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Anybody use the meat grinder attachment for a Kitchen Aid ?

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pantsypants
pantsypants Posts: 1,191
in EggHead Forum
Just wondering if its worth it ?

thanks

Toronto
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  • jerryb78
    jerryb78 Posts: 215
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    I have one and it works fine for small quantities.  If you're going to be doing multiple pounds of meat at a time, you may want to invest in something beefier.  (pardon the pun!)
    LBGE
    Menasha, WI
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    I do! It serves my purposes of grinding meat for chili and some occasional brisket burgers. I don't think it would be up to heavy use on a daily basis, but for most households I believe it is fine. BTW I received mine as a $50 purchase incentive so free is free! I have learned that you are better off if you cube the meat and then partially freeze it.
    image
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
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    I use mine about once a month.  I have heard its not the best if you are grinding large volumes or if you are stuffing sausage, but I only grind up about 5 lbs max, so it works great for me  I have been exploring different blends of beef for burgers.  My most recent was 3 parts chuck, 1 part short rib, 1 part sirloin . . good stuff!
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Which KA? I have the grinder and use it on my Artisan, but have no illusions about its stamina. More because of the mixer than the grinder. I'm fine with that because I rarely use the grinder anyway. Ron has the KA Pro model with a more heavy duty motor.

    And yes, partially freezing the meat helps. Also, find a home in your freezer for the grinder itself. Just store it there. Or at least put it in there a couple of hours before grinding. The colder the better.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • pantsypants
    pantsypants Posts: 1,191
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    hmm , I think i will just hold out for something that is dedicated to grinding and sausage making ,

    Thanks guys

    Toronto
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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    I've used mine a couple times for grinding the pork and making Kielbasi. Works fine.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • Cymbaline65
    Cymbaline65 Posts: 800
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    Mine works great. +1 on the partial freezing of the meat beforehand. I probably use it one a month.


    In the  Hinterlands between Cumming and Gainesville, GA
    Med BGE, Weber Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe, Brinkman Dual Zone, Weber Genesis Gas Grill and portable gasser for boating
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
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    Hmmmm been making sausage for a few years now. This is first I have seen about freezing the grinder,,,
    I love this idea.!!!!!  I bought a real grinder for northern tool a few years back.
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    I ground up a 13 pound brisket this last weekend. I have the 600 model which is what I would recommend. Normally I cut it into strips and feed it through and they clean the blade and run it through again but I cubed the meat this time and it ran through much better. I didn't have to run it a second time because it never started to clog since there were no long pieces to get wrapped up. My KA grinder has probably ground up around 500 pounds of various meats in the last 3 years and still works great. If you do get it only use the coarse grind plate.
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  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757
    edited May 2014
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    I am with Lit, use it frequently, grind up some ribeyes that are on sale and make a quick taco. I have the pro model as well and it eats up the slightly frozen strips of meat.

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

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  • bodski
    bodski Posts: 463
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    I have the 600 Professional too and haven't had any problems. The most I've ground at one time was probably 10 lbs. I'm sure it could have handled more. Hard to beat the price if you already have the mixer.

    Cincinnati

    LBGE, Weber Kettle

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  • pantsypants
    pantsypants Posts: 1,191
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    I think I am sold
    Toronto
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,740
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    theres 2 plates, one with small holes that you will never use, there is also larger plate sets on ebay for it with larger chili plates and coarse sausage plates. the ka is fine for 10 to 20 pounds but you will notice the motor does gets warm during grinding
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited May 2014
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    600 Pro here. Used the grinder last week, meatloaf was 50/50 mix beef and pork. Good advice to keep the meat and the grinder cold, does a much better job. 
    I like to separate fat and lean (within reason of course) and weigh the final grind - get a 80/20 mix every time. 
    I keep the trimmings from pork loins, ribs, beef rib roasts and all other bulk meats. One pass with the large plate, then hand mix. 

    Only use the small plate to make ground turkey. When turkey is on sale after Thanksgiving/Easter I buy a couple and we are set with ground turkey for five or six months. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    I bought the Chefs Choice for my KA and it works great. All metal parts with no plastic. I think it was about $100 or so

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757
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    Pastic works just fine, is dishwasher safe (except the blade and plates) and you can knock down the price with a 20% coupon from B3.

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I wash the whole thing in the dishwasher.  Guess I didn't read the instructions....

    You can sharpen the blade on a flat surface with some wet-n-dry sandpaper.  Use a little water to hold the paper to the surface.

    I must have run at least 150 pounds through mine and it still looks like new.  Biggest problem I had was loosing the poker tool for a few months.

    Another tip, you don't need the ring nut that holds the die on tight.  You should be able to turn by hand.  If it's too tight, you warm up the blade and die.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    nolaegghead said:
    You can sharpen the blade on a flat surface with some wet-n-dry sandpaper.  
    Scary Sharp, eh? Works for chisels and plane irons. Why not for grinders? :)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,467
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    nolaegghead said:
     If it's too tight, you warm up the blade and die.
     
    Wow, that's scary!  
    :-O        :D
     
    I have the Artisan model too, used it to make sausages and haven't used it that much.  
    A tip:  I lost the small nylon retainer "knuckle" that you use to hold the blade in when using the sausage stuffer tubes; think it may have slipped down the garbage disposal during cleaning.  KitchenAid's website had the part available, for a princely $45!!  @-)  Santa didn't bring me a 3D printer to make my own.  I searched Amazon, and found a kit that you could buy to convert the grinder to a sausage maker (I'd originally bought it all in a single kit).  It included the large and small stuffing tubes, and that nylon knuckle, for less than $12!!  Done!
    I then sold the extra stuffing tubes on eBay as "Rare, Scandinavian Butt Trumpets" for $70 apiece, and came out way ahead!  
    :D
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
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    My butt don't need no trumpet !!!!   :-&

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I took the blade out when using the rare, Scandinavian butt trumpets.  Now I have a piston stuffer, also known as a contemporary Swedish gerbil launcher, but I just use it for casing sausages.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Bustersdad
    Bustersdad Posts: 311
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    We have the 600 series as well, use the grinder all the time.  Typically grind less than 10 lbs at a time.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    While we are still hot on this topic does anybody else have a problem with their grinder getting plugged up with sinew? In spite of trimming around it I still find about 3 pounds into my grinding the plate is clogged and I have to do a full clean out. I suppose it's my fault in that I like to mix in the trimmed fat but not the hard fat. Guess some of the sinew gets in that way, huh? And when I say clogged I mean badly clogged with sinew wrapped around the auger tighter than a weed-whacker string! LOL
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,467
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    RRP, I've had that very issue.  Two things that may help:
    1)  Someone here in an earlier thread suggested tightening the plastic nut using the wrench, ie get it tight.  That's helped me.
    2)  I bought some different cutting plates/blades from a place called The Sausage Maker, they're supposed to help the sinew situation.  I haven't tried them yet, my bad.  
    :\">
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Sharpen the blade, partially freeze the meat.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    @RRP I always had that issue when I cut into strips but last weekend I cut into cubes and I didn't have the problem.
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
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    I had one a year ago- $55 from Williams-Sonoma store.  Be sure that whatever you're grinding that the meat is VERY cold- borderline frozen.  you'll also spend a fair amount of time trimming sinew off of whatever your're grinding.  For small batches it's OK.  IF you get into making your own hamburger, sausage from pork shoulder, turkey and chicken and doing larger (over 10 lbs) at a time, invest in a purpose built grinder.  I gave my kitchen aid attachment after I got a LEM  #12 meat grinder and piston-driven hand crank sausage stuffer- look around as there are good deals online and at places like Cabela's.  If you're going to spend $50 or so bucks for Kitchen Aid grinder i'd add another $50 to that and go get a decent meat grinder that can save you tons of time

     

    with KA meat grinder attachment, it seemed as though I had to stop every two minutes to unwind stuff bunched up around the blade.  i'd recommend going with something with a little more power behind it

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