Read reviews Norpro Meat Grinder, Mincer, and Pasta Maker

Most helpful customer reviews

203 of 205 people found the following review helpful.
A nice grinder
By JK
I like this grinder.

In the past I've owned the metal grinders that you have to clamp to a table and the electric kind with big motors that take up most of the space on the kitchen counter. They were so clumsy and a pain to clean that I seldom used either one. The electric one failed recently grinding peanuts!! and the old metal manual one got left behind in the last move so I decided to try this Nor-Pro despite it being made partly of plastic.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. You do have to assemble the blades correctly. My first project was meatballs -- it ground the meat(buffalo stew meat in this case), the onions, a little garlic, mint stems and leaves, and the dry bread all very nicely into the square bowl which is included with the grinder. I grind my own meat to avoid the fat and "parts" from supermarket hamburger. The coarse grind is just right for tacos or wonton filling. Cleanup was easy - I put the pieces in the square bowl, added some hot water and a squirt of detergent and it was all clean in a few minutes and ready to use for the next meal. The extra pieces fit into a small plastic ziplock bag along with the basic instructions so they are not likely to get separated or lost. The rectangular bowl is attractive enough and the right size to take to table to serve sushi or gyoza.

The plastic is nice sturdy plastic like that in Lego toys. You do need to have a smooth countertop for the suction to work to stabilize the base(it doesn't work on my butcher-block table). It looks nice sitting on the counter so there it stays and gets used a lot. I only use my blender for smoothies nowadays. Nuts and beans and all sorts of other foods get ground in this little grinder.

One needs to make sure the pasta dough is not too moist... it takes a little practice.

The vegetables and cooked meats typically used for sandwich salads grind very nicely - even celery. So it is great when preparing lunches for brown bag or picnics. It also does a nice job of grinding garlic for garlic bread and/or salad dressing... saves my hands from smelling like garlic forever.

I'm left-handed and it is still easy for me to use.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful.
Perfect
By Eyeconic
Don't be put off by the low price. This thing does exactly what it is expected to do exactly as one would expect it to do it.

Even the priciest gourmet food store does not clean its meat grinder to my satisfaction. Your medium rare burger is going to contain some medium rare pork as well.

Anyway, this thing replaces an attachment on my Kitchenaid stand mixer. It is easier, faster and simpler to clean. I love the way this thing adheres to the counter. Three pound meatloaf of beef, pork and veal took just 10 minutes. DEFINITELY put the meat in the freezer for about an hour before grinding. Cut the meat into strips. It only takes a few minutes to figure out what works well and what does not. For burgers, you might want to run the meat through twice.

I haven't a clue why some of these reviews are negative. Perhaps they assembled the mechanism incorrectly.

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful.
Rave Review
By Joyce Nemitz
I have been looking for this item as I bought mine several years ago and could not find it again, until now. I had planned to give it to my kids for Christmas as it is such a great item to have, neat, clean, handy and works great...but you have to do it correctly. If you put the blade in backwards it will NOT work. Read the instructions for those that did NOT like it.

Great item.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Norpro’s meat grinder/mincer/pasta maker combines the functionality of three kitchen gadgets in one. Crush beans, vegetables and nuts for spreads and pâté; grind beef chuck, round or sirloin for incredible homemade hamburgers; pulverize stale bread for breadcrumbs; or break up veggies for baby food. The possibilities are endless thanks to coarse- and fine-textured steel mincing plates.

Three pasta attachments open up a world of Italian cuisine, enabling cooks to create fresh homemade rigatoni, spaghetti, or linguine. Plus, an enclosed funnel makes grinding sausage a snap. Also included are a suction-locking pestle, plastic tray, detailed instructions, and a recipe booklet. The unit stands 7 inches high with a 4-1/4 inch diameter base. This kitchen tool is FDA-approved and made in the USA. --Mary Park