Can a meat grinder be washed in a dishwasher and why?

A meat grinder is one of the pearls in a cozy kitchen. Cutlets, dumplings, meatballs, curly pastries, etc. are her merit. However, the device also requires thorough care. Housewives take the risk of washing the meat grinder in the dishwasher and often end up with a gray coating that cannot be cleaned off with anything. Therefore, the basic rule is: you cannot put the device in the dishwasher. If your hands are full to capacity, this is acceptable, but you need to choose the right mode and detergent.

Why not

The body, the auger (the screw-shaped part that pushes the meat towards the knives), and in mechanical models the handle are made of aluminum alloy of varying quality and composition. However, the base remains a light and very active metal. It is safe as long as it is covered with a special film of oxides.

The protective film is resistant to high temperatures, but it is quite easily destroyed by strong alkali, which is contained in all dishwasher detergents (be it Synergetic or Finish Quantum). The hot solution corrodes the oxide layer, and corrosion of the aluminum alloy begins.

In addition to the fact that darkened parts are not aesthetically pleasing, doctors note that aluminum compounds accumulate in the body and cause health problems.

As for cast iron and iron (knives for meat grinders are often made from the latter), they do not tolerate prolonged humidity well, so after a dishwasher they often begin to rust faster.

How to avoid problems

The mystery of a damaged meat grinder is unlocked by two keys: temperature and medium. As many housewives note, if you choose a mode with a temperature of 40° C, the device does not darken. However, this will inevitably happen with regular washing in a PMM. Experts strongly do not recommend cleaning the meat grinder using active alkalis, even at low temperatures.

The main problem is the detergent. In addition, the remains of meat and veins from the meat grinder get into the filters and clog them, making it difficult to clean the dishwasher. Therefore, one of the main techniques is to remove food residues with a sponge well soaked in hand-washing gel.

After this, you can load the meat grinder into the dishwasher and run a program with a low temperature, without PMM - the output will be dry and sparkling parts.

To prevent knives and old cast iron meat grinders from rusting, they need to be run for short, half-hour cycles and immediately removed from the dishwasher, if necessary, wiped dry.

Advice
After each wash, both manual and automatic, wipe the knives and grill, and then lubricate them with Vaseline oil - this will protect them from corrosion, maintain the sharpness of the blades and improve the operation of the device. You need very little oil.

Meat grinders look reliable and can withstand any load, because they grind meat fibers and even sinews. But in reality, they are made of aluminum alloy, which reacts poorly to the alkali in dishwasher detergents, or cast iron, which is prone to rust. Therefore, experts believe that you cannot wash the meat grinder in the dishwasher. If you don’t have the strength to wash the auger and base, you can entrust them to a washing unit, but only at a low temperature and a short program, or better yet, leave the machine only for rinsing.