Every one of us would love to splurge on the most expensive cuts of meat, but the budget doesn't allow always allow it. That doesn't mean you have to eat rock-hard meat though. With the best meat tenderizer machine in your kitchen, you can turn that cheap and hard cut of meat into a juicy, tender, and flavorful meal.
To be clear, we are not talking about those seasoning blends sold in supermarkets that claim to make the meat soft. Meat tenderizers are handy tools that break down the tough connective tissues that make cuts of meat so hard. The tool also pokes tiny holes on the meat, allowing spices and flavors to infuse deep into the meat.
To save you from making any bad choices, we have tested and reviewed 5 of the best meat tenderizers in the market, including both manual and electrical options.
Top 5 Best Meat Tenderizers for Home and Commercial Use
1. Jaccard Supertendermatic 48-Blade Tenderizer
- Original Hand Held Meat Tenderizer: Reduces cooking time by up to 40% and provides pathway for marinades to be absorbed deeper into the meat...
- Commercial Meat Tenderizer: The meat tenderizer has double sided razor-sharp stainless-steel knives that effortlessly cut through the...
- Steak Tenderizer, Meat Tenderizer: Achieve better cooking results from less expensive cuts of meat with the original multi-blade hand-held...
- 48 Blade Meat Tenderizer: Enhances any type of meat, including but not limited to beef, pork, veal, chicken, venison and fowl; Incredible...
- Achieve better cooking results from less expensive cuts of meat with the multi-blade hand-held meat tenderizer
Every self-respecting meat lover should have an easy-to-use meat tenderizer in their house. This Jaccard Supertendermatic ticks all the right boxes of what you would be looking for in a home-use meat tenderizer. It is cheap, easy to use, efficient, and durable.
The most important thing though, is that this tenderizer helps you get the meat of your dreams. The Jaccard Supertendermatic has 48 extremely sharp and slim stainless steel blades that effortlessly cut through the tough connective tissues in the meat, leaving it soft and easy to cook. This small handheld tool also pierces multiple tiny holes on the meat, creating heat channels that make it cook 40% faster and absorb more flavors.
It is made with ABS plastic and 301 stainless steel to ensure optimum durability. As for ease of use, all you have to do is stomp over the meat several times and allow the stainless steel combs to do their magic.
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2. Weston Manual Heavy Duty Meat Cuber Tenderizer
- Maximize the effectiveness of marinades to bring out the most delicious flavor of your favorite meats. Dual support free standing
- The 31 stainless steel blades tenderize even the toughest cuts of meat
- The 2 piece housing disassembles for easy clean up
- Two C clamps enable mounting to counters up to 1.5" thick
- Sturdy cast aluminum construction with a heavy duty base and crank handle
If you are looking for a tenderizer that can work on more than one meal, the Weston Manual Heavy Duty Meat Cuber Tenderizer is perfect. This manual tool is fit for big bulks of meat or families that need to process a whole cow at a go during festivities. It has a durable cast aluminum body and heavy-duty stainless steel blades for durability.
As far as its work is concerned, this machine boasts 31 very sharp blades that pierce through the toughest cuts of meat and leave it soft and supple. The blades have steel combs to prevent jamming inside the meat. If you have any doubt about how tough the Weston Manual Heavy Duty Meat Cuber Tenderizer is, it can easily work on a 1.25-inch thick piece of meat.
What we like most about this tenderizer though, is the ease of use. You simply need to put the meat inside the chute on top and crank the handle. If you are lazy or feel you don't have the strength to keep rolling that handle, you can buy the Weston speed motor attachment that will make the process more automatic.
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3. X-Special Meat Tenderizer Tool
- EASY TO USE, ERGONOMIC, ARTHRITIS FRIENDLY AND REQUIRES NO FORCE, Making It The Best Meat Tenderizer Tool On The Market. Unique Detachable...
- MOUTHWATERING FLAVOR IN EVERY BITE: Ask Any Chef Foodie Grill Master Or Cooking Enthusiast 48 Needles Meat Tenderizers Blades Are The...
- UNRIVALED CONSTRUCTION, SUPERIOR RESULTS: While Most Meat Tenderizer Products Use Cheaply Made Materials That Break And Rust – We Craft...
- TRY IT NOW & TASTE THE TENDERNESS! You’ll Easily Transform Any Meat Into A Succulent, Delicious, Mouthwatering Meal Including Beef,...
- WANT TO SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY & EAT JUICIER MEAT? Ever Looked At Your Cooked Meat And Thought, “hmm.. Swore That Was Bigger” XSpecial...
Ever looked at your meat after pounding it with a tenderizing hammer and thought, 'I swear that piece was bigger? With this X-Special Meat Tenderizer, you don't have to worry about your meat reducing in size or getting damaged and mush-like. The tool applies 2-inch deep cuts with 48 stainless steel blades at a one-go, without a lot of pressure.
In one or two motions, you will have extremely tender and succulent meat. The process helps the meat lock in juices and stop shrinkage on top of reducing its cooking tome by 40%. Thanks to the million tiny holes made by the tenderizer, your margination and rubs will infuse deep into the cut giving you that delicious flavourful meat.
The X-Special Meat Tenderizer Tool is made of professional quality blades that never rust, bend, or get dull. The handle is comfortable and also everlasting thanks to the professional-grade ABS plastic used to make it. If you want something easy for your kitchen, this tenderizer is a piece of art.
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4. OXO Softworks Meat Tenderizer
- Two-in-one tool for pounding and tenderizing poultry, pork and beef
- Textured side has pyramid-shaped teeth ideal for tenderizing meat
- Smooth side maximizes surface area to flatten meat quickly
- Angle and weight of head are optimized for efficient flattening
- Soft, non-slip grips for comfort and safety, even in wet hands
The NEW OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer has won the hearts of many with its efficiency, price, and ease of use. It is a two-in-one tool used to pound and tenderize all kinds of meat, including game meat which can be pretty tough. One side of the tenderizer has pyramid-shaped teeth best for tenderizing meat, and the other side is smooth to flatten meat quickly if you want to make steak or roast.
The OXO Meat Tenderizer is completely food grade and does not affect your meat quality at all. Knowing you will have to use your hand to pound the meat, OXO made the handle contoured and soft. It is also non-slip and fits comfortably in your hand for ease of use. As if that wasn’t enough, the handle also has a hole for hanging it somewhere after use.
The angle and weight of this mallet are designed to maximize force without making you tired. This is an excellent quality, especially if you have to tenderize a lot of meat. Once you are done with the tenderizer, you can throw it in the dishwasher, but it's also easy to wash with your hands.
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5. DIMROM Koncle Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer
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The DIMROM Koncle Professional Needle Meat Tenderizer is a perfect kitchen tool for anybody who treasures efficiency and neat work. This tenderizer gives you quick and easy results thanks to the 56 ultra-sharp spring-action blades. All you have to do is press the big button on top, and the blades will be deployed and pressed into the meat automatically. The blades retract easily when you lift the gadget leaving your meat soft and tender.
The DIMROM Koncle Needle Meat Tenderizer has two qualities that are quite impressive;
- One is the locking feature which provides you with extra safety when tenderizing thicker, tough cuts.
- And the second one is the protective cover to protect your hands from the razor-sharp blades.
The entire tool is made of high-quality food-grade ABS plastic and extremely sharp stainless steel blades. Because of how efficient it is, you can use it at home or for commercial purposes if you have a restaurant or butchery.
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Benefits of Using the Best Meat Tenderizer
With so many chemicals and other easier ways to make meat tender, why do you need to invest in a meat tenderizer? Although the list of benefits is rather long, we have compiled only 5 reasons why the best meat tenderizer is better than all other methods.
1. Soft meat
The first reason of course is that you will have soft meat that's easy to cut and chew. Even for people who really love meat, struggling to chew even the toughest meat can be quite discouraging. Making meat soft also comes in handy when you have kids or elderly people whose teeth are not strong enough to tear through that toughness.
2. Faster cooking
When meat is soft and tender, the cooking time is reduced by at least half. If you have ever tried to boil meat for a couple of hours just to make it softer, you know what we are talking about. In a world where people are short on time, and things like gas are quite expensive, having a meal that you can cook in less time is really important.
3. Even cooking
If you are frying or boiling meat, you may not really notice the difference. However, when roasting or making a steak, having the meat cook evenly is important. When you use a meat tenderizer, the STAblades make uniform cuts through the meat, allowing the entire cut to be the same and cook evenly.
4. Enhanced flavors
How does a meat tenderizer enhance meat flavor? This occurs because the tool makes small holes inside the meat, allowing every spice and rub you apply to get deep inside the meat. The result will be soft, flavorful meat. Without the tenderizer, all those spices would only be on the outside layer of the meat.
5. Juicier meat
The tiny holes a tenderizer makes through the surface of the meat serve several purposes. Another one of those purposes is letting moisture and flavor in and then locking it inside. As the meat heats, the holes start to close up and lock in the moisture. You will notice the outer surface is hard, but the inside is soft and juicy.
What to Look for When Buying a Meat Tenderizer
The best meat tenderizers have a few features that set them apart from the bunch. Essentially, the purpose of these features is to make the tool easy and more comfortable to use and increase efficiency.
1. Safety
By design, most meat tenderizers have sharp stainless steel blades that can be dangerous even when you are not using the tool. Some mallets can also be quite heavy, which can cause injury to your hands when pounding the meat. For safety purposes, blade tenderizers should either have retractable blades or a protective cover to ensure the blades are not exposed. As for mallets, choose a small and lightweight option that won't break your foot if it falls on you.
2. Capacity
How long would it take you to tenderize one Kilogram of meat? If your household requires a lot of meat, can the tenderizer you have chosen handle the job easily? The best meat tenderizer for you can be largely determined by how much it can handle without making you sweat. For example, a small mallet will take the entire night to tenderize 10 kgs of meat, while a mechanical tenderizer will only take a few minutes.
3. Design
The design of the meat tenderizer should make the job as easy and as efficient as possible. Consider if the blades in that tool are efficient, or you have to hammer the meat several times. If it's a mallet, is it multi-purpose, and will the tenderizing side turn your meat into mash? Last but not least, check the handle to ensure that it's comfortable to hold and is non-slip.
Conclusion
A meat tenderizer is one of those tools that most people overlook but can make the difference between a horrible dinner and a pleasant one. Finding the right one depends on how much meat you need to work on at a go and how fast you want the job done. Before you make this incredible investment, take the time to review the products we have recommended, and we are confident you will find more than one you like.
