Pellet Fan
Accessories & Essentials => Equipment -- grill grates, grill mats, brushes, covers, tongs, etc. => Topic started by: Goosehunter51 on February 19, 2018, 10:57:43 AM
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There are so many to chose from, just wondering what you guys use, and is a meat mixer needed?
I am looking to do hamburger and sausage.
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I will be buying a LEM #8 in the next few weeks and getting the attachment for hamburgers, snack sticks, and jerky. I am going to hold off on the mixer for now as the smallest is 25# capacity and from what I read you should be doing about 15# minimum in the mixer for it to work properly.
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I have the meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I also have the sausage stuffed attachment. They work ok however if you are going to do a lot of grinding and/or stuffing I think a dedicated grinder and stuffer would be better.
I also have pasta roller and noodle attachments and they work great.
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I have a Cabela’s grinder that works well, it is not one of the professional series ones but it is fine for my needs. My group of friends that get together to make sausage have decided that the mixer is not worth the hassle of the extra cleanup and we don’t use it. The worst part of mixing by hand is your hands get cold, once we got a pair of insulated gauntlet gloves, nobody minds doing it anymore.
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Kitchen aid grinder/stuffer will work, but it is very, very slow. I wouldn't be making sausage at all if that's all I had...not a good experience. As for stuffing, a piston stuffer is the only way to fly.
I have LEM #8 grinder that I got from their refurb section and it works great. I have to try to keep up with it, not the other way around, and it was a $99 grinder. No problems at all grinding 20# of meat for sausage. I think 20# may have taken 10 minutes...maybe. They've got an $88 one in their refurb section now: http://www.lemproducts.com/category/refurbished-products For the home gamer, that cheap one is fine. If you plan on grinding more than 20# of meat at a time, you may want to look into one of the big bite grinders. You'd be surprised how fast a #8 goes through meat.
I have a 25# meat mixer, it is nice. 10# minimum for it to work right. Really good for those 20# batches. I got a 5# stuffer from LEM on the same refurb site, looking back now I probably should have got the 15# model. It's not hard to fill, but when doing 20# of sausage it would be nice to just fill twice instead of 4 times.
For hand mixing sausage, I use a pair of thin cotton gloves, then pull nitrile gloves over the top. Cheap n' cheerful, and insulate great for cold or hot.
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Thanks to all, the LEM looks like a good way to go. I am liking the #12 big bite with the foot pedal
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Thanks to all, the LEM looks like a good way to go. I am liking the #12 big bite with the foot pedal
I'm getting the #8 big bite with foot pedal
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I have a LEM #8 that I just recently purchased and the thing works great! (The older #8's had 1/3 HP motors, the new ones have a 1/2 HP motor.)
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Do you have a stuffer? If not I would buy one of those first.
I bought a 1HP cabelas I think it is a #22 SS grinder with foot pedal and some attachments. I used the old enterprise stuffer I had until I bought a new Cabelas 11 pound I believe it is with motor.
I rarely use the grinder, as I have found my meat guy at the local shop or shops will grind for a few cents a pound maybe 20, I usually like to do 25 pound at a time for sausage, they will grind the pork butts I buy for 5 bucks. I can't mess around digging out, setting up and cleaning up my grinder for 5 bucks.
A mixer is nice, but some large plastic meat lugs work well, again easier to was that meat lug than to clean my mixer.
The Cabelas/Weston stuffer is great. I have no experience with anything else other than old enterprise stuffers that were older than I am .
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I guess I just don't make big enough batches. I used my Kitchenaid to grind 15lbs. of pork a couple of weeks ago and it took about 15 minutes. No, I would not make sausage if I had to pipe it through the Kitchenaid. So if you have one, you can get into grinding any meat for about a $60 grinder kit, a cheaper way to find out. Would I like a LEM, very much so, and if you are going to make big batches (50lbs) many times a year, I would suggest something along that line.
100 pounds a year like me sausage and ground beef, Kitchenaid and Northern Tool 5lb stuffer works for my needs!
Kitchen aid grinder/stuffer will work, but it is very, very slow. I wouldn't be making sausage at all if that's all I had...not a good experience.
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anyone ever use the stuffer on the LEM grinder?
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When Larry brought his down from Hanford to Pasadena, we did, thing worked great, he had the patty maker too, and that thing was sweet, along with the meat tenderizer!
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I discovered the key to using a grinder as a stuffer when I was using an old hand crank grinder that I found in the basement when I was young. Take the knife off and use a stuffing plate. and the correct size horn.
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If it is all you have, very good tip!
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Kitchen aid grinder/stuffer will work, but it is very, very slow. I wouldn't be making sausage at all if that's all I had...not a good experience.
Everyone's opinion is going to differ - I have a kitchen aid grinder and stuffer and have had no issues with it. Didn't find it slow to grind or stuff. Maybe I don't know any better as it's the only tool I have but I have never used it and thought there must be something better out there. It works just fine for me and my needs.
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The thing I dislike the most about using it to pipe sausage is the height. The nice thing about most stuffers is the horn is at the bottom of the canister, so right at countertop. I can battle through the chore of making the meat go back through that little opening, ya just get it cold and from it into a snake...but figuring out how to get enough into the casing to get it down to the counter, that is my biggest challenge!
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The thing I dislike the most about using it to pipe sausage is the height. The nice thing about most stuffers is the horn is at the bottom of the canister, so right at countertop. I can battle through the chore of making the meat go back through that little opening, ya just get it cold and from it into a snake...but figuring out how to get enough into the casing to get it down to the counter, that is my biggest challenge!
Im surprised you didn't fabricate some sort of shelf by putting a cutting board on top of some bricks or something. ;)
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I did, I just did not want to bring that painful memory back to the surface...Kristin is still scared!
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I did, I just did not want to bring that painful memory back to the surface...Kristin is still scared!
:rotf: :clap:
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I've had this one for several years and it works just fine.
https://www.amazon.com/STX-International-STX-3000-TF-Turboforce-Electric/dp/B0012KJBR0/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1519164850&sr=1-5&keywords=meat+grinder
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Maybe I don't know any better as it's the only tool I have
Yeah, that does make it hard to compare to other methods.
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Ok, I'm going to risk it with this question. I've been embarrassed before so I know it won't last too long. I don't do sausage but for all you folks with a grinder, has anyone ever used it to grind up smoked brisket as a easier way than chopping with the knife or cleaver? Or does the grinder grind it up too small?
Thanks
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I have not. But I would think it would be a fine application for a BBQ Beef sandwich, Brisket Tacos, or chili, depending on what size you like your chili meat to be. Would be tremendous for Enchiladas or Tamales!
How would you all receive a Brisket Spaghetti sauce?
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Ok, I'm going to risk it with this question. I've been embarrassed before so I know it won't last too long. I don't do sausage but for all you folks with a grinder, has anyone ever used it to grind up smoked brisket as a easier way than chopping with the knife or cleaver? Or does the grinder grind it up too small?
Thanks
That would be interesting to try using a stuffer grind plate with much larger holes than the fine or course grind plate. A challenge is you need to cut it up into pieces small enough to go through the grinder in the first place so you already have the knife out.
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Bentley, just sitting here looking at my mixer I figure maybe strapping to the kitchen chair and the horn may be table height. I don't have a grinder for mine, was looking at getting one, there is a company that makes an all metal version.
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I have not. But I would think it would be a fine application for a BBQ Beef sandwich, Brisket Tacos, or chili, depending on what size you like your chili meat to be. Would be tremendous for Enchiladas or Tamales!
How would you all receive a Brisket Spaghetti sauce?
Ok, sounds like further research is needed. The Sandwich, Brisket Tacos, even chili are right in line. Make a lot of smoked cheese brisket nachos and smoked cheese brisket Quesadillas that sound like it will work for as well. Brisket Spaghetti Sauce?, This guy will take Brisket in anything!
Not sure how small of chunks you would have to cut up, but if your hand chopping 2-3 hunks of goodness at a time it is a bit of a days work, then vacuum packing in 3 oz packages is why I'm looking at this idea. Don't do that much on a regular basis but the last time I still recall a long day.
Thanks for the responses!
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DE, go to youtube and watch some LEM meat grinder videos. You may be able to get a sense for the different size grind plates and what the meat texture looks like coming out of the grinder. I have not looked for any that use already cooked meat going through the grinder so I am not sure how that would work. It is recommended the meat be really cold for grinding raw meat. I assume the same could be said for already cooked meat and it may work in the same manner.
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When I grind pork for sausage, I will have 6-8 inch long strips I grind, Very rarely do I cube anymore! Semi-frozen is semi-frozen, they go through real easy and less work!
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LEM has a 20% off sale going on right now. I just bought the #8 big bite and some other accessories.
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I've had this one for several years and it works just fine.
https://www.amazon.com/STX-International-STX-3000-TF-Turboforce-Electric/dp/B0012KJBR0/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1519164850&sr=1-5&keywords=meat+grinder
I'm about to buy a grinder and after readying through old posts this seems like a nice all around unit. Thx
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How many pounds a month will you grind? Are you gonna start grinding your own GB? That can get additive, specially if you find your blend and it wows you!
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My current plan is to do big batches and load up the freezer. I'm thinking 20 - 25 pounds at a time. Most likely it will be a combination of Smokes, Breakfast Links, and Hamburgers. There is a German place near me who makes killer brats that I want to make. I also want to make a beef smoke sausage.
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I am one of those guys that likes to buy the best or close to the best right out of the gate and not have to worry about buying again. I bought the LEM based on it being a highly rated name brand. Cabella's seems to be doing a nice job of knocking off a similar grinder and may have a lifetime warranty (most of their brand name products do but I have not confirmed on a grinder). I have not ground hamburger yet, but the jerky slicer is incredible. Almost too easy to use. Sliced up over 50 # of meat in a few minutes.
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I did stop by Cabela's yesterday and do like their Carnivore Commercial-Grade grinders.
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I've had Cabela's 3/4 hp Grinder for a couple of years, does a great job.
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I've had Cabela's 3/4 hp Grinder for a couple of years, does a great job.
Do you use that to grind meat for your competition burgers?
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I Wish, it's way to heavy for the suitcase :rotf:
I've had Cabela's 3/4 hp Grinder for a couple of years, does a great job.
Do you use that to grind meat for your competition burgers?