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Old windable mincer

(35 Posts)
Baggs Fri 04-Feb-22 09:40:08

Has anyone tried using an old-fashioned, hand driven meat mincer as a vegetable spiraller? And if so did it work?

I'm thinking of having a go with mine later today as the sous-chef mandoline that MrB bought at great expense seems to be too big for my hands/strength. Designed for a beefy man chef, I suspect.

giulia Fri 04-Feb-22 09:53:08

Have never tried - curious to know how it goes. I suspect that it might chew up your veg though.

ayse Fri 04-Feb-22 09:59:58

Wish I still had my old fashioned hand mincer. It minced meat really well and just need some elbow grease to function. I think it will probably mince the vegetables though.

I bought a cheap hand veggie processing piece of equipment from Lidl but it wasn’t great. Lakeland products usually work well.

Coastpath Fri 04-Feb-22 10:03:28

The old mincers that you clamped to your worktop are for sale really cheaply (a fiver) at every flea market I go to.

I reckon it will chew the veg right up Baggs. We used to love putting Sunday's leftovers through mum's mincer to make Monday's 'savory mince'. The mincer reduced everything to a pulp. Looking forward to hearing how you get on...if it works I will give it a try.

ayse Fri 04-Feb-22 10:14:47

Coastpath

The old mincers that you clamped to your worktop are for sale really cheaply (a fiver) at every flea market I go to.

I reckon it will chew the veg right up Baggs. We used to love putting Sunday's leftovers through mum's mincer to make Monday's 'savory mince'. The mincer reduced everything to a pulp. Looking forward to hearing how you get on...if it works I will give it a try.

We don’t seem to have very many flea markets near us. I’ll have to go on a hunt again. I did look for a while but gave up eventually and bought a new one that didn’t work!

Baggs Fri 04-Feb-22 14:12:36

Thanks, folks. As it happens I can't find the blasted thing anyway. Can't remember if I gave it away or what. So I won't be mincing vegetables!

The idea only came up because MrB bought a supposedly high quality mandoline for slicing and chopping veg but I've found it almost useless, possibly because it seems to have been made with a big male chef's hands in mind. I find it just too big and awkward and it doesn't seem to do what it's supposed to do.

MrB made the same mistake with some handmade, Sheffield steel tailors' shears. I simply can't control them with one hand. Practically my whole hand goes through the lower handle loop! I wasn't going to say anything about that to him because it was a kind thought of him to get them but since the mandoline causes the same too small, arthritic hands problem I thought I better tell him so he doesn't waste any more money on things I can't use ?

lindiann Fri 04-Feb-22 14:26:19

I bought one of these from Ebay after my brother said he makes Courgette Spaghetti never tried it though

EllanVannin Fri 04-Feb-22 14:49:50

My mum's old mincer would have spiralled because of the attachments it had with it. She used to grate cheese in it.
I don't know whatever became of it sadly.

Calendargirl Fri 04-Feb-22 14:58:08

I think you would find that if the mincer hadn’t been used for a long time, it would probably have gone rusty.

EllanVannin Fri 04-Feb-22 15:05:00

Very likely did end up in the bin Calendargirl.

MissAdventure Fri 04-Feb-22 15:10:52

I don't like the thought of a hand mincer. shock

Kali2 Fri 04-Feb-22 15:11:13

I still have my grand-mothers metal hand mincer, which you clip to the table, and with different 'heads' - much much better for mincing roast beef, or lamb, for pies, etc.

Husqvarna Number 102 Perfect.

Kali2 Fri 04-Feb-22 15:11:54

Calendargirl

I think you would find that if the mincer hadn’t been used for a long time, it would probably have gone rusty.

Clean with brillo pad then oil- no problem.

Marmite32 Fri 04-Feb-22 15:32:40

I have a Moulinex electric gadget which I bought in France and was cheap. Can't find it on Google.
Is has attachments graded in size one of which, as I found recently, is good for mincing cooked chicken and meat. Never tried it for raw.
I use it mostly for grating vegetables. It's red plastc and you push a button on the top to work it so not much manual work.

GagaJo Fri 04-Feb-22 15:35:50

Hahaha, this title put me in mind of a good gay friend of mine.

karmalady Fri 04-Feb-22 15:41:58

I wish I had kept my old hand cranked mincer. I would have made marmalade this year, it was so good at mincing the skin.

It would not have spiralised anthing

Coastpath Fri 04-Feb-22 16:44:08

Maybe you could get an old one on ebay or etsy if you don't have flea markets locally. The brand name of them is Spong! I remember as it's such a funny name. I often see them in flea markets/junk shops/car boots still in their original boxes.

That is a brilliant tip about the marmalade. I will always think of you as Kar-marmalade-lady now.

Baggs Fri 04-Feb-22 17:46:43

Yep. Just so.

Baggs Fri 04-Feb-22 17:47:32

Oh bother! That was a reply to Kali’s post about Brillo and oil.

Kali2 Fri 04-Feb-22 17:56:57

LOL thanks. It works.

moleswife Sun 06-Feb-22 11:06:36

I still have mine but haven't used it in the while - perfect for mincing cooked meat, vegetables and fruit like apples - but you have to protect the worktop or table you attach it to and ensure it is tightly attached and doesn't move during use.

grandtanteJE65 Sun 06-Feb-22 11:24:11

I don't know what you mean by spiralling, but unless you have an attachment that is supposed to do this, no, your mincer probably does not do this.

Mine minces everything, meat, fish, onions, carrots, and dried bread in cubes for breadcrumbs, but I suspect it would give up the attempt to reduce cabbage. Never tried that.

MaizieD Sun 06-Feb-22 11:40:33

I've a little plastic thingy that you poke into the vegetable and turn. Never used it though as I don't really see much point to spiralising. Can't think why I bought it, TBH

If you have a box type cheese grater, Baggs, with one side that has slots on it, the slots have mandoline action.
Mind you, I tend to use my food processor which has a slicing attachment.

I have hand cranked mincer, it belonged to my grandmother. It must be 100 years old by now... It still works grin

MaizieD Sun 06-Feb-22 11:43:14

Coastpath

Maybe you could get an old one on ebay or etsy if you don't have flea markets locally. The brand name of them is Spong! I remember as it's such a funny name. I often see them in flea markets/junk shops/car boots still in their original boxes.

That is a brilliant tip about the marmalade. I will always think of you as Kar-marmalade-lady now.

Spong mincers are no good if they attach by suction, coastpath. I bought one in the '70's and it drove me mad because it would never stay put! You need a good oldfashioned clamp on the table one...

Catherine59 Sun 06-Feb-22 12:19:07

Baggs

Has anyone tried using an old-fashioned, hand driven meat mincer as a vegetable spiraller? And if so did it work?

I'm thinking of having a go with mine later today as the sous-chef mandoline that MrB bought at great expense seems to be too big for my hands/strength. Designed for a beefy man chef, I suspect.

I'm afraid I don't think it will. A spirallizer turns the vegetables (usually long ones like cucumber, courgette, carrots or others cut into chunks) which pushes them against a row of very sharp cutters, similar to a grater or a slicer but the movement of the veg means it cuts in a continuous slice or thread. I have one similar to the attached photo. A mincer chops or pulverises the meat, pushes it through holes which cut it of into short lengths. Any vegetables would, unfortunately, be pulverised and not spirallized.