Norpro Meat Grinder, Mincer, and Pasta Maker
by Norpro
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List Price: Our Price: $19.99 You Save: $20.00 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $19.85 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Norpro Meat Grinder, Mincer, and Pasta Maker
Customer Review: A nice grinder
Summary: 5 Stars
I like this grinder.
In the past I've owned the metal grinders that you have to clamp to a table and the electric kind with big motors that take up most of the space on the kitchen counter. They were so clumsy and a pain to clean that I seldom used either one. The electric one failed recently grinding peanuts!! and the old metal manual one got left behind in the last move so I decided to try this Nor-Pro despite it being made partly of plastic.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. You do have to assemble the blades correctly. My first project was meatballs -- it ground the meat(buffalo stew meat in this case), the onions, a little garlic, mint stems and leaves, and the dry bread all very nicely into the square bowl which is included with the grinder. I grind my own meat to avoid the fat and "parts" from supermarket hamburger. The coarse grind is just right for tacos or wonton filling. Cleanup was easy - I put the pieces in the square bowl, added some hot water and a squirt of detergent and it was all clean in a few minutes and ready to use for the next meal. The extra pieces fit into a small plastic ziplock bag along with the basic instructions so they are not likely to get separated or lost. The rectangular bowl is attractive enough and the right size to take to table to serve sushi or gyoza.
The plastic is nice sturdy plastic like that in Lego toys. You do need to have a smooth countertop for the suction to work to stabilize the base(it doesn't work on my butcher-block table). It looks nice sitting on the counter so there it stays and gets used a lot. I only use my blender for smoothies nowadays. Nuts and beans and all sorts of other foods get ground in this little grinder.
One needs to make sure the pasta dough is not too moist... it takes a little practice.
The vegetables and cooked meats typically used for sandwich salads grind very nicely - even celery. So it is great when preparing lunches for brown bag or picnics. It also does a nice job of grinding garlic for garlic bread and/or salad dressing... saves my hands from smelling like garlic forever.
I'm left-handed and it is still easy for me to use.
Customer Review: Works great for me
Summary: 5 Stars
Granted, I've used it only twice so far, but both times it's done exactly what I expected it to do.
The first time, a couple weeks back, I used it to remix a meatball mix to extra-fine texture. That was a mixture of ground beef with onion and seasonings put through the grinder. Worked great, and the family asked, "What did you do differently? These are really great!" The mixture went through evenly and was ground well together, blending the flavors throughout the meatball and giving it a consistent texture that held together well for cooking. The texture also made it more appealing to the eater (I'm not a meatball fan, but that's the feedback from others).
The second time, just last night, I used it to grind ham for ham loaf. The ham has to be cut into small pieces, but you quickly learn the size needed (no more than 3/4" wide strips) and it works well. Again, the family loved it.
It's easy to understand how the grinder goes together even if you lose the little instruction manual with the diagram (darned kids!), and it cleans up great (hand-wash but comes apart completely and easily).
I'm not a gourmet cook, just feeding my family, but this little gadget works great. May try it for noodles. Definitely going to grind my own hamburger. Will update this review if I come up against something it doesn't do as expected.
Customer Review: Great meat grinder
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted to have more control of the quality of ground meat I was buying. Also, I use ground lamb which was difficult to find, expensive and full of fat. I decided to try grinding my own meat. I originally intended to buy the meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer. After reading the reviews in which a number of people experienced lubricant oil from the mixer/attachment getting in the meat, I decided against that purchase. I saw this little grinder which was rated higher by reviewers and considerably cheaper than the Kitchenaid attachment. I received it and was quite concerned by it's small size and mostly plastic parts. I could not have been more pleased with its performance. It was simple to put together and easily attached to my countertop. I processed 6 lbs of boneless lamb into beautiful, lean ground meat in no time. It was easy to turn and stayed firmly attached to the countertop. The manufacturer does not recommend putting the grinder in the dishwasher. However, it was easy to clean mainly because it disassembles completely and quickly. It has a very small footprint and stores compactly in the included tray. I also do not have to drag out my big Kitchenaid mixer just to grind a few pounds of meat. I do not know if a hand powered grinder would be my first choice if I was processing a lot of meat on a regular basis but for my purposes it is the perfect choice.Customer Review: *GREAT* item for a kitchen gadget lover
Summary: 5 Stars
My Grandmother used to make a cranberry/apple/orange relish around Thanksgiving & Christmas that she hand ground in one of those old antique cast iron grinders. After she passed away, I continued the tradition using the same old cast iron grinder that had a bracket of sorts which needed to be screwed down on a counter top. I can remember when my son was young, we had to screw the bracket to a wooden chair turned sideways on the floor because the newer rounded edge counter top didn't work (orange, cranberry, & apple juice everywhere but we had fun). When I discovered this Norpro Meat Grinder-Mincer (I've tried several others), I found it to be the *BEST* gadget ever to replace the old style grinder. If you put it together just like the instructions tell you to, it works like a charm. It is very sturdy, very easy to clean, & in my opinion, delivers way more than what you pay for it. The last time I made the cranberry relish, my OC buddy accidentally threw the shaft bushing away when he was cleaning up so I would love to know if/where a replacement part can be purchased (I'm writing to Norpro to see if they can give me any information).Customer Review: Assemble properly!
Summary: 5 Stars
Read your instructions and check your parts list before you use this. I was missing a part and yes, the grinder was not working well at all. I re-checked the parts list, returned it to Amazon and received a new one that works like a charm. We have used it for grinding meat (cut into chunks first) and making wonderful egg noodles(use a recipe). It is easy to clean, but clean it right away. When making pasta/noodles they can stick together a bit but if you have a pot of simmering salted water ready, they do come apart quite nicely for us.This is a very easy to use product that my sons are enjoying using since it makes them feel that they are really "making" food, not just cooking it. Please just remember to look at the parts photo and make sure you have all the parts and that you are assembling them in the correct order and that they are properly fitted and tightened. Not at all difficult. Great product, well made and reasonable price.