Vitek VT-3621 meat grinder review

Sometimes a meat grinder is simply needed for preparing minced meat dishes. In the case of the Vitek VT-3621, characteristics such as performance, quality of the final product, noise level and ease of assembly are important. The device comes with three grinding discs, attachments for creating sausages and kebbe dishes, and a pusher. All this is complemented by an attractive price. Now all that remains is to check the operation.

^* Contrary to popular belief, this is not the time limit after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

Vitek VT-3621 arrived for testing in a compact branded cardboard box. The design of the box attracts attention: the top and bottom parts are white, the sides are blue, equipped with images of a meat grinder, the brand logo, the slogan “equipment for life”, model, maximum power and other characteristics. Information is presented in Russian and English. On the top cover there is also a reduced image and the brand name, slogan, and model. The bottom panel lists the main features in six languages.

Inside, the parts are placed in individual bags and separated by craft shaped trays. The package includes:

• meat grinder
• pusher
• food tray
• grinding discs (3 pcs.)
• kebbe attachment
• attachment for cooking sausages
• user manual
• warranty card

Vitek VT-3621 has a pleasant appearance and lightness, taking up minimal space on the table. Its standard but recognizable design with black shiny plastic harmonizes well with the metal body of the meat grinder head.

Starting with the head, there is a place to install it on the front. Below it is a blue sticker highlighting the key benefits: “maximum performance”, “constant self-sharpening”, “high quality minced meat” and “perfect fit of the knife to the grid”.

The fastening process requires dexterity: you must simultaneously hold the tight locking button on the device cover, insert the part at an angle, matching the grooves, and turn it counterclockwise until it stops. Only after this can the latch be released. We again involved an elderly user and a teenager in testing the meat grinder, and both did not succeed on the first try. However, once you get used to it, actions begin to be performed mechanically, without initial effort. The process of disassembling the meat grinder is identical, partly complicated by the fact that ground vegetables (for example, zucchini) leave a lot of wet pulp and drops. We press the lock, unscrew the head, pulp flows onto the table, dirty hands slip.

There is nothing on the back wall except where the cord is attached, protected by a short casing. The meat grinder stands on four rubberized legs, and there are also ventilation grilles and a sticker with technical data on the bottom.

On the left side of the meat grinder there is an operating mode switch (On/0/R) — that’s the entire control panel.

Some parts of this meat grinder are absolutely standard: recognizable discs, auger, knife, food tray and pusher.

The tray, pusher and two additional attachments are made of black plastic. These attachments are designed for stuffing sausages and creating kebbe, a traditional Middle Eastern dish that consists of hollow tubes of minced meat.

There are three discs for grinding meat: for fine, standard and coarse chopping.

As already noted, from the outside everything is quite neat and standard: the Vitek VT-3621 meat grinder looks and assembles as it should.

For greater clarity, we disassembled the motor block and inspected the engine, fan and gearbox of the meat grinder.

The pictures clearly show the technical characteristics of the engine.

The design of the gearbox is standard, all gears are plastic.

A standard A5 brochure is presented, made of plain paper and consisting of 32 pages. The text is divided into six language blocks: English, Russian, Kazakh, Ukrainian, Kyrgyz and Romanian. On the first pages, under the cover, two diagrams are presented: the device structure and the step-by-step assembly process. The Russian-language part of the brochure, covering 5 pages, contains the usual list of sections: description, precautions, preparation for operation, basic principles of operation, meat processing process, care, storage, technical characteristics, as well as disposal features. Additionally, a description of the process of stuffing sausages and the principle of operation of the kebbe attachment with a recipe is provided.

In general, all information is presented clearly, thoroughly and accurately. For those who avoid cramped, small fonts with lots of parentheses (referring to diagrams), the manual may seem less structured.

If the paper brochure is lost, an electronic version can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website.

Everything is extremely simple: to put the Vitek VT-3621 into operation, the meat grinder must be installed, plugged in and press ON, to turn on reverse — R. In the neutral (off position) the button will remain in position 0.

Before starting operation, we thoroughly washed all the parts of the meat grinder, and cleaned the motor block with a damp cloth. It is important to note that even after washing the discs (small and medium), traces of minced meat remained for some time, although this is not critical. After this, we re-rinsed the coarse chopping disc.

Having prepared the container for the minced meat, we installed the device on a flat surface near the outlet. The food tray is easy to install and remove from the top thanks to its wide and lightweight design. The pusher also fits easily into the socket, guiding the pieces down rather than pressing down on them.

During testing, we did not try to simplify the work of the meat grinder, but we also did not intend to harm it. The pieces of meat chosen were large, but not gigantic, and the beef was quite tenacious. We did not have to deal with the problem of difficulty pushing pieces into the socket, and we deliberately added several pieces at once to check the operation of the pusher. No special effort was required, the meat grinder easily took the meat and left almost no waste.

The stability of the meat grinder also did not cause any comments. With rubberized feet, it stood securely in place without slipping or bending.

The manufacturer warned about the possible specific odor of the lubricant. Indeed, the smell was noticeable, especially with intensive use, when the motor unit became a little warm. Despite the fact that it was not very pronounced and not the most pleasant, the smell persisted even after a week of testing.

We did not encounter any problems processing the meat. With average performance, the device provided excellent and almost waste-free results. We tested the reverse function more for verification purposes, and there was no real need for it.

However, the result of processing vegetables was not so impressive: any other chopper in the house would have handled zucchini, carrots and onions more accurately. This is not to say that the device failed at all, but it did not impress with this function (although it was not stated for a meat grinder).

As for assembling and disassembling the meat grinder, as we have already noted, you need to get used to this process. The tightness of the locking button is a little worrying, as everyone tried to press too hard on it. However, when the hands mastered “their” algorithm, the pressure on the latch became less intense.

The highest recorded power during operation of the meat grinder, when beef was processed, reached 335 W. When processing pork, the power of the meat grinder was 236 W, and for chicken meat 180 W was sufficient.

On average, the power fluctuated between 180-260 W.

Recommendations for caring for a meat grinder are standard: stop operation, let the device cool, then disassemble. The body cannot be wetted; it should be carefully wiped with a damp cloth. It is recommended to wash metal parts by hand using mild detergents. The use of abrasives and solvents is strictly prohibited.

There are no explicit instructions from the manufacturer regarding the parts being dishwasher safe. This is probably only acceptable for the two plastic attachments, the pusher and the food tray, which can be easily washed by hand.

As always, it is recommended to lubricate the discs, blade and auger with vegetable oil before long-term storage to prevent oxidation.

The first, traditional test is preparing minced pork ham. We took a little over a kilogram of meat, pre-cleaned it from films and veins, then passed it through a medium-sized disk. During the test, the pusher was used minimally, since the pieces easily passed into the socket and were thoroughly ground. It's nice to note that there was almost no waste, except for the parts the cat didn't like. The result looked delicious and was pleasing to the eye.

However, productivity, despite the ease of the process, was at an average level — 0.87 kg/min.

Result: good

Again, a small piece of sinewy and slightly dry beef, a little over a kilogram. The machine ran smoothly, basically no push rod was needed, and there was virtually no waste. The 100% efficiency of meat processing promised by the manufacturer justified itself, and the reverse was used a couple of times just for testing. The productivity was 0.93 kg/min, which is a good result for a regular home meat grinder.

We cut the chicken breast fillet into medium pieces, not particularly caring about removing the films, then passed it through a disk with medium holes. The meat was easily ground, going into the bell almost instantly. The minced meat turned out to be homogeneous and appetizing, and the waste was limited to what was scraped off the disc grid. The productivity reached 1.25 kg/min.

A simple and satisfying dish, ready in less than an hour. You will need minced meat, an egg, pre-soaked and washed rice, spices and herbs to your taste. Rice is added to the raw minced meat after soaking, then all the ingredients are chopped, mixed in a separate bowl, an egg and seasonings are added, then the balls are formed by hand. The balls are laid out in a layer in a pan, filled with water to half the height, and cooked for half an hour. While the balls are boiling, cream and flour are mixed in another bowl and this mixture is added to the pan. The temperature decreases and the dish is stewed for another half hour. This rice dish can be a great choice for those who love minced meat dishes.

For this healthy and wholesome dish we needed zucchini (passed through a meat grinder), egg, onion, starch, butter, spices to taste and minced meat. They chopped everything, squeezed out the zucchini, mixed it, beat in an egg, and made cutlets. There are people who like breading with breadcrumbs; we prefer to fry in oil without them. This simple dish keeps well, reheats well, and helps feed a little something healthy to vegetable-averse kids.

Another easy dish for those who watch their digestion. You will need ground beef, onions, eggs, white bread, milk, flour, and spices of your choice. The cooking process is traditional: mix the ingredients, add milk, and form small cutlets. Then place them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 30 minutes, turning over every 20 minutes. A baking sheet or pan can be pre-greased or covered with parchment. These cutlets are great for snack sandwiches and can be enjoyed hot or cold by kids for lunch.

The favorite dish of one persistent teenager who prefers minced meat dishes. We prepared the broth separately, but this is not a requirement. The soup can be based on onions, potatoes, carrots, zucchini (as in our case) or any other vegetables. We also mixed the minced meat, eggs and herbs separately, cooked the meatballs until almost fully cooked, added them to the boiled vegetables and simmered for another 10 minutes.

We added chopped onions to the minced meat, as some people like, this is also completely optional.

The work speed of the Vitek VT-3621 meat grinder is quite acceptable, it leaves a minimum of waste. For ordinary household needs, especially if you just need to process a small amount of meat, this compact and well-maintained device is perfect. It has standard replaceable discs and additional attachments, and is also easy to clean and easy to move from place to place. The only thing is that you need to get used to the process of assembly and disassembly a little.

Pros:

• light, nice device
• high processing efficiency
• simple controls
• nice price

Minuses:

• tight, ornate gathers
• a lot of plastic