The Finest Meat Pounders of 2022

A meat pounder is certainly within the working to be the kitchen device that almost all resembles one thing medieval. And it is tremendous efficient at particular duties. Whereas you need to use a rolling pin or the underside of a forged iron skillet for comparable duties (e.g. turning graham crackers to crumbs or crushing garlic cloves and lemongrass), having a devoted utensil only for these functions (in addition to for, somewhat clearly, flattening cuts of meat for dishes like rooster schnitzel or tonkatsu) is an actual boon for the house prepare dinner. 

We chosen 9 meat pounders to check, specializing in three differing types: some have been mallet-style, which means they appear and work like hammers (solely with a double-sided head); some have been brief dealt with, with a heavy puck and a stubby deal with protruding of the middle; and a few have been offset, with a heavy, horizontal paddle connected to a deal with that bends in two locations.

Though many manufacturers label these instruments as meat tenderizers, the designated tenderizing facet is the one with a number of rows of enamel. We examined fashions that featured not less than one flat facet. We didn’t consider the tenderizing sides of any of the pounders as we needed to particularly deal with their means to flatten, not tenderize.

The Winners, at a Look

The Finest Mallet-Fashion Meat Pounder: OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer

This compact, well-balanced mannequin packs a punch and made fast work of flattening pork and rooster cutlets. We cherished how snug and balanced it felt to carry, and the way little effort it took to swing.

The Finest Brief-Dealt with Meat Pounder: HIC Twin Sided Meat Tenderizer

This mannequin produced essentially the most even cutlets within the least period of time, however some customers would possibly discover it barely heavy, loud, and never as snug as a mallet-style pounder. 

The Assessments

• Rooster Check: We used every pounder to flatten half a rooster breast to a 1/4-inch thickness. We timed how lengthy the pounder took to finish the duty, then evaluated how even the minimize was and famous if there was any tearing. 
• Pork Check: Every pounder was then used to flatten a 3-ounce pork cutlet to a 1/4-inch thickness, additionally documenting time elapsed and cutlet evenness. 
• Graham Cracker Crumbs Check (Winners-Solely): Utilizing solely the three pounders that excelled within the earlier two checks (our two winners in addition to the KitchenAid mannequin), we positioned 8.75 ounces of graham crackers right into a plastic zipper bag and timed how lengthy it took for the pounder to crush the crackers into effective crumbs. We then famous how constant the crumb measurement was. 
• Usability Assessments: All through testing, we thought-about how simple every pounder was to make use of and the way snug they have been to carry.
• Cleanup Assessments: Over the course of testing, we evaluated how simple every pounder was to hand-wash with heat, soapy water and a sponge.

What We Discovered

Mallet Fashions Had been Best to Use 

Mallet-style meat pounders have a protracted deal with and double-sided head (one flat facet and one tenderizing facet with rows of enamel). Their heavy head and lengthy deal with provides the consumer extra power when swinging than offset- and short-handle-style meat pounders. With brief deal with meat pounders, we discovered that each one the power was coming from an up and down movement, and it was relying solely on the load of the heavy disc connected to the deal with, which is why these fashions have been heavier than the mallets. Identical goes for offset pounders like Rösle and Norpro, which have been awkward and unwieldy to carry and required a whole lot of power to choose up and slam down. That being stated, folks with wrist issues would possibly wish to go for a short-handle pounder as these hold the wrist straight and unmoving, in contrast to the mallet and offset kinds that required extra bending.

Mallet fashions throughout the board tended to maneuver the meat round in smaller areas with every swing, pushing the flesh out and away. The opposite two kinds simply pressed down on all the rooster breast or pork cutlet with their wider heads, making the entire course of harder and time-consuming. 

Floor Space Was Key to Evenly Flattened Cutlets  

Inversely, we discovered that the smallest mannequin we examined, from Aliglow, was by far the best and among the many quickest to flatten the cuts of meat. Nonetheless, the tiny pounder created divots within the cutlets and was susceptible to ripping the meat. It’s because its head was solely about an inch or so round, whereas the fashions that produced essentially the most even cutlets tended to be ones with wider heads just like the HIC and Rösle. Our different winner, the OXO Good Grips, appeared to have a large sufficient head to keep away from divots and produce a flat minimize of meat that was fairly even and with out tears. 

Deal with and Cleanup Variations

Usability components generally got here into play when deciding between two high-performers. Our winner, the OXO Good Grips, had intense competitors from the KitchenAid pounder. However for the reason that OXO was each dishwasher-safe and had a rounded, silicone deal with—whereas KitchenAid was hand wash-only and had a squared-off deal with—it got here out on high. Rounded handles lined in a silicone grip have been way more snug to make use of for prolonged durations of time and provided extra management. And since these instruments will possible come into contact with uncooked meat, it’s good to know it may be totally sanitized in a dishwasher.  

The Standards: What We Search for in a Good Meat Pounder

For residence cooks who need essentially the most versatile meat pounder, we advocate going with the mallet-style. An important mallet meat pounder simply flattened pork and rooster cutlets and crushed graham crackers, and may deal with issues like cracking lobster shells or smashing garlic cloves with ease. Brief-handled pounders have been solely notably well-suited for flattening meat. We most well-liked fashions with a really heavy mallet head and a lighter deal with, which gave them a extra highly effective swing with much less effort. Discover a mannequin whose pounding floor space is sufficiently small to offer you exact and correct intention, however not too small as to be extra ineffective and go away dents within the meat. Fashions with a rounded, silicone lined grip on the deal with have been very snug to carry for lengthy durations of use, simple to regulate, and prevented slips and drops.

The Finest Mallet-Fashion Meat Pounder: OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer

What we preferred: The OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer supplied the proper mixture of energy, consolation, accuracy, and consistency. It positioned simply seven seconds behind the winner within the rooster check (flattening a cutlet in 43 seconds) and gained the pork check outright, taking simply 35 seconds to flatten the meat. Utilizing this mannequin couldn’t have been simpler, with a compact body that was simple to wield, a superbly balanced weight distribution that gave it a strong swing with out an excessive amount of effort, and a rounded silicone deal with with grippers that made it snug and safe to understand. Its head is large enough that it didn’t go away divots within the meat like some smaller fashions, however sufficiently small that you would push the meat round in particular areas, which appeared to be the important thing to faster flattening. 

Even when crushing graham crackers in a plastic bag for 2 minutes, our arm and wrist by no means bought sore. It even produced a extra constant graham crumb than our different winner, the short-handled HIC, and accomplished the duty 1-minute and 15 seconds quicker. That being stated, the opposite high mannequin we examined with graham crackers, the KitchenAid, produced an identical crumb consistency in nearly the identical precise time. 

We love that this mannequin is dishwasher-safe (the opposite OXO mannequin we examined just isn’t) and sufficiently small to slot in most kitchen drawers, in contrast to the massive Rösle and Norpro offset pounders. Plus, at $12, it’s the second-most inexpensive pounder on this listing. 

What we didn’t like: Whereas this mannequin checked all of our bins, some short-handle fashions did flatten meat extra constantly. Additionally, three different fashions have been quicker within the rooster check, though simply by just a few seconds. 

Value at time of publish: $12.

Key Specs

• Supplies: ABS plastic with a strong metal core
• Weight: 13.2 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: Sure

The Finest Brief-Deal with Meat Pounder: HIC Twin Sided Meat Tenderizer

What we preferred: This glossy mannequin is constructed of chrome-plated zinc and options an fascinating design not shared by any of the others in our check. Its brief, almond-shaped deal with screws into the heavy disc base two methods: the flat or tenderizing facet can face down. The HIC pounder was wonderful at flattening the meat very evenly, and with nearly no tearing or breakage, due to its 3 1/8-inch huge disc. And it did it rapidly—ending third in each the rooster and pork checks with instances of 40 and 42 seconds respectively. The deal with is rounded and comfy to carry, it’s dishwasher secure, and at $20 it’s $5 cheaper than the opposite short-handle mannequin we examined.

What we didn’t like: Due to the short-handle design all of the pounder’s power comes from its larger weight and your lifting it up and slamming it down, whereas the mallet-style with its heavy head and lightweight deal with creates way more power extra simply in a round swinging movement. Its design and weight each imply the HIC requires manner effort to make use of than mallet kinds, tiring out this tester’s arm a lot quicker. Plus, due to its weight and the massive floor space of its pounding disc, the HIC could be very loud. (This was additionally an issue with the 2 offset fashions from Norpro and Rösle.) 

Whereas the design of the screw-on tenderizing/flat head is intelligent, it additionally implies that you might need to take it aside to wash it totally. Plus, the tenderizing facet of the top could be very sharp, which could be tough to deal with. 

Value at time of publish: $20.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Chrome-plated zinc
• Weight: 1 lbs 14 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: Sure

The Competitors 

Nonetheless Fairly Good!

• KitchenAid Connoisseur Meat Tenderizer: In some ways, this mallet-style mannequin matched our successful OXO mannequin in efficiency. It flattened a rooster cutlet 4 seconds quicker, however lagged behind by 12 seconds within the pork check. Plus, it crushed up graham crackers to the identical consistency, and in the identical period of time, because the OXO. It misplaced factors, nevertheless, for being much less snug to carry, barely tougher to hand-wash, and never being dishwasher-safe.   
• Aliglow Meat Tenderizer: This miniature mannequin was a delight to make use of, pounding meat out and away in small, 1.5-inch sections with nearly no effort. (Surprisingly, it was the quickest mannequin to flatten the rooster in simply 36 seconds.) Nonetheless, as a result of all of the power was concentrated in that small pounding floor, it had a bent to create small divots and tear the meat.

Wouldn’t Suggest

• OXO Good Grips Die Solid Meat Tenderizer: This mannequin will get the job carried out. It’s gentle, well-balanced, and straightforward on the wrist, but it surely doesn’t actually pack a punch. The opposite OXO mannequin was quicker at pounding out each meat cuts and this mannequin form of tore up the rooster cutlet. And it’s not dishwasher-safe. 
• Spring Chef Meat Tenderizer: This was the worst mallet-style pounder. It lagged behind within the meat minimize checks, inserting final within the pork check, and tended to depart marks on the flattened cutlets. That together with its awkwardly skinny deal with make it arduous to advocate. 
• Norpro Grip-EZ Stainless Metal Meat Pounder: This was the one different brief handle-style mannequin in our lineup, but it surely didn’t carry out in addition to the HIC when it comes to pace and cutlet evenness. This may very well be as a result of its two ounces lighter than the HIC. Contemplating that the HIC has an possibility to modify to a tenderizer, and the truth that this mannequin isn’t dishwasher-safe, we wouldn’t select this equally loud possibility. 
• Norpro Meat Pounder: One in every of two offset meat pounders, this providing left this tester questioning why any residence prepare dinner would need such a large, unwieldy, heavy, frighteningly-loud gadget taking over area of their kitchen. This mannequin was awkward to carry and swing, lagged behind in each meat minimize checks. A big floor space meant that the cutlets have been very even, however as a result of it was so heavy, it tore the rooster. 
• Rösle Meat Tenderizer: Many of the cons of the Norpro Meat Pounder additionally apply right here. This mannequin has a fair larger pounding floor space, which made it even louder. It’s barely simpler to swing due to the deal with not being as heavy as Norpro’s, however its offset angle makes it in order that it hit the cutlets with the heel of the pounding floor and left dents. And at $45, it’s the costliest mannequin by about $20.

FAQs

What’s the distinction between a meat tenderizer and a meat pounder?

A meat tenderizer is any device that helps break down the muscle fibers of a minimize of meat, with the aim of constructing the meat much less powerful and extra tender. Meat pounders, like those we’re testing, are simply a type of instruments. As you’ll be able to see on among the fashions we examined, pounders generally include a selected tenderizing facet, that includes rows of enamel which are both sharp cones or pyramid-shaped. The flat facet nonetheless tenderizes the meat by squishing it, although, and are good for turning cutlets into skinny sheets in order that no half is below or over-cooked—particularly for shallow-frying issues like rooster schnitzel or tonkatsu. Then there are blade or needle meat tenderizers. These are spring-loaded gadgets that shoot a number of rows of skinny blades or needles into the meat, creating punctures that assist marinade penetrate. There are additionally rolling tenderizers that roll over meat like a paint curler, puncturing it with sharp enamel, in addition to crank machine tenderizers that feed the meat by means of a puncturing curler. 

Is shopping for a meat pounder value it?

The reply: most likely! If you’re somebody who loves making dishes like rooster parmesan, tonkatsu, and schnitzel, then undoubtedly purchase one . If you happen to typically end up breaking out the meals processor to crush graham crackers, or usually chop up nuts solely to have them fly throughout your kitchen, sure. They’re additionally nice for smashing the powerful fibers of lemongrass, or crushing a whole lot of garlic cloves. Nonetheless, for every little thing moreover flattening meat, you would most likely get away with utilizing a rolling pin and even the underside of a forged iron skillet. So in case you work in a small kitchen, or simply don’t have drawer area to spare, you’ll be able to most likely go with out one for a lot of duties.