Antique Meat Grinders - Flea Market Bargains by Mifflin

While today's electric meat and food grinders certainly reduce the time and labor of grinding vegetables, meat, fish or making sausages, to a fraction of the time required with a manual grinder, antique models are anything but obsolete.

Antique grinders like this German-made Alexanderwerk #10 Model are grinding machines that are almost indestructable, and were quality crafted more for function than for their good looks. Although referred to as 'meat' grinders, these were also used for other foods such as nuts, onions and other vegetables, depending on their cutting plate design.

Generally old grinders were made of cast iron, cast steel and even aluminum, with precise internal parts that maintained their operating efficiency by being lubricated by the food that was inserted into its funnel. Some models did have bearings incorporated in their designs.

They were built to last but without proper care however, these models could rust if not thoroughly dried and it was not uncommon to apply a thin smearing of mineral oil to moving parts, to reduce this risk when the unit was stored.

Today, antique meat grinders are bargain finds, either for antique display purposes, or to return these durable food preparation machines to full operating capacity for the remainder of their long lifespan. The Alexanderwerk model is approximately 40 to 50 years old, in excellent condition and ready to go for many more years.

When would you use an old manual grinder? Old grinding machines are terrific for providing the second grinding work area when there is a large amount of meat to process such as wild game, to grind a batch of fish fillets for fish cakes, or to use for various food grinding chores at the bush camp where electricity is lacking. The low cost investment of a manual model may also fit your budget perfectly and provide you many years of good food grinding operation.

Kitchen Appliance Information Posted By : Blueshoots.com