Hello y'all.

At present I grind my venison with about a 1960-s era Sears table-top grinder that might make as much as 1/8th of a horsepower. It's small, slow, and won't cut sinew. Running it is an exercise in patience as you interrupt grinding from time to time to clear the silverskin from the cutter blade. The motor bogs down almost to a halt during regular grinding.

I've got a Kitchen-Aid mixer for which a meat grinding attachment can be bought, but the reviews I've seen for these units don't impress me much. The parts are mostly plastic, and it looks like they share some of the same problems as the little grinder I'm using now.

So who makes a good grinder, and what's the best deal on one? I'd like it to not bog down, cut the meat with a nice sharp cutter blade, and double as a sausage stuffer if possible. It doesn't need to be industrial-grade, as I'll only be using it a few times per year, but when I need it I will need it to work without any fuss.

What do you gentlemen recommend?

Thanks in advance,

-AaronB

The kitchen aide grinder attachments aren't ideal, but I've done a moose hindquarter or two with one, and it worked pretty good for me. The parts weren't too hard to clean up either, just wipe off, pull sinew off and put in the dishwasher. My main complaint was that you have to cut the pieces small enough to go into the grinder. I don't remember which unit we used, but it was the more powerful one.

ive got a 3/4 hp stainless unit from gander mountain. I wouldnt go any smaller then that if your doing lots of meat. Had a cheap one before and also had on of those kitchen aid add ons and i thought they both were a joke.

A subject dear to my heart.
I have wasted more time with inferior grinders than I care to think about. I have a band saw with meat grinder attached . It works Well but all meat grinders fail with sinue unless you spend REALY big bucks on a hobart or the likes.
BEST for the do it yourselfer is to buy a hand grinder with a 3" feed, Remove the crank and hook it up to an eletric washer motor. THE TRICK is a BIG Heavy flywheel. I started useing dry ice chips on my meat while grinding and the sinue cuts clean and prevents gumming but you have to feed it slow or you will freeze the feed shoot and jamb up the works.
The Kitchen aid mixer attachment can be had online for about $55.00 and I am going to buy one. I beleive with this and the dry ice all will work fine. My friend did break one but he broke the plastic with frozen meat he was forceing in. He replaced it with a new unit and he does all his grinding every year with it. He likes it just fine. For the money I would first try the Kitchenaid! J.Michael

Back in '98 I got a nice elk. The neighbors loaned us their Hobart mixer with meat grinder attachment to work up that which we didn't make into roasts, etc. Worked slick. I've wanted one ever since but we no longer are rural nor do we have a freezer to fill 'round here. It sure beat the old hand grinder I grew up with. As mentioned above, a hand grinder can be adapted and turned into a power grinder - if you're handy with tools and can find/make the parts. Folks 'round here do that with with the grinders they use for making arepas.

Hi -

I have several. I keep a 'home use' type like you describe handy, and another as my folks place. They are fine for small amounts. Cutting sinewy parts smallish helps some.

My buddy and I process quite a few deer each year, sometimes more than a dozen. He bought a stainless unit from Cabella's. It's nice enough and works pretty well. I didn't have the heart to tell him I saw nice used commercial units are the local meat cutting supply place for half what he paid : (

In my experiance they all work better if the meat to be ground is very cold. I throw the to be ground meat in a pot or pile on a big heavy duty baking tray. Then it goes into the freezer until it starts to get pretty firm, still pliable, but firm to crunchy in the thin spots.

Running it all though the course grind fast then regrinding is common as well.

My Dad processes several deer a ear into sausage using one of the small units, it can be done.

Good luck, hope you NEED this information soon ; )
Mike P

Aaron,

I have burned out several of the smaller Rival "Grind-O-Matic" kitchen grinders over the decades, but have had good service with them. Since I pick them up at yard sales and garage sales for $5-$10 for the whole set with the stuffer and sometimes the salad chopping/grating sets too, its hard for me to justify the expense of a bigger grinder.

I have had no trouble with them for a deer...usually I manage to kill them by getting impatient with an elk on the table. they ARE slower than a larger and more powerful unit. They also do NOT have a 100% duty cycle. Grinding the meat when its ALMOST frozen seems to help the silverskin/sinew problems as does touching up the grinding disc with a flat stone before one starts.

Yeah I can be cheap...but it works!

AaronE

pile of moose and other game the Hobart gear is made better than just about anything. They are easy to clean and really make burger or sausage easy.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

As far as sinew...she who must be obeyed insists upon total removal. Even the light facia and not just the heavy sinew has to go. End up with a lot of dog meat, but I end up with enough deer every year that a little waste is not an issue. Whether burger or sausage, quality in...quality out. Make sausage with junk trimmings and you get junk sausage.

I use a LEM Bass pro stainless #32 hand grinder. I can do fifteen to twenty pounds without too much problem working by myself. I made the mistake last year of doing fifty pounds at once...NEVER AGAIN with a hand grinder.

I have been wanting to hook up a motor, but cannot find a pulley. The LEM shaft has a unique taper. I have been watching for quite a long time for a cheap commercial on a store closing, flea markets, etc. but it ain't happening. A new heavy duty is a budget buster. I wish I knew..best bet is too keep watching and a deal will come along one day.

I agree about the meat needing to be very cold. Also, another little tip...cut the meat into about one inch cubes. Measure out the spice concoction and put in a big jar. Add about equal amount of water and shake well and put over meat cubes as a slurry. Rinse the jar with a dab of water to clean out the jar and add all the goody. Mix into the cubes in a big tub thouroughly by hand and then grind course, mix by hand just a little and grind again through fine plate.

I found a Hobart Mixer for sale at an auction in Joplin. It is an online auction and is not going to be over for 13 more days, I believe. Right now it is at an affordable price. it will be interesting to see what it goes for. I do not see any grinder attachments included, but it IS a Hobart.

http://www.pciauctions.com/item_detail.php?item=21286