A meat grinder, or herb grinder, is a kitchen utensil that can finely chop herbs, nuts, or chocolate. Some argue it’s unnecessary and can bruise herbs, while others find it useful for those without good knife skills. It’s also easier to clean than a stand mixer.
A meat grinder, sometimes called a mincer, is a small device with a roller made up of stainless steel blades. Since many claim that cutting herbs by hand can cause them to bruise, people may prefer this inexpensive kitchen utensil over using a knife. Instead of spending a lot of time chopping herbs with a knife, simply roll the herb grinder over fresh or dried herbs to get finely chopped herb pieces. It can also be used to chop nuts or chocolate chunks, making it a multi-purpose tool.
Some argue that the product is nonsense, and is just as likely to bruise herbs as a sharp stainless steel knife. If you have good knife skills, it’s true that the meat grinder might just be a waste of space in your kitchen utensil drawer. Also, some consumers who have purchased a grinder complain that herbs can get stuck inside the rolling head and that it may take time to get very finely diced herbs out of the head.
On the other hand, many people really like this utensil, which retails for around 10-20 US Dollars (USD) depending on the brand. If you don’t have good knife skills, the meat grinder might be the perfect way to chop herbs. There is certainly less chance of cutting yourself while using it, as the long handle sits far away from the steel bladed roller.
People might suggest that a mini food processor does the job of grinding herbs with ease, and if you have one, there’s no point in having a meat grinder. One could argue that it’s easy enough to chop herbs in a food processor. A few seconds longer can turn your fresh herbs to mush. With a meat grinder you have more control over how much they are minced, as you can see the effect each blade roll has on the herbs. Both the appliance and the utensil are somewhat difficult to clean. The stand mixer has so many parts that it is definitely more difficult to clean, especially since some parts may not be dishwasher safe.
Of course the meat grinder can also be difficult to clean and should be cleaned immediately so that the minced herbs moving around inside the roller don’t have a chance to dry. It may require a few extra rinses to process these herbs. Alternatively, place the meat grinder in a cup of hot water if you don’t have time to clean it right away. This will eliminate the issue of drying the herbs inside the roller and can help the herbs find their way out.
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