meat mixer

[voodoochile]

I have been considering buying a meat mixer But they look to me like they would be a PITA to clean up after using . Anyone have any experience with the small meat mixers ?

 

[SmokinAl]

How much sausage are you making?
I usually only make 5-10 lb batches & just hand mix it.
I agree the meat mixers do look like a pain to clean.
I always do a double grind, first time with the large plate, then mix in the spices.
Then depending on what I'm making a second run through the grinder with the med, or small plate.
The second grind really mixes up the meat & distributes the spices evenly throughout the sausage.
But it's always nice to have a new toy!
Al

 

[jimmyinsd]

I will be curious to find out what others have to say. I have considered buying one many times, but I always wonder how well they work vs the space and cleanup. ( and I am kinda a tightass so spending a hundred on something I can do just as easily for free... well... Im still considering it.)

 

[chopsaw]

I'm with AL. But makes for some cold fingers .

 

[jimmyinsd]

I'm with AL. But makes for some cold fingers .

i found some re-useable latex gloves with a thin cloth lining that I have used for years for this and they double for handling hot meat on the smoker as well. they sell them for pretty good money but I found these at a hardware store for like $5 years ago. i do have to use a rubber band around the wrist though to keep it shut.

 

[atomicsmoke]

I have the 17lb kitchener mixer.

Yes, it takes patience to clean it, but so does the grinder or stuffer.

It does the job well, but you need a minimum amount of meat in it. At least 10lbs. For small batches doesn't work well.

 

[jp61]

No experience with meat mixers but I remember wishing I had one when I couldn't feel my fingers :D

 

[indaswamp]

I make large batches anywhere from 25~150lbs. of sausage at a time. (tomorrow is venison meat processing day and I will be making ~175lbs. of smoke sausage along with other meat products) You can follow along here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/venison-processing-day.272745/
I used a 25# mixer once. Total PITA for me. Too slow, to involved, can over work the meat paste, water ratio has to be perfect...Not worth the effort IMO
To each his own. I much prefer mixing by hand or in a large ice chest with a wood crawfish boiling paddle. I can look at the meat paste and go by feel to know when it is mixed enough. I can fold the meat and get a good mix on the ingredients.

Of course, for batched 40# or less, good ole elbow grease and heavy insulated grill gloves will get the job done easily.

 

[chopsaw]

i found some re-useable latex gloves with a thin cloth lining that I have used for years for this and they double for handling hot meat on the smoker as well. they sell them for pretty good money but I found these at a hardware store for like $5 years ago. i do have to use a rubber band around the wrist though to keep it shut.

Thanks for the info , I'll check it out .

 

[indaswamp]

Wal-mart sells thin poly-pro knit liner gloves 3 pair for like $2 dollars. I wear a pair of those under latex gloves and it works well keeping your hands warm.

 

[dward51]

I have one. I rarely use it now. I just use the ole Mk I hands......

And yes, it is a PITA to clean. Even though it's stainless and I can put it in the bottom of the dishwasher (it does fit in mine), it never seems to wash all the meat bits off the little side tines that help the mixing blade do it's job. So unless I'm doing like a 20 pound or larger batch, which is rare, I just go with hands. Plus the feel of the meat gives me an idea on the mix any way. It's something you will pick up over time and you can tell when it's mixed well enough.

So in short, I don't think I've used my tub mixer in over a year and a half.

 

[ab canuck]

I have a 50 lb capacity mixer, it attaches to my leg mixer. Yep it can be a pita to clean, but when you do 3-6 batches of 25-40 lbs in a day it is worth it. Yep it takes a bit of learning to use it properly but do does making sausage. We do a lot of sausage when we do it. If they are small batches yep we do it all by hand. But I wouldn't give up my mixer for what we do. If you don't do a lot or large batches then I wouldn't even contemplate it. My 2 cents, take it for what its worth

 

[indaswamp]

I have a 50 lb capacity mixer, it attaches to my leg mixer. Yep it can be a pita to clean, but when you do 3-6 batches of 25-40 lbs in a day it is worth it. Yep it takes a bit of learning to use it properly but do does making sausage. We do a lot of sausage when we do it. If they are small batches yep we do it all by hand. But I wouldn't give up my mixer for what we do. If you don't do a lot or large batches then I wouldn't even contemplate it. My 2 cents, take it for what its worth

Maybe if I had a 50# capacity mixer I would use it....but IMO the 25# mixer is just too small for large batches and does not justify getting it dirty for a batch that size.

 

[ab canuck]

Indaswamp. I agree 100% if it's a small batch not worth it at all. I would rather use my hands. We do both large and small at home, it all depends on the sausages / flavours we make.

 

[forvols]

I have a Weston 20lb (bought it on a good price discount over a yr ago). I have yet to use it. Most of my batches are 10lbs or 20lb+ but split into different seasoning blinds. One thing I have found is you can never have enough meat lugs (the plastic tubs).

 

[johnh12]

My wife has a KitchenAid stand mixer. It's the big one with a 6 liter stainless mixing bowl.
I've considered using it for 4 to 5 pound batches but haven't tried it yet.
Has anyone used one like it for meat mixing?

 

[nanuk]

I'm looking at something like that also.... a 6L bowl with dough hook should be able to do 10lbs?

 

[johnh12]

She just did a 4# meatloaf using her mixer. It probably could have held 6# but 10# would be too much.
I had an alcohol infused idea that maybe a 5 gallon bucket and a paint mixer like those used with a drill would do the trick.

 

[nanuk]

That should work.

How about a couple young people to mix with their feet, like stomping grapes for wine?

 

[dward51]

My wife has a KitchenAid stand mixer. It's the big one with a 6 liter stainless mixing bowl.
I've considered using it for 4 to 5 pound batches but haven't tried it yet.
Has anyone used one like it for meat mixing?

I've seen KitchenAid mixers used with hot dogs and bologna to help emulsify the meat, but I've not tried it. My wife has one of the bigger lift bowl models (at the time it was their largest of the semi-commercial types). I think I bought it for her in 1979. She would beat me with a rolling pin if I even thought about using it to mix meat :D. That is her favorite appliance and it gets use weekly.