Meat grinder recommendations.

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hooked on smoke

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Aug 24, 2013
627
250
Southern California.
The way meat prices have jumped I'm thinking of buying a meat grinder to grind my own burger and pork. I have zero experience with this and would appreciate any suggestions. I'm not looking to break the bank as I will at this point just trying not to spend 6 plus dollars a pound for ground meat. I would however like something that will last awhile. Chuck roast was just on sale for 4.99lb and that would have saved a bundle. I do have a vacuum sealer so storing is not an issue.
Are there preferences to which cuts can be ground?
I appreciate everyone here and value your opinions especially on matters I know little about.
Thanks in advance.
Oh, I do have a Amazon prime account if that helps.
 
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My Harris Teeter sells ground chuck for $3.99 which is a good price and the work is already done.

I've heard people say chuck, brisket, and short ribs make an excellent ground beef for burgers - you'd ideally want around 20% fat in there.

You might peruse some of the threads listed below for more info...

Good luck
 
You won't go wrong grinding your own . I buy a lot of sub primals and use the trim for grind .
I grind briskets , beef knuckles , pork butts you name it . I buy whole spares and grind up the trim from that . I'll grind pork butts and store it unseasoned in 1 pound bags . If I need breakfast or Italian , I thaw a pound and mix it up .

The LEM #8 suggestion is a good one . Don't buy cheap .
 
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My Harris Teeter sells ground chuck for $3.99 which is a good price and the work is already done.

I've heard people say chuck, brisket, and short ribs make an excellent ground beef for burgers - you'd ideally want around 20% fat in there.

You might peruse some of the threads listed below for more info...

Good luck
Thanks for your input. I will definitely check below.
 
My vote goes to LEM as well. I had a cheap no name one for a few years then upgraded to a LEM big bite #12. Night and day difference.



I grind several hundred pounds of deer every year and with the LEM it grinds faster than I can load it. Keep an eye out for sales, that's when I bought mine.
 
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Cabelas commercial grinders are rated very high as well... I have the .5 hp and it's more than enough... If there is a Cabelas close by you can stop by and check one out...
 
I have a LEM #5 Big Bite. It does everything I want. But I would like a #8 or #12 to make it go faster. I can't feed enough into the #5 to slow it down, just limited to the size of the throat/head.
 
Get the biggest honkin' grinder your wallet will justify. You won't regret going too big, but you may if you go too small. I have an 8# Weston, and while it does all I ask of it, a bigger grinder would save me some knifework in prepping the meat to grind. I will upgrade to a bigger grinder at some point.
 
If I were to buy one today at an entry level grinder I would go with the LEM #8 big bite. LEM makes good quality equipment.
I'm looking at grinders and notice that Academy has the LEM #8 Big Bite listed here, but says it's a .35 HP motor. The LEM website has the #8 listed at .5 HP here and their #5 is .35 HP here. Can anyone clarify what's up? I'd like to buy from Academy because I have a gift card...
 
I'm looking at grinders and notice that Academy has the LEM #8 Big Bite listed here, but says it's a .35 HP motor. The LEM website has the #8 listed at .5 HP here and their #5 is .35 HP here. Can anyone clarify what's up? I'd like to buy from Academy because I have a gift card...
Double check the rating. LEM did, in the past, have lower HP models but upgraded a several years ago. You may be looking at 'new old stock'! Or it may be just a misprint.
 
Can anyone clarify what's up?
The link you put up says item no. W779 . When I search that number it comes up as LEM #8 .35 hp grinder .
Old Sarge is probably right . Old stock " Pre " big bite maybe ?
500 watt would be the .5 HP range .
 
I have a Cabela's 1.5 HP. It takes longer to clean it then it does to grind 10-15 pounds of meat.Maybe overkill for you but just don't buy an undersized model . Any cheap beef will make a good burger,you may need to add a bit of fat to some lean cuts like an eye of the round .I like to grind pork butt for homemade sausage(bulk for patties is good) and I save the back fat cap to add to real lean beef. You still get a good beef flavor and a burger that won't fall apart!
 
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