly and storage: large, heavy, extra screws and attachments for features.
Pros:
- You can grind a large quantity of meat fast and efficiently
- The unit never runs short of power
- It has everything needed, including sausage attachments and a tube for burger bag filling
- The auger feeds fast enough that the stomper isn’t required
Cons:
- Heavy to move and handle.
- The price tag could limit some people.
Analysis
You will have trouble feeding meat into this grinder fast enough to keep up with the output, as it spits out ground meat as fast as you drop pieces into the throat. The first 15 pounds of meat chunks took less than a minute to grind. It was impressive and reaffirmed the integrated safety features to keep fingers away from the moving parts. The meat tray is big and holds an impressive amount of weight.
The large, high-wattage motor does heat up. However, the unit includes Cool-Tek Ice Pak technology to offset the issues of heating the auger and housing. Freeze the Cool-Tek ice pack and attach it around the head where the gears mesh into the main unit. The cold keeps the auger cooled when pushing meat through the blade and plate.
The unit is marketed to grind up to 18 pounds of meat per minute, and we had no problem proving its performance. The 1½ hp motor is big enough to keep up with commercial use and would last most hunters a lifetime. The Carnivore 1½ hp is for anyone who grinds and processes a significant amount of meat annually. The only question with this unit is whether or not you can keep up with it.
Best Meat Grinder for Mass Production: Weston Pro Series #22 Meat Grinder
- HP: 1½
- Watts: 750
- Grind plates: coarse and fine
- Speed: Fast with forward and reverse
Accessories: The grinder comes with a patented auger-grabbing stomper, coarse (7 mm) and fine (4.5 mm) stainless steel plates, a grinder knife, and a sausage stuffer kit with adapter spacer and four-sized funnels.
Unique features: 5-year warranty
Assembly and storage: the unit is easy to assemble and take apart for cleaning and storage.
Pros:
- The unit was quiet for a commercial-grade grinder.
- Constant power, even under a heavy load
- Includes attachments for stuffing sausage and packaging ground meat.
- Lighter than other 1½ hp grinders.
Cons:
- The grinder is heavy but has a built-in handle for lifting or moving.
Analysis
The #22 grinder plate indicates that the Weston Pro Series is a commercial-grade grinder. The 1½ hp motor had no problems keeping up with a steady feed of meat to grind. The unit worked fast, efficiently, and effortlessly. We ground large volumes of beef cut into large cubes, and the unit never slowed or strained.
If you and your hunting buddies tend to push the meat into a grinder without the plunger, this unit has a long tapered throat to ensure fingers do not get grabbed or ground. The throat in the head is rifled to help guide and feed meat into the auger. The unit is fast, and chances are you won’t even need to use the plunger or stomper if the meat is cut to fit through the grinder’s throat.
The fast-grinding unit is marketed to grind 14 pounds of meat per minute, and it certainly did that during testing. We ran the unit with a foot pedal and continued running it for extended periods. The meat grinder’s motor is air-cooled and permanently lubricated to grind large volumes of meat continuously without stopping.
We used the grinder to stuff sausages and made 40 pounds quickly. The cleanup is much easier than using a grinder and sausage press.
The grinder was quieter than other commercial units. The #22 grinder has a patented auger-grabbing stomper, coarse (7 mm) and fine (4.5 mm) stainless steel plates, a grinder knife, and a sausage stuffer kit with an adapter spacer and four-sized funnels. This Weston Meat Grinder is ideal for hunters wanting properly ground meat and the ability to make sausage. This unit could handle dozens of animals a year without issue.
Best Heavy Duty Meat Grinder: Meat Your Maker 1½ hp Grinder (#32)
- HP: 1½
- Grind plates: coarse and fine
- Speed: fast and consistent
- Accessories: Coarse and fine plates, stainless knife, sausage stuffer with three tubes, storage tray
- Unique features: The storage tray is great for keeping everything organized and in one place
- Assembly and storage: the unit is easy to assemble and take apart for cleaning
Pros:
- Fast and efficient
- Moderate weight and noise
- Compatible with attachments that can be purchased
- Forward and reverse
Cons:
- The price could scare some buyers
- It is heavy to move
Analysis
The Meat 1½ hp #32 is a commercial-grade unit that will easily keep up with the demands of a hunter with lots of friends and family. The unit is marketed to grind 14 to 18 pounds of meat per minute and has no problem living up to its reputation.
The extras on this unit are worth paying attention to, especially with all-stainless construction. The storage tray easily holds the grinder plates, sausage stuffer, and tubes. With this grinder, we ground moose, deer, goose, and even pheasant, producing properly minced meat with no chewy bits. We made sausage with the included stuffer and found it easy to use, assemble, clean, and store for the next use.
We ran the unit on the continuous grind and with a foot pedal for a controlled feed. It worked flawlessly both ways, and the pedal proved valuable when stuffing sausage and not wanting 18 pounds of meat through the stuffer per minute.
The unit was easy to assemble and take apart. The motor heats continuously, and the auger gets some baked on meat that requires soaking for removal and cleaning. The unit is heavy and has rubber feet to stay stationary during use. Hunters will love this unit, which will last a lifetime, even under heavy use.
Best Meat Grinder for Wild Game: LEM 1 hp LEM #12 BigBite Grinder
- Watts: 750
- Grind plates: Coarse and fine
- Speed: Fast and efficient
- Accessories: Includes stainless steel knife, head, auger, and large meat pan; stainless steel coarse and fine plates; stuffing plate; 3 stuffing tubes; meat stomper; auger puller
- Unique features: 5-year warranty
- Assembly and storage: the unit is easy to assemble and take apart for cleaning
Pros:
- Value priced as a 1 hp grinder
- Fast and efficient for size
- Uses a double grind attachment to reduce work time
- Compatible LEM attachments are available
- Heavy gearing
Cons:
- All stainless body requires microfiber cloths to clean to a shine
Analysis
The LEM #12 BigBite Grinder was impressive and showed that a 1 hp unit can do large batches of meat without issues or worry. The grinder ate large chunks of meat and ground them consistently. A feature hunters will appreciate is the BigBite technology with double-edged knives and two grinder plates, eliminating the need to double grind any meat when using the BigBite. The technology has been used in commercial grinders and is now available for home-based units. The result is perfectly ground meat with even consistency. One pass through the grinder allows the auger to take an extra BigBite of meat and then move it through quickly to produce a premium grind in half the time.
The 1 hp motor was impressive and proved to be a workhorse that ground meat as fast as you could feed it. It is marketed to grind 13 pounds per minute and met expectations without a problem.
Several features are worth paying attention to, including a built-in drawer to store the grinder plates and knives safely and securely and ensure you never have to look for them when using the unit. This grinder offers great value and enough power to tackle big jobs. It is fast and efficient with dual grind technology. Hunters will love the efficiency of this unit and the versatility of the attachments that can be added.
Best Lightweight Meat Grinder: LEM ½ hp #8 Dual Grind Meat Grinder
- Power: N/A
- Grind plates: Coarse and fine
- Speed: Moderate
- Accessories: 3 stainless steel plates: 4.5mm, 10mm, and stuffing plate, meat stomper, and stainless steel knife
- Unique features: only 29 pounds
- Assembly and storage: Easy to assemble and disassemble
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Easy to handle
- Fast and efficient
Cons:
- Slow compared to larger hp units, as expected
Analysis
The LEM ½ hp #8 Dual Grind Meat Grinder was impressive for its size and proved that more power isn’t the only thing to consider when purchasing a grinder. The #8 Dual Grind was fast and efficient with a steady output. However, most hunters don’t require a grinder to mince a pound of meat every 10 seconds—that’s all perspective. BigBite technology with double-edged knives and two grinder plates is included, eliminating the need to double-grind any meat when using the unit. The technology has been used in commercial grinders and is now available for home-based units. The result is perfectly ground meat with even consistency.
We ground elk, axis deer, black bear, and goose with the unit, which performed flawlessly. The output was higher than advertised, and the unit easily moved around. This is the perfect grinder for anyone who does one or two animals at a time or half a dozen a year. A couple of deer, or even an elk, would be no problem for this grinder, designed for home use. A wonderful storage drawer with a convenient handle makes it easy to access and store your grinder plates and knives safely and securely, and you always know where they are located.
It would be hard to find a grinder in the same category to keep up with the #8 Dual Grind Meat Grinder. It is a toiler that will get the job done without a huge price tag.
Best Budget Meat Grinder: Weston #12 Electric Meat Grinder
- Power: 750 watts
- Grind plates: Coarse and fine
- Speed: Moderate
- Accessories: 2 stainless steel grinding plates, a cutting blade, a sausage stuffing funnel, and a stomper
- Unique features: 2 speeds and reverse
- Assembly and storage: Easy and intuitive assembly and disassembly
Pros:
- Perfect for small grinding jobs or sausage-making
- The unit comes with a sausage stuffer and funnel
- Two speeds and reverse
- Small and lightweight
- Fast and efficient
Cons:
- Only grinds up to five pounds per minute
Analysis
The Weston #12 Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer was a pleasure to work with and quite versatile. The unit is ideal for small to medium jobs and is a go-to when preparing special meals requiring a couple of pounds of ground meat. The two speeds were handy to increase output, but grinding in first gear produced plenty of output. The slower gear is perfect for making sausage and controlling or handling the grinder output. We ground deer meat and even a big load of waterfowl breasts to make extruded jerky. It had no problem spitting out five pounds of ground meat a minute.
The big advantages of this unit are weight and size. It is easy to lift and move around and takes up a small footprint to store. If you are limited on space, this is a wonderful grinder with plenty of potential. It has a big motor for a smaller unit, and if you want a unit to move into your kitchen for a small job, this is it. However, it could easily handle grinding all the meat from a deer and turning it into sausage.
To ensure the meat is ground to your desired texture, you can choose between medium and coarse (5 mm and 8 mm) stainless steel grinding plates, which are included. The durable meat grinder has a heavy-duty, die-cast aluminum body and metal gears. The cam action headlock makes it easy to attach the grinding head and connect and disconnect from the motor coupling faster.
Best Electric Grinder for Home Use: Weston #8 Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer
- HP: 7/8
- Watts: 650
- Grind plates: fine, medium, coarse
- Speed: forward and reverse
- Accessories: 3 stainless steel grinding plates, a cutting blade, sausage stuffing funnel, a stuffing spacer, and the stomper, which doubles as a storage case. It neatly holds all the accessories when not in use
- Unique features: One-year limited Weston warranty, built-in cord storage
Assembly and storage: Easy to assemble and disassemble
Pros:
- Easy to handle and operate
- Ideal for small grinding or sausage jobs
- Lightweight to handle
Cons:
- It grinds about 3 or 4 pounds per minute
- Not designed for larger jobs
Analysis
If you have ever considered grinding your own meat or making sausage, the Weston #8 Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer is priced to make you want to try it. The grinder is ideal for making small batches of sausage, grinding meat for making jerky, or fresh ground meat for special burgers or shepherd’s pie.
The unit is best described as the little train that could. It is slow and steady, grinding up to three pounds of meat per minute. This unit shines in the fast and easy setup and cleanup. It should be considered the perfect kitchen appliance to do small jobs quickly and efficiently. The price tag makes it appealing, but don’t expect this unit to grind 100 pounds of burger in a single sitting. It could easily do 20 or more pounds in a session, but anything more would be overworking it.
This unit would be a great purchase for making small batches of sausage without needing a press. It includes a sausage stuffing funnel and stuffing spacer. A simple on/off power button controls forward operation, and a reverse function prevents jams. The unit has fine, medium, or coarse stainless steel grinding plates to grind meat to your desired texture. All accessories are neatly stored in the included stomper, and the built-in cord storage helps to eliminate clutter.
The unit is easy to clean, store in a small space, and is lightweight to handle.
Best Hand-Cranked Meat Grinder: Weston #10 Manual Meat Grinder
- Watts: N/A
- Grind plates: Coarse and fine
- Accessories: Includes 2 steel plates for a course (10mm), fine (4.5mm) grinding, and a steel grinding knife. The stuffing kit includes three stuffing funnels: 14 mm, 19 mm, and 24 mm, an adaptor, and a spacer
- Speed: as fast as you can turn the handle
- Unique features: Easy clamp-on to table or counter
- Assembly and storage: The unit is easy to assemble and is dishwasher-safe
Pros:
- Quick and easy to use
- Grinds as good as an electric unit
- Easy to attach and clean
- Ideal for anyone on a budget
Cons:
- Not designed for large batches of ground meat
Analysis
A hand meat grinder is a nostalgic piece of equipment that is still relevant today. The unit is easy to attach to a counter up to 1½ inches thick and effortlessly grinds several pounds of meat. They are easy to clean and take up little space. Modern design means having control of the final products, and with coarse or fine grinding plates, you always have the perfect mince to work with without leaving home. Adjustable burrs allow for coarse to fine grind control.
The hopper on the manual grinder is three inches by four inches, making it easy to feed.
The unit operates with a heavy-duty nylon auger bearing. It is easy to assemble or disassemble for cleaning.
If you remember your time as a kid making sausage with grandma and grandpa, this unit will be a step up from the sausage stuffing kits. These kits include an adapter, spacer, and three funnel sizes (14 mm, 19 mm, 24 mm) to make a variety of sausages, including breakfast links, hot dogs, and bratwurst.
Meat Grinder FAQ’s:
Can meat grinders save you money?
Absolutely! If you process any wild game, paying for a grinder at what it would cost at a butcher shop does not take long. The volume processed dictates the savings.
Does a grinder help produce healthy foods?
Having a grinder at your disposal means reducing food waste, using fresh ingredients, and controlling what you put into your meals.
Can you utilize more of an animal if you have a grinder?
a grinder allows you to utilize the cuts of meat that may be discarded. More ground meat is always a positive.
Is homegrown meat more healthy?
Yes, you can make healthy choices, like how lean you want your ground meat and if you want to add any fat.
Can a grinder help make meals more creative?
A grinder provides diversity and options when utilizing any meat from animals, fish, or fowl. It can also be used for some vegetables and special uses like sausage or using specialized attachments.
Can you use a grinder to make pet food?
A grinder can be used to grind the trim or portions of an animal that are not used for human consumption.
Will a grinder pay for itself?
Yes, depending on the amount of meat you process, a grinder will pay for itself with the funds saved by not paying for commercial processing.
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