still deciding on if its worth it. Sausage patties

[fxsales1959]

still ciphering here. I got my new KA mixer $300. bought the metal meat grinder. $75.00
Boston butt $99/lb. Don't want to roast my new mixer. I lb of cubed butt = 8 2oz patties.
If I do this much more will have to buy a dedicated grinder. Not spending $300 on a grinder.
Just not not buy Jimmy Dean hot roll @$4.99/lb. Mine tastes better and I know what's in it. but, can I buy a grinder that will last for $150 or less?
Cleaning the grinder is a PIA. luckily I work from home.
Today's "work".

s

 

[DougE]

I paid 99 bucks for my Weston 8#, on sale. For home use, you do not have to break the bank on a decent stand alone grinder. The Weston I have mostly does what I need. It's been a champ over the last few years.

 

[DougE]

On the downside, once you have a dedicated grinder, a dedicated stuffer is soon to follow, as you get dragged down the rabbit hole of sausage making. It's a worthwhile trip, though.

 

[TimShrek]

I paid 99 bucks for my Weston 8#, on sale. For home use, you do not have to break the bank on a decent stand alone grinder. The Weston I have mostly does what I need. It's been a champ over the last few years.

Agreed, I actually went from a $99 one to a $200+ and that one broke, tried a slighty more expensive one and same thing. Went back to the $99 one and have had it since...

 

[Hijack73]

Run some beef through that KA and cook it up next to some store grind. Cook it side by side and just let your nose and then your taste buds compare them. I like homemade sausage, but I'll eat packaged. I would crawl over a thousand pounds of commercial ground beef to get to a single hamburger made from my grind. Even if it comes out to a couple of bucks more/lb (and it doesn't, as I toss everything I can find on clearance in the grinder) the quality cannot be beat.

I am the one who destroyed a nice KA grinding meat - and I wouldn't hesitate to do a couple of 3 lb batches in a new one a couple of times a month.

Rinse those parts and toss them in the dishwasher - but do NOT use dishwasher detergent. A few drops of Dawn does the trick. Dishwasher detergent oxidizes aluminum - but Dawn doesn't. This works for my grinder, my stuffer, and my slicer parts. I'm lucky enough to have a dishwasher with chopping blades so I don't have to worry about getting every little speck of meat out in the rinse, but my old dishwasher was a little cheap older one, and I did the same with it.

You'll have to learn your dishwasher and how much Dawn it will handle. I put just about 4-5 good drops in the tub and 4-5 drops in the detergent compartment and I get very little suds but very clean parts. If you put too much Dawn - she'll blow suds all over your kitchen floor and you'll have to run the machine extra cycles to get it all out.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

It is worth it...

 

[Apriliamille]

1st there was sausage patties that trash all over JImmie Dean, then comes the brisket burgers, oh yeah ground chicken from home from a 2 pack of fryers from costco, then turkey then, an excuse for all the trimmings from brisket, oh hey let me grind some stuff for the dog........


TLDR just do it !

 

[fxsales1959]

thanks all,
no doubt what I get from fresh grind. Sausage patties alone show me that. I have no desire to tube stuff... We don't eat it except the fancy Italian sausage from the Italian market. If I can ever get a chuck roast "on sale" I can't wait to grind my own smash burger. I've actually been saving my fat cuttings from steaks and stuff to make some burger. I'll look out for that Weston model #8.
The KA did real good on one 1lb batches of butt. I am not a hunter so I won't be going al meat plant for grinding.

 

[chopsaw]

still ciphering here.

It's an investment the comes with time . I do have a dedicated grinder , so I don't have to worry about stressing it out , or ruining my mixer . If the grinder suffers , I can still mix bread dough .
Anyway , for my family , they want what I make . Wasn't always like that . Early on the results were sub par . When I got it figured out , I could no longer buy store bought because they can tell the difference .
I make a lot of Italian and breakfast sausage . At least twice a month .
Broke down 2 butts , ground and seasoned 2 days ago .
Stuffed and vac'd this morning . 22mm sheep casings and bulk .

It's an investment , but in time it is worth it . I do have dedicated equipment .
I can buy pork butts on sale or under 2 bucks a pound . I've made enough over the years that the equipment is paid for . Buy a pound of linked sausage at the store or deli , it's at least 5 bucks a pound .
I would say small batches in your mixer are worth doing . Maybe just as a treat or special event . I personally would encourage you to keep going . Nail down something you guys like . Italian , breakfast or bratwurst .

 

[DougE]

I have no desire to tube stuff... We don't eat it except the fancy Italian sausage from the Italian market.

You can make those yourself. Better than what you buy at the market and can customize the spices to your own tastes. Not trying to drag you down this rabbit hole, but just saying .............

 

[Fueling Around]

In MN I can get whatever grind needed for a reasonable price. Well that was a could as prices really jacked while we were south last winter.
I got a Weston from Scheels. On sale for $105 plus a $75 gift card for signing up to their credit card. Shipping was $30 but still a great deal.
Italian sausage works well in patty form. Crumbled on the pizza. Hand formed in tubular form
The KA grinder has stuffer tubes, but I have never used them. If I can find them, I'll send them to you

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

What just got me to buy a grinder is I froze my grinder attachment and when I turned the KA on the pin snapped that keeps it from turning. Lucky the pin snapped before the gears. The attachment spinning around on the KA was not a good experience. Decided I not risking the KA anymore. Any way the lesson learned is never freeze your attachment!

 

[smokerjim]

still ciphering here. I got my new KA mixer $300. bought the metal meat grinder. $75.00
Boston butt $99/lb. Don't want to roast my new mixer. I lb of cubed butt = 8 2oz patties.
If I do this much more will have to buy a dedicated grinder. Not spending $300 on a grinder.
Just not not buy Jimmy Dean hot roll @$4.99/lb. Mine tastes better and I know what's in it. but, can I buy a grinder that will last for $150 or less?
Cleaning the grinder is a PIA. luckily I work from home.
Today's "work".

View attachment 701516s

Not sure where you shop but if you shop at the smaller stores they will usually grind your meat for you if you buy your meat there. At least in these parts they will, just a thought.

 

[zwiller]

I have a KA but did not want raw meat going near it. I used store bought ground meat for a long time, then went to a $10 ebay plastic hand grinder, then to $50 Harbor Freight grinder. Expected the HF to die but has been a few years and still going strong. I bought a Hakka stuffer but never use it, too odd to use and clean for my 1Kg batches. I stuff with a jerky gun. Guys here are a little too Tim Taylor with the grinders and stuffers LOL.

 

[Up_In_Smoke]

I bought a STX Turbo 3000 a few months ago.
It seems to be very well built, had good reviews and was around $160 from Walmart.

STX Meat Grinder

 

[clifish]

I have a KA but did not want raw meat going near it. I used store bought ground meat for a long time, then went to a $10 ebay plastic hand grinder, then to $50 Harbor Freight grinder. Expected the HF to die but has been a few years and still going strong. I bought a Hakka stuffer but never use it, too odd to use and clean for my 1Kg batches. I stuff with a jerky gun. Guys here are a little too Tim Taylor with the grinders and stuffers LOL.

Don't see a meat grinder on HF?

 

[fxsales1959]

Not sure where you shop but if you shop at the smaller stores they will usually grind your meat for you if you buy your meat there. At least in these parts they will, just a thought.

That would be nice but would need a translator down here in N Cuba.

 

[zwiller]

Don't see a meat grinder on HF?

Wow, must have stopped carrying them. It's a generic grinder and all sorts of people carry it. Have a TSC?
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...6gkPRNgQ756xUkxQEOgZE66SV0tgEIyYaAiKCEALw_wcB

 

[clifish]

actually we do have one here in NY and one near my house in PA

 

[zwiller]

actually we do have one here in NY and one near my house in PA

Sweet. I think a grinder like this would satisfy all but hunters with a large locker of meat.