If you have invested in an electric meat grinder, it is important to go the extra mile in preserving its functions and making sure it’s not going to break down any time soon.

The good news is, most electric meat grinders come complete with parts and labor warranty. However, if you want to prolong the life of your electric meat grinder, you have to learn how to properly clean it.

Electric meat grinders can accommodate large batches of meat at a time. A good electric meat grinder can grind up to 170 pounds of meat in one hour. Can you imagine how much grease and oil can collect inside it if you run that big of a meat cycle every time you use your grinder?

That said, you might want to follow these steps in cleaning an electric meat grinder:

• Step 1: Get a piece of bread (you can use day old bread as it is a bit firmer) and run it in the grinder. If you just run a heavy load, repeat this step twice to make sure every grease and fat collected inside is properly removed.

• Step 2: Turn your meat grinder off and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Do not wash an electric grinder that still has a hot motor.

• Step 3: Start disassembling your grinder. Remove the detachable parts such as the meat tray and the cutting plates. Check the manual of your grinder and see which screws can be removed so you can clean the parts properly. Set the screws aside to make sure you won’t lose them.

Also, do not submerge any of the electrical parts in water. If you want to clean these areas, get a towel and wipe these areas. Washing the electrical parts will surely get your electric meat grinder damaged.

• Step 4: Mix warm water with dishwashing soap in a bowl. Soak the washable parts here for a few minutes before completely washing them with a sponge. Carefully use the sponge to get rid of residues and grease on the plates, cutting knife and the meat tray.

• Step 5: If the parts still feel greasy, which is usually the case if you’ve been making big batches of meat, you might want to mix warm water with a tablespoon of baking soda and soak the parts here. It will help get rid of the oil properly and will bring back the shine to the metal parts of your meat grinder.

• Step 6: Wash everything thoroughly with clean water. Make sure there are no soapy residues left behind.

• Step 7: Use a clean towel to completely dry off the parts. Allow them to dry on the counter for a few minutes before assembling the grinder back together.