Safety tips for cleaning food grinders/mincers

Safety comes first here because a food grinder is often used to process raw meat, poultry and seafood, so proper cleaning is critical to avoid the transmission of harmful bacteria, such as salmonella. The best mincers come apart completely, allowing you to clean each piece thoroughly.

• Soak the parts in a soapy solution of hot water and dishwashing liquid to dislodge most of the food.
• You can finish the job in a dishwasher (always consult the manufacturer's instructions first), set on a heavy cycle.
• If you're cleaning the parts by hand, soak with some salt 5 ml (1 tsp) of salt to 2 litres (2 quarts) of cold water for about 10 minutes to dislodge the food.
• Scrub the plates and blade with a brush in hot, soapy water to any kill bacteria that may be lurking.
• To help get meat or other remnants out of the holes in the plates, poke wooden kebab skewers through the holes.
• Lay the parts on a dish towel and allow them to air dry fully.
• Or, place the parts in an oven at a temperature of 70°C (160°F) for 10–15 minutes. If you put aluminium alloy blades in the dishwasher, they'll quickly start to rust when they sit and dry.
• Once the blades are dry, lightly rub vegetable oil over them to protect them from rusting.

• Wipe it with an anti-bacterial, all-purpose cleanser, or a solution of 30 mm (2 tbls.) of bleach to 4 litres (4 quarts) of warm water.
• Fill a spray bottle with the solution, spray it on the housing unit (the outside only), and then wipe it off.

Take the appliance apart and wash it in warm soapy water, then dry.

Some of the natural sweetness of meat can be lost in the mincing process — unless you happen to know this professional secret: chill your food mincer in the freezer first. This way, the machine remains cool for the mincing process and the sweetness of the meat is maintained before cooking.