The Best Meat Injectors (Review) in 2020

Things to Consider When Buying a Marinade Injector

• Material

Any item that is in contact with food – raw or cooked – should always be made from food-safe materials. This is especially true when it comes to those with regular contact. Inert materials will not absorb odors or colors, as well as being a hostile environment to bad bacteria.

With meat injectors taking one food format (marinades, sauces and spices) and placing it within raw food, the material should be non-reactionary and safe for use. It should also be easy to clean, so that you can shift away any bacteria, grime, grease and general foodstuffs between each use, to avoid contamination.

You’ll notice that the majority of our Top Picks are made from stainless steel for this reason. However, there are a few options that also come in zinc alloy, or plastic. For the latter, you should always be sure that the plastic is BPA-free and FDA-approved for use with food.

• Size and Capacity

The size of your meat injector will have an effect on how well your new purchase will fulfill it’s duties. It will need to be large enough to be provide plenty of marinades or sauces, while being held comfortably in your hand. At the same time, it should preferably be small enough to carry around, store when not in use and be usable without a great deal of effort.

Most marinade injectors will be around the 0.5-3-ounce marks, depending on what type you buy (with commercial-grade injectors holding considerably more). The lower ends will be easier to carry around, as well as to store when not in use and are therefore ideal for those who don’t think they’ll use their meat injector too often. That said, those with a larger capacity are less likely to need refilling as frequently and can therefore save a lot of time and energy when it comes to sorting large batches of food.

• Options and Accessories

Easily one of the biggest selling factors when it comes to providing extra value for money. Having extra options or added accessories makes all the difference when it comes to buying your first marinade injector.

The main thing to consider is whether you’re interested in buying a full kit, or just a simple meat syringe that handle occasional use. The former, as you can imagine, is ideal for starter cooks who are looking to get the most out of their meat, while the latter is better for one-offs around BBQ season and to fill in any spaces in their cookware.

You should also consider just how many needles you’d like in your kit, and in which sizes, if this is your preference. Many of the options above come with three different needles, which help to provide succulence and flavor to most meats. However, if you prefer greater control over your cooking and a truly personalized flavor, then check out those with five or more needles.

• Convenience

While any cooking item will have the rather inconvenient requirement of needing to be cleaned after every use, you can make your new item all the more convenient by checking how easy it is to do this. Items that are dishwasher-safe will always shoot to the top of this list, as this is the easiest way to clean anything.

That said, those meat syringe options which are hand-wash only can be made all the simpler by the removal of any excess moving parts. A meat injector which uses a simple plunger system will be much easier to clean and therefore require less effort on your part.

Similarly, comfort also adds to the overall convenience of your item. After all, if you end up getting hand cramp from using a hard-to-push syringe, you’ll soon find that you have no interest in using it – rendering the purchase useless. Check for ergonomic handles and improved action, which can make your job all the easier.

Finally, check to see how easy your item is to store. Smaller meat injectors will inevitably be able to fit better into drawers, however you’re likely to notice that many of our options come with storage boxes. These are ideal for putting away into cupboards when not in use – just make sure every part of your marinade injector is clean and thoroughly dried before putting away, to avoid rust.

• Budget

The budget of any item is likely to make or break your likelihood of purchasing, so – in order to get the most for your money – be sure to get the item that brings you the most value. If you know you’re going to be using your meat injector a lot, then feel free to splash out on higher quality kits with more items for better personalization of your food.

• Reviews

You can tell the overall quality of your meat syringe by checking out the reviews of every item. For our Top Picks, this has been done for you, so no concerns there. However, you’ll often find that the reviews of items are actually the most telling part about the description of the product.

These will give you hints and tips as to how best use your flavor injector, as well as letting prospective buyers into any problems or qualms previous purchasers have come across. Think of reviews as a “try before your buy” with other customers at the helm.

Benefits of Using a Meat Injector Gun

• Improved Taste

There’s nothing worse than getting an item that you have slaved over off the BBQ, only to discover that it is dry and tasteless. This can be a real problem with dry heats such as this, so adding in a little extra juice is always a good idea. Better still, while ensuring your meat stays succulent you can also work with a meat injector to add in some spices, marinades and sauces to really kick it up a notch. You can also create your own personal flavors by mixing and matching the spices and flavors that you love the most.

• Save Time

While you can usually have a similar effect regarding taste by marinating your food, this usually needs to be done overnight or at least 24 hours before cooking. If you’re a busy person, or simply prefer to live life a little more spontaneously, you can save plenty of time by getting your flavor without the need to marinate. Simply by using a flavor injector.

• Improved Texture

As mentioned, dry meat is the absolute worst. Luckily, you can cut down on the amount of liquid needed during dinner by purchasing and using a meat injector. These not only add flavor to your food but improve the overall consistency of your meat, as cooked food will remain succulent and mouth-watering.

Care and Maintenance of Meat Injectors

Most meat injectors are made from solid stuff, although there are still some good, basic rules which you should follow in order to give yourself the healthiest, most long-lasting, food injector possible:

• The most important of these is that you thoroughly wash and dry your meat syringe between each use. Not only is this necessary to avoid cross contamination and possible food poisoning but it will stop any additional flavors or odors affecting your marinade and ruining your food.
• You should always store your meat injector in a cool, dark space. Many of the above come with a storage box, which should be used as much as possible. Just be sure to avoid rusting and bacteria growth by drying your marinade injector thoroughly before storing away.
• The best way to ensure that dirt and debris doesn’t make its way into the inner workings, while also ensuring a smooth action, is to use oil on your O-rings and the tip of your syringe to make for a smoother motion. Just be sure to use food-grade oils only.

Best Meat Injector FAQ:

Q: What is a meat injector and why do we use it?

A: A meat injector is a type of large syringe, that often comes with a set of needles in various sizes. You can use this needle to place marinades, sauces and spices directly into the meat itself, by injecting it. This not only give the food additional flavor (which can be any flavor you feel like trying) but also allows the meat to remain succulent, even when put through dry heats such as the barbecue.

Q: What to put in the injection?

A: The main thing to remember when using a meat injector is that the sauce will need to work its way through the needle before being put into your food. Of course, many of our Top Picks come with a wide array of different-sized needles so that you can use almost any kind of sauce or marinade, without it getting stuck.

Other than that, the world is really your oyster when it comes to putting spices, sauces and marinades into your meat. With a meat syringe, you can be sure that your meat will be all the more flavorful and succulent.

Q: Can meat injectors be used for pastry filling?

A: Both meat injectors and baking injectors are extremely similar in how they are made and how they inject the flavoring into your food. Thus, you can absolutely use meat injectors for pastry fillings.

You should, however, be advised that your items will need to be thoroughly and carefully washed before being used, to avoid cross-contamination. We would also recommend that you use stainless-steel over plastic, as the latter can pick up odors and tastes that do not make for great pastry fillings.

Our Top Pick

For a great item at a great price, you can do much better than the Stainless Steel Meat Injector Kit Barrel from Grill BEAST. This option has been created with high grade stainless steel that allows for almost constant use without wearing down, breaking or contaminating your food. This option comes with a meat injector eBook that gives plenty of hints and tips as to how to get the most from your new purchase, too.

The large, 2-ounce capacity barrel allows for large batches of cooking while the three needles (included) allow for a greater variety of textures and flavors to explore with your meat. Everything comes with a moneyback guarantee too, so you can always be sure that your item is made from quality materials for a long-lasting life.

Sources:

1. How to Inject a Whole Chicken - WikiHow
2. Injecting Your Meat with Flavor - Huff Post