The Mysterious Metal Object That Had the Internet Guessing — Can You Tell What It Was?

At first glance, it looks like something from an old workshop.

A heavy metal device. A strange circular opening. A hand crank sticking out from the side.

For people who have never seen one before, its purpose isn’t immediately obvious. When photos of similar objects appear online, the guesses can range from farming equipment to industrial machinery.

But the answer is much more familiar than you might expect.

A Clue Hidden in the Crank

The unusual device is an old-fashioned manual meat grinder.

Before electric kitchen appliances became common, hand-operated grinders were useful household tools. They were designed to turn pieces of meat into ground meat using a simple mechanical system.

The design may look complicated, but the principle is surprisingly straightforward.

The grinder is usually secured to the edge of a sturdy table or countertop with a clamp. Pieces of meat are placed into the opening at the top.

When the user turns the crank, an internal screw, sometimes called an auger, moves the meat through the machine.

Eventually, the meat reaches a perforated metal plate, where it is pushed through the small holes and comes out as ground meat.