Meat Grinder

Hi All,

I am seeing a lot of threads in this section about smoking meat, but I have not been able to find much about sausage making. I want to give it a try and need some advice on equipment to start with. I am thinking that a meat grinder with stuffer attachements will fit the bill to get started, and i have checked out different ones online. I think the LEM 575 would fit the bill for me right now, and it is aobut $112. I only plan to make small batches (3-5 lbs) every couple of months, so I don't need anything too industrial.

I am willing to spend up to around $200, and would prefer all stainless parts and more accessories, but that might be wishful thinking. (I would love for it to be able to grind grains for homebrew too, but that I KNOW is too much to ask... ;-) )

I would appreciate any advice I could get from others who have tried this.

Thanks,

I use a grinder like this and an actual sausage stuffer (up to 5# capacity) that you crank the handle on. I've tried using the grinder to also stuff, but didn't like the results. Be SURE to get natural hog casings for your sausages, in the size you want. They should come packed in salt and will last a LONG time in the fridge.

I would recommend spend more money on a good stuffer and skimp on the grinder if you have too.

I have a kitchener #12 from northern tool. It appears to be a clone of the LEM models and was around $100. I havent used it much grinding around 30# through it but it has performed flawlessly. All the parts except the sizing plates are stainless, so I replaced the 2 sizes I figured I would use the most as well as a stuffing plate with the stainless LEM equivalent part. Its worth looking at.
Ive used the grinder to stuff sausages but in the future I would like to get a dedicated stuffer that has more control over the flow into the casings. It gets the job done but the stuffer would do better and probably have less scrap filling.

Looking at the links above, both of those products should serve you well. The Waring products from my personal experience and my girlfriend's father who did business with the company for decades, is that their commercial line is overbuilt and made to last.

dataz722 said:

I would recommend spend more money on a good stuffer and skimp on the grinder if you have too.

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IMO/IME, getting a good grinder is more important. Otherwise, you'll be replacing the grinder long before the stuffer. With a ~$200 budget you can get good quality on both items.

I actually burned out the motor on a Kitchenaid Artisan mixer by using the grinder attachment on it to make sausages. I was grinding the meat, then running it through to stuff the casings. I then switched to the dedicated grinder and stuffer setup and haven't had any issues. Of course, the mixer was still under warranty, and they replaced it without issue. Still, getting a grinder that will withstand the stresses of use is critical.

Agree with getting a hand crank stuffer. It will allow you to stuff properly and easier to avoid air pockets.. didn't read much of the thread but look into instacure#1 and #2 if you plane to hang or dry it. Also helps keep the color and keeps oxidation at bay in a way.

Thanks for all the great responses so far. I am looking at different options for the stuffer now, and while the LEM stuffer looks great, it is a bit pricey. trying to find one of the smaller press-types that actually works.

Thanks again!

OK, I broke down and spent the extra $40 on the LEM stuffer. Everything I have read seems to indicate that the stuffer is necessary cuz the grinder doesn't do a good job suffing. And you guys have confirmed that.

So hopefully with the bag of hog guts I also ordered, I'll be ready to try my hand at some homemade linguica next weekend!!!!

Thanks Again.

For sausage making: http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/ has lots of good information.

take your time mind your casing and you will do fine. stuffing is an art as well as a science. relax have home brew while making stuff and you will do better.