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Dishwashers are great for cleaning dishware and cutlery automatically and they do safe us a ton of effort that comes with scrubbing here and there. As important as this machine is in every home, there are some things you should never put in it and that includes meat grinders.
So Can You Put Meat Grinder In Dishwasher? Unless the parts are marked “dishwasher safe”, never you put your meat grinder in the dishwasher as it would ruin your grinder by rendering the cutting surface blunt, strips off the Aluminum shiny finish until they become dull grey.
Not just that, you may end up picking some grey bits from your ground meat. The dull grey you see on grinder the moment you take them out of the dishwasher is a sign that your grinder has been oxidized.
Once it has developed aluminium oxide, you’ll begin to see powdered residues coming out from them. Once you spot this then the next best thing to do so that you can be able to use your grinder once again to ground things is to run bread (3-5 slices) through it.
Running bread through the auger will help take away the oxides that have been deposited in the grinder and make it safe again for use.
Like I said earlier, it’s essential to partake in this exercise so you don’t end up picking up some of those grey elements in your ground meat.
Read Also: Can You Use Meat Grinder To Make Pasta? Let’s Find Out
Here’s What Happens When You Put Aluminum In Dishwasher
It’s no longer new that most dishwasher uses harsh detergents that contain alkaline phosphates. The presence of this phosphate enables them to clean or remove stains from your dishwares.
So when this hard detergent comes in contact with aluminium (especially the ones that has not been anodized), causes the aluminium objects to collide with each other which then quickens the oxidation process.
How To Restore Or Remove The Dull Grey Colour Off Your Meat Grinder’s Part
Truth is, there’s hardly anything you can do to restore the aluminum shiny finish of your meat grinders part once it’s dull but here’s a little something I found and I think might help.
Get Cream of Tartar (Potassium Bitartrate) then try to make a paste with it. Get an old toothbrush or a nail brush and use it to work the paste on the dull parts. Do this for like 5 minutes until the shine has been restored. Don’t forget to rinse and dry once you’re through.
OR
Make a solution containing cream of tartar and water (2 tablespoons full of tartar to 1 quart of water or 4 cups) then put the parts and boil for 10 minutes.
After about 10 minutes, remove the parts from the solution and put them in cold water, thereafter, brush gently with wire sponge. Do this until they become shiny.
Another way to go about this is to soak all of the affected parts in a bowl containing white vinegar for a day or two then brush gently the next day with a brush. All of the dull colours should come off by then. You can also mix the cream of tartar with vinegar then scrub gently.
You can also remove the dull grey colour of your meat grinders attachments and make them shiny again with baking soda. Make a paste with baking soda then use a toothbrush to brush the darkened surface until it becomes shiny.
Toothpaste is another easy way to remove dull grey material from your grinder. With the help of a brush, brush the surface to a high shine. If all of these didn’t work out for you, try to soak the parts in hot water containing Tar soap.
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The Right Way To Wash A Meat Grinder
Here’s how to clean your manual and automatic meat grinders yourself and what you’ll need.
Items Needed
- Slice bread (3 slices should be enough)
- Brush or sponge
- Dish soap
- Dry towel
- Rice
Step 1: Feed Bread Into The Grinder
It’s easier to clean a meat grinder once you finished using it as opposed to leaving it to stay for some time as this will make the fats content of the meat to stick harder.
To clean, you’ll need to feed like 2-3 slices of bread into the grinder. This will help soak up the fats and possibly push out other tiny bits of meats and ready for the next step.
Note: This should be done before you even think of disassembling the machine.
Step 2: Dismantle The Grinder
Once you’ve successfully fed bread through the grinder, its now time to dismantle the grinder. When disassembling, be sure to take note of each part and where they actually fit.
Step 3: Soak Dismantled Parts
Get a big bowl of water then add some liquid detergents and carefully place the disassembled parts in it. Let it sit there for about 30 minutes before you proceed to wash them.
Step 4: Brush Or Scrub The Parts
It’s not enough to keep them soaked, brushing the parts will help take out most of the residue so be sure to pay attention to details here and don’t be in a hurry while at it.
Read Also: How To Clean An Old Meat Grinder With Steps In 2022
Take time to carefully brush each part, starting from the auger, hopper down to the cutting blades. Grinders blades are very sharp so be extra careful while handling the blade.
Step 5: Rinse, Wipe And Dry
Now that you’re done washing, it’s now time for you to rinse each part carefully. Ensure each part dismantle go through running water thereafter, wipe each part dried with a clean towel before setting them out to air dry
Step 6: Store
Once dried, you can now assemble your grinder then store in a cool dry place free or store individual parts in a bucket full of dried rice. This will prevent it from rusting.
Can You Put Meat Grinder In Dishwasher – FAQ
What Dishes Should Not Be Washed In The Dishwasher?
It’s a good idea to own a dishwasher in your home but do you know that not all dishes can be washed in dishwashers. Continue reading to learn more about what not to put in a dishwasher.
- Aluminium (such as spoons pans, pots etc) generally do not go well with dishwasher as they tend to react with hot temperature and harsh detergents leaving them with a dark grey coating.
- Another thing that should not be washed in the dishwasher are plastics and wooden materials. Plastic (such as bowls) may expand beyond its limit while wooden material (such as pestles, spoons etc) may take in too much water.
- Other items that are not dishwasher safe includes crystal dishes and souvenirs, cast iron cookware, dishes with a vacuum lid, knives, blades, and sharp-edged tools etc.
Is The KitchenAid Meat Grinder Dishwasher Safe?
Most attachment that comes with the KitchenAid meat grinder is dishwasher safe but to be on the safer side, it’s best that you hand wash them yourself so as not to ruin them.
Can You Put Meat Grinder In Dishwasher – Conclusion
While it is good to own a dishwasher in your home, certain items shouldn’t be introduced into them. Items like your meat grinders parts may become dull and blackened when they come in contact with high temperature plus harsh detergents in your dishwasher.
So to be on a safer side, hand wash your grinder yourself and avoid and them in a dishwasher. Hope this helps? If you have any questions regarding this subject, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.