Grinder question

[buffalosmoke]

So I am ready to get back into sausage making again. I made sausage about 6-7 years ago and used a small hand grinder(a universal food grinder, not really a meat grinder) and a 5 lb horn type stuffer. I stopped making sausage cause we lived about two blocks from a small smokehouse/butcher/sausage maker that made awesome stuff.

Now I've moved far far away and there's nothing close by to get good sausage from...let alone great sausage! And I have a hankerin' for some good homemade, smoked kielbasa!

I have a 400w KitchenAid with all metal gears, and have considered getting the grinder for it. I won't be using it to stuff with...just grind. But there's alot of plastic on it, and I'm wondering how well it will hold up? And what size plates come with it? I like my polish sausage ground on the coarse side. The grinder attachment is about $44 including shipping.

I have also considered the grinder from NorthernTools....gets really good reviews. This grinder is up to $110 plus shipping.

I will probably be doing 5 or 10 pound batches to start with and go from there. I'd likely be doing this a few times a year at least too...maybe more? And if I ever get a friggin deer next season....well I'd be grinding some of that up as well.

I'll start off using the stuffer I already have and see how that works out. We need to buy a freezer as well....so I'll make do with the stuffer I have.

I'd appreciate any input from anybody who's used the KA attachment.....do you still use it? Or did you upgrade?

Thanks!

 

[meat hunter]

Yup, used the KitchenAid for a couple years. When we got our sausage attachment, it came with 2 plates. 3/8th and 3/16. For 5-10# batches, it will work just fine, but I would get a larger grinder, even a good hand crank one for batches larger than that. I have since upgraded to a large 1hp grinder as we do our own butchering of cows and deer, but the kitchen aid, for its size is a well made unit. Just check on the plates that come with the grinder unit. I talked with some on here just last month about this and theirs only came with one.

 

[buffalosmoke]

Thanks Meat Hunter. The attachment supposedly comes with two plates...but they are listed only as coarse and fine. No actual dimensions are given.

I think a friend has the attachment, so I'm gonna try and borrow his to make up a batch.

Making a trip to the Sausage Source tomorrow for some supplies. I hope to make something this weekend or early next week!

Love the avatar too! A classic for sure!

 

[countryboy19]

You also have a couple more options for the KA mixer.

There is a meat grinder made by the same people that make the Family Grain mill. They have an adapter to put that on a KA mixer. I'm not sure of the quality (I've never heard a review of the meat grinder), but from the quality of their Grain mill, it can't be any worse than the KA grinder, and most likely it is a lot better. Not positive if the housing is metal, but I think it it.

You can find family grain mill attachments here:
http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/fam...ain_mills.aspx

Also on that same page is an all metal meat grinder made by "Jupiter" that will attach directly to a KA mixer, but its a little pricey at $150.

 

[jerrykr]

Get the Northern Tool, it's not a whole lot more $$. Lots of power for the small batch, home sausage maker.

Long term,You are never sorry when you buy good tools.

 

[mballi3011]

I have the grinder from Gander mtn and it's a good grinder and I have used it a good amount maybe 60-70 lbs so far since christmas and it has held up good not a problem in the world. But I think I would get the grinder from Northern Tools because it appears that I cann't seem to find any differant plates for it in case I would need them. They have two parts that stick out of the sides of the plate and all the other plates have indentions in them. But it does work fine and you get 3 plates with it a 5/16th, 3/16th, and a 1/8". Oh yea they are the same price and the one from Northern has a reverse too.

 

[hemi]

I have a KA grinder I use for really small batches of grindings. I got one of the older ones, all metal, new in box off ebay for about the same as a new plastic one. works really well for 4-5 pounds at a time .. Hemi

They also make stuffing tube kits for it also that works good ..

 

[jerrykr]

mballi3011

Good point about the reverse feature on the Northern Tool. I had a Waring Pro at first and I did use the reverse a few times on it. I pretty much forget that there is a reverse on the Northern Tool, because it powers thru everything I throw at it.

Pictures of me using my NT here:

www.homesausagemaker.blogspot.com

Jerry
.

 

[hoser]

I got a custom large bore grinding plate for my kitchenaid on ebay...works great.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=gri...late&_osacat=0

 

[buffalosmoke]

Thanks for the tips guys!

Nice blog jerrykr....lots of good pics and info there!

I am waiting to get my freezer first, then I'm going to borrow my buddies KA ginder and see how it works.

I find myself looking at that Northern grinder though! I keep going back to the website....I almost ordered it yesterday, but I ended up buying tickets to go see the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Robert Cray! (two separate shows)

 

[spoofer]

I got the KA one. I grind venison up in it and it does a nice job. Mine came with the 2 different sized grinding attachments. It does a nice job for its size and recommend it.

 

[donnylove]

Cabela's Bargain cave has a Weston No. 5 Deluxe grinder (200-watt motor, forward/reverse operation, three plates) for $49.88, regular price $129.99. I've been thinking pretty hard about ordering one, as I too have always just used a hand grinder.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else around here has any experience with this or any other Weston grinder.

 

[buffalosmoke]

I ended up ordering the Northern grinder today. I talked to my buddy about borrowing his KA grinder....he is missing the coarse plate for it. So instead of screwing around...I just got the Northern!

Now that I have a 14cf freezer coming....I figure I might as well do up some larger batches of sausage. Going to try stuffing with this grinder as the meat is being ground.

 

[reeko]

The KA kit comes with 2 plates. They call them coarse and fine, but the coarse is really what I would call a medium (I measured at about 3/16).

I found a guy on Ebay that sells a 10.5 and 12 mm plate (10.5 is a little over 3/8). I just used it last night and it worked great.

 

[buffalosmoke]

Thanks for the link Hoser.....I am passing this along to my buddy who needs a larger plate.