Should I keep spare hole plates in different sizes for a meat grinder?

Keeping several hole plates on hand usually beats buying a second grinder when your product range calls for different mince textures. List the aperture sizes your recipes need, then verify each plate matches the existing knife and auger—outer diameter, locating method and thickness included. Stock fast-moving apertures separately with a usage log, and order slow movers only to demand. Stamp every plate with a clear number so operators cannot mix them up. At goods-in, run the same raw material through each size and check throughput and temperature rise before signing off; treat those figures as your specification for reorders.