The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

stand mixer attachment, a relatively fast speed is the
way to go—I’ve found that about 6 to 8 on the
KitchenAid produces the best results), or start
grinding with a manual model, and press the meat
through. Ground meat, simple as that!
Here’s a basic guide on how to select, use, and
maintain a grinder.

The Parts

All meat    grinders    consist of  the same    basic   parts:

• The pusher (1) and hopper (2) are where you
  add the cubes of meat. The pusher is used to
  force the meat down the feed tube and to keep
  things moving. Usually there is a tray located on
  top of the feed tube where extra meat can be set
  before being pushed into the grinder. The larger