Replacement Grinding Plates and Blades: What to Buy and When to Replace Them

stainless steel meat grinder plates  · 

Identify your grinder head before you shop

Replacement plates and knives are sold by size number, not by brand name, so the first job is to confirm what your head takes. Look for a #8, #12, #22 or #32 stamp on the head casting, the manual or the existing plate. If nothing is marked, measure the plate’s outside diameter with calipers and compare it to the size chart in your manual.

A matching number is necessary but not sufficient. Check three more things: whether your plates are hubbed (a raised center boss the knife rides on) or flat, whether the plate has a notch or lug that locks it to the head so it cannot spin, and what drive the knife uses on the auger. A #12 plate from one maker will often fit a #12 head from another, since LEM, Weston, Cabela’s and Hobart-pattern heads share the size designations. Hub style, notch position and knife fit still vary, so verify them before assuming a cross-brand swap will seat flat.

Choosing plate hole sizes for game, burger and sausage

Buy plates by the job they do. Most wild-game processors want a coarse plate of about 3/8 inch (roughly 10 mm) for a first pass on trimmed venison, elk or moose, then a finer plate of about 3/16 inch (4.5 mm) for burger or a second pass on sausage meat. A 1/8 inch plate (3 mm) suits emulsified-style brats and fine summer sausage, but it clogs quickly on lean game with leftover sinew and silverskin.

A stuffing plate has much larger openings and is meant for mixing and stuffing, not for cutting. It is useful if you stuff bratwurst or snack sticks through the grinder, and it is not a substitute for a coarse plate. If you only grind burger, a single fine plate and a spare is enough. If you also make jerky strips or sausage, the extra coarse plate earns its place.

Knives: what to buy and how many

The knife is the part that wears fastest and costs the least, so keep a spare. Most knives have a flat face that runs against the plate and cutting edges on the leading side of each arm. Installed backward, the knife will not cut and will mash meat instead. Check that the edges face the plate.

Buy a knife matched to your plate style. A hubbed plate needs a knife whose center fits the hub. A flat plate takes a flat-centered knife. A mismatched pair leaves a gap at the center, which lets meat and fat squeeze through uncut. If you are unsure, buy the knife and plate together as a set so the faces were made to mate, and keep the old knife as a backup rather than discarding it.

Stainless versus carbon steel and tinned parts

Plates and knives come in stainless steel and in carbon or tinned steel. Carbon steel can hold a keen edge but rusts if it is washed and left wet, and a thin tin coating can wear through at the cutting face. Stainless steel resists rust and is easier to keep in a damp garage or shed. Some stainless alloys are softer and dull sooner, so a stainless set is not automatically longer-lived in use.

Whichever you buy, dry parts right after washing and wipe carbon steel with a thin film of food-safe oil before storage. Never put plates and knives in a dishwasher. Hot water and detergent strip protection and can pit the face the knife has to run flat against.

Signs a plate or knife needs replacing

Worn parts announce themselves in the output. The most common sign is smearing: ground meat looks pasty, fat smears instead of staying in distinct particles, and the plate holes clog. Other signs are meat coming out warm, the motor bogging at a load it handled before, the stomper needing extra force, and sinew wrapping around the knife instead of being cut.

Inspect the parts directly. Rounded or chipped knife edges, a plate face with a visible ring worn by the knife, burrs around the holes, or a dished plate that rocks on a flat surface all mean the parts no longer seal against each other. Bone chips from poorly trimmed game accelerate this. Before blaming the parts, rule out the causes that mimic wear: meat that is not partially frozen (firm and near 32°F works best), too much connective tissue, and a ring nut that is loose or overtightened.

Sharpening and lapping versus buying new

A dull knife on a flat plate can often be revived. Lapping means rubbing the knife and the plate face in a figure-eight on wet/dry sandpaper placed on a flat piece of glass or granite, working from coarser to finer grit until both faces are evenly bright. Done correctly, it restores flatness and a clean edge.

Lapping does not fix every problem. If the plate is dished, deeply grooved or has cracked or enlarged holes, there is no flat surface left to restore, and removing more steel only makes it thinner. A knife with chipped arms or a worn hub is also better replaced than sharpened. As a rule, lap parts that are dull but flat and replace parts that are damaged or out of true. Since knives cost little, replacing them on a schedule beats nursing a worn one.

Setting up a spare kit and keeping it working

The practical purchase for a wild-game kitchen is one coarse plate, one fine plate, a stuffing plate if you make sausage, and two knives, all in your head’s size. A heavier-duty #22 or #32 grinder running a 1 to 1.5 HP motor puts more load on the cutting faces, so spares matter more there than on a small #8 unit.

To make parts last, chill the grinder head and the meat, trim silverskin and bone fragments first, and tighten the ring nut only until the parts are snug, not forced. Overtightening increases friction, heat and wear on both faces. Wash after every session, dry fully, and store the plates and knives together so they stay a matched pair.

FAQ

Can I use a #12 plate from a different brand in my grinder?

Often yes, because #12 is a size designation used across LEM, Weston, Cabela’s and Hobart-pattern heads. Confirm the plate diameter, the locking notch and whether the plate is hubbed. Make sure the knife you pair with it fits the same style.

How often should I replace grinder knives and plates?

Replace them by condition, not by calendar. Smeared fat, pasty output, a bogging motor, or a rounded knife edge and a worn plate face mean it is time. Knives wear first and are cheap enough to swap regularly, while plates last longer if you keep them flat and dry.

Is it worth sharpening a dull plate or knife myself?

Yes, if the parts are dull but still flat. Lapping them on wet/dry sandpaper over a flat surface can restore the cut. If the plate is dished or grooved, or the knife is chipped, replacement is the better choice.