Univex MT975 Countertop Meat Tenderizer, 96-Blade, 115V

The Univex MT975 is a countertop meat tenderizer built in AISI 304 stainless steel, driven by a 1/2 hp motor through a totally enclosed oil-bath gearbox. This is the PK1 package, which is the powered base supplied with the 96-blade tenderizing cartridge. It takes product through a 9 3/4" × 1 1/4" opening — which Univex calls the widest in its class — and runs on an ordinary 115 V single-phase outlet at 6.4 amps.

How it works, and what the packages mean

Product passes between rollers carrying star-shaped blades, with scraping combs behind them to keep the rollers clear. The cartridge that carries those blades is what defines the machine: Univex builds one base and sells it in three packages — MT975-PK1 with the 96-blade tenderizing cartridge, SC975-PK1 with a 48-blade 10 mm strip-cutter cartridge, and SC975-PK2 with a 32-blade 15 mm strip cutter. One cartridge comes with the package you buy; the other two are accessories.

This listing is the PK1, the tenderizer. If what you actually want is fajita strips rather than tenderised cuts, the strip-cutter packages are the right starting point and we can quote them.

Why an oil-bath gearbox on a countertop machine

Tenderising is a stop-start job: a cut goes in, the rollers take the load, the load disappears, and the next cut arrives. That duty cycle is hard on a drive, and a totally enclosed oil bath is the answer to it — the gears stay lubricated and sealed away from the wash-down that a raw-protein station gets several times a day. It also means there is nothing to grease on a schedule, which on a countertop machine in a busy kitchen is the difference between maintenance that happens and maintenance that does not.

Why Operators Choose It

• 96 blades in the PK1 package. The tenderizing cartridge, supplied with this configuration.
• Sealed oil-bath drive. A totally enclosed gearbox rather than an open chain or exposed gearing.
• A wide mouth. A 9 3/4" × 1 1/4" feed opening, which Univex calls the widest in its class.
• AISI 304 throughout. Casing, cover and blade cartridge in AISI 304 stainless; the knives themselves are AISI 430.
• A switch built for wash-down. Front-mounted and rated IP67 against water and dust, with no-volt release so it will not restart on its own.
• Interlocked cover. The transparent safety cover shuts the machine off automatically when opened, and comes off for cleaning.
• Strips for sanitation. The cradle assembly is removable, so the parts that touch raw protein can be taken to the sink.

Controls

A front-mounted IP67 water- and dust-proof switch with no-volt release, plus a stop button. Univex publishes no reverse function and no speed adjustment.

Ideal For

Butchers and meat departments, steakhouses portioning their own cuts, Mexican and Tex-Mex kitchens running fajita volume with the strip-cutter cartridges, caterers and institutional kitchens working with lower-cost primals.

Specifications

Cleaning, precisely as Univex specifies it

The blade cartridge and the guards may go through a dishwasher. The base is washed by hand, and not with a water jet. Dry everything after washing: the knives are AISI 430, which will rust if left wet, and that is Univex’s own instruction rather than general advice. Note that Univex nowhere uses the phrase "dishwasher safe" about this machine — it specifies which parts go in the machine and which do not, and we have repeated that distinction instead of flattening it into a claim.

What the standards wording does and does not say

Univex prints "Conforms to UL std 763 and NSF std 08" and "Certified to CAN/CSA C22.2 std No. 195". Those are two different kinds of statement and the difference matters: conformity to a standard is the manufacturer’s own declaration, while the CSA line is a certification. We have quoted both as Univex words them rather than converting them into "UL listed" or "NSF certified", which would say more than the manufacturer does. No cETLus or ETL mark is published for this model.

Dimensions and weight: a question for the factory

We are not publishing dimensions or weights for this machine. The shipping block on Univex’s MT975 specification sheet is headed MT3000 — a different model — and the sheet also carries a second, unlabelled dimension set with nothing to say what it describes. Rather than pick one and hope, we have left both off and asked Univex to confirm. If you need a footprint to plan a bench, ask us and we will get it in writing first.

What’s Included

• MT975 powered base unit
• 96-blade tenderizing cartridge
• Interlocked transparent safety cover

Other Configurations and Cartridges (Additional Cost)

• SC975-PK1 — 48-blade 10 mm strip-cutter package
• SC975-PK2 — 32-blade 15 mm strip-cutter package
• Additional blade cartridges for a base already in service

Warranty

One year, on-site parts and labor.

Specifications per Univex data; subject to change by the manufacturer.