Picked a manual meat grinder over an electric one for my home setup and kinda regret it

So last month I decided to start grinding my own burger blends at home instead of buying pre-ground. I was torn between this $40 manual grinder from a local shop and a $150 electric one on Amazon. I thought "hey, I'm a butcher, I've got arm strength, how hard can it be?" Well after grinding about 8 pounds of chuck and brisket trim for a big cookout, my hand was cramping up something fierce. The manual one does a nice consistent grind actually, but my shoulder was sore for two days after. I still use it for small batches like 2 pounds or less, but for bigger jobs I'm thinking about selling it and grabbing that electric one. Anyone else gone manual and then switched to electric or vice versa?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmam891mo ago

Keep the manual one. That sore shoulder is just your body telling you to get stronger. Electric ones break way more often and you can't fix them yourself. Plus nothing beats the feel of actually working for your food, even if it hurts a bit.

jamesf291mo ago

Haven't you ever had an electric grinder fail on you in the middle of dinner prep though? I get the appeal of manual, but mine's been going strong for years with just a quick rinse. Plus if my shoulder's already sore from a long day, I'm not gonna punish it more for coffee.

drew_jones311mo ago

Manual grinders actually do fine with smaller batches but that shoulder pain is a sign you need a better technique, not a stronger arm.