Upon the first and second usage, the product seemed to work fine although it would strain a bit here and there. On our third time using it, we were grinding steaks (hardly any fat and no gristle) when it hit a tougher part and the plastic ring exploded, shooting shards of plastic and meat all over the kitchen. Maybe this works better if you are doing soft cheeses and such but I would never tell anyone to buy it with the intention of grinding meat.