meat grinder attachment for a Kitchenaid mixer

[shnmclr]

I'm wondering if anyone uses this Chef's Choice attachment for the Kitchenaid? I've been wanting to make my own hamburger and possibly sausage, just wondering if the Chef's Choice is a decent option? Thanks
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BVC0LC8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2285DVOO43056&coliid=I1HBT52NTV7DM&psc=1"]Amazon.com: Chef's Choice 796 Premium Metal Food Grinder Attachment Designed for KitchenAid Stand Mixers, No.796: Mixer Accessories: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415cTl1WzkL.@@AMEPARAM@@415cTl1WzkL[/ame]

 

[Untraceable]

Ive got the kitchenaid attachment. It works for very small grind jobs. Anything close to serious and you want a serious grinder.

 

[Shagdog]

I've used the standard [ame="http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA-Grinder-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456407614&sr=8-1&keywords=Meat+grinder+kitchen+aid"]Amazon.com: KitchenAid FGA Food Grinder Attachment for Stand Mixers: Electric Stand Mixers: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Hjd8zvzLL.@@AMEPARAM@@31Hjd8zvzLL[/ame], and at 30 bucks, its OK... it gets the job done, but I really prefer a dedicated grinder... Now, I know what you're going to say, "that's not the unit I'm asking about" and my response is, it is and it isn't. Yes, this is stainless, but the motor is still the same, and really, all there is to a grinder is a motor, blade and a plate. Those three things are going to be pretty much identical in the $30 vs the $100. I found the motor to be a bit lacking if I was doing much meat at all.. If it were me I'd save the money and either buy the cheap one (which will work fine for small batches... see if you enjoy using it, then buy a real grinder later) , or find a good dedicated grinder for around $100.. I would check out LEM, they make great stuff.

 

[Smoke Dawg]

^^^ Agree. You will kill your kitchen aid if you do much grinding

 

[Nvoges]

I recently purchased this and couldn't be happier. It ground 25 lbs. of semi-frozen pork this weekend without issue.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200451267_200451267

I had a coupon (which can easily be found by searching google) and I think I paid $110 shipped to my door.

 

[pbj]

I have a grinder attachment made by Hobart. It is an older stainless steel model. At the time it was the one Kitchenaid sold as an accessory. With my 600 series mixer it will grind all day and not get overworked.

 

[scaramoche]

For a great intro and cheap dedicated grinder goto grizzly.com and search meat grinder. Check out their green and silver one. I've had mine for over a year. I grind nearly frozen meats weekly and shred cheese nearly daily. Still going strong and got it for about $50 shipped.

 

[D0ughB0y]

I have a grinder attachment made by Hobart. It is an older stainless steel model. At the time it was the one Kitchenaid sold as an accessory. With my 600 series mixer it will grind all day and not get overworked.

Same here. I've never had an issue with the same setup. Burgers, sausage, or whatever I throw at it in any quantity.

 

[hammb]

I have a grinder attachment made by Hobart. It is an older stainless steel model. At the time it was the one Kitchenaid sold as an accessory. With my 600 series mixer it will grind all day and not get overworked.

I think that's what is lost in the discussion. The grinder attachments are all probably similar, but depending on which kitchen aid you have they've got vastly different motors and internal components.

I have the standard Kitchen-aid grinder, but with the pro 600 model mixer the thing grinds just as well as the (admittedly cheaper) dedicated meat grinder I used to have. I think the dedicated grinder was a $100-150 Cabela's model.

I would imagine that if you throw that same grinder attachment on one of the older classic mixers or an artisan series you may have a different experience since the pro models have a lot more power in the motor. The artisan series are also plastic internals which could be less durable under duress than the pro series metal internals.

All in all, I have no problems with the kitchenaid attachment and the pro mixer, although the all stainless of the original post attachment looks nicer than the plastic one I have (and the plastic on mine does have a crack in it). I don't make 50# of sausage in a sitting though, so I guess it probably depends on what you're looking for. My take is if you have a good mixer and are shopping for a $100-150 meat grinder the mixer will do just as good of a job. If you're looking at higher end dedicated grinders they may end up doing a better job than the mixer could.

 

[LongIslandEd]

I'll tell ya, Harbor Freight has a decent little grinder that is pretty well made for under $75. If you're not going to use it every day, it's well worth the money.

 

[D0ughB0y]

I think that's what is lost in the discussion. The grinder attachments are all probably similar, but depending on which kitchen aid you have they've got vastly different motors and internal components.

I have the standard Kitchen-aid grinder, but with the pro 600 model mixer the thing grinds just as well as the (admittedly cheaper) dedicated meat grinder I used to have. I think the dedicated grinder was a $100-150 Cabela's model.

I would imagine that if you throw that same grinder attachment on one of the older classic mixers or an artisan series you may have a different experience since the pro models have a lot more power in the motor. The artisan series are also plastic internals which could be less durable under duress than the pro series metal internals.

All in all, I have no problems with the kitchenaid attachment and the pro mixer, although the all stainless of the original post attachment looks nicer than the plastic one I have (and the plastic on mine does have a crack in it). I don't make 50# of sausage in a sitting though, so I guess it probably depends on what you're looking for. My take is if you have a good mixer and are shopping for a $100-150 meat grinder the mixer will do just as good of a job. If you're looking at higher end dedicated grinders they may end up doing a better job than the mixer could.

The older (I'm not sure the exact date they switched) 500 series flip-top Kitchenaid mixes also have the metal internals. Also, the "pro 600" 2006 and earlier contain the plastic gears as well.

Having the steel internals doesn't negate the need for a motor that can handle heavier loads, but I just wanted to make the note for anyone that has either series of the mixer.

 

[aawa]

What is considered a smaller batch of grinded meats?

We just got a Kitchen Aid 600 Pro series and were thinking about getting the meat grinder attachment. We want to be able to grind up a whole brisket or a whole pork butt at a time for ground meats.

We also plan on getting into making our own sausage also, but only making a few pounds at a time for this.

 

[D0ughB0y]

What is considered a smaller batch of grinded meats?

We just got a Kitchen Aid 600 Pro series and were thinking about getting the meat grinder attachment. We want to be able to grind up a whole brisket or a whole pork butt at a time for ground meats.

We also plan on getting into making our own sausage also, but only making a few pounds at a time for this.

I've done 40+ pounds of beef for burgers with no issues.

 

[Woody Butthrie]

If you look up the specs for the 600 series, they use a 575 watt motor. I have a 40 year old original Kitchenaid, they have a 250 watt motor. Although I am grinding and stuffing with my old Kitchenaid now, you do have to process everything slowly with the weaker motor. I plan on getting a dedicated grinder soon. The more powerful motor on the 600 series should not have any issues grinding.

 

[hammb]

The older (I'm not sure the exact date they switched) 500 series flip-top Kitchenaid mixes also have the metal internals. Also, the "pro 600" 2006 and earlier contain the plastic gears as well.

Having the steel internals doesn't negate the need for a motor that can handle heavier loads, but I just wanted to make the note for anyone that has either series of the mixer.

Very true, thanks.

I had forgotten that the older pro series used to have plastic gears, but I'm pretty sure you are correct.

Certainly the steel gears aren't the end all be all, and you have to have some motor power. I just believe the experience we have with these KA grinder attachments is going to be directly tied to which mixer you're putting it on. My newer Pro 600 has no problems grinding, even with the cheapie plastic KA attachment. I think putting a higher dollar grinder on one of the weaker lines of mixer will result in an inferior experience (if I had to guess, I've done no comparisons).

It's a tough call when you're looking at $100 grinder attachments and you can get dedicated mixers for that same price range. Which is why I posted my experience in that my KA does a BETTER job (I'd almost argue a much better job) than my low end Cabela's grinder did.

If I were the OP and looking to spend $100 on a grinder I'd buy the KA attachment if I had one of the Pro Series mixers. I would probably look for a dedicated grinder if I only had an Artisan mixer. The big advantage of the KA attachment, for me, is I keep my mixer on the counter and can just grab the attachment out of the cupboard as opposed to another bulky piece of equipment I have to find a home for.

 

[D0ughB0y]

Very true, thanks.

I had forgotten that the older pro series used to have plastic gears, but I'm pretty sure you are correct.

Certainly the steel gears aren't the end all be all, and you have to have some motor power. I just believe the experience we have with these KA grinder attachments is going to be directly tied to which mixer you're putting it on. My newer Pro 600 has no problems grinding, even with the cheapie plastic KA attachment. I think putting a higher dollar grinder on one of the weaker lines of mixer will result in an inferior experience (if I had to guess, I've done no comparisons).

It's a tough call when you're looking at $100 grinder attachments and you can get dedicated mixers for that same price range. Which is why I posted my experience in that my KA does a BETTER job (I'd almost argue a much better job) than my low end Cabela's grinder did.

If I were the OP and looking to spend $100 on a grinder I'd buy the KA attachment if I had one of the Pro Series mixers. I would probably look for a dedicated grinder if I only had an Artisan mixer. The big advantage of the KA attachment, for me, is I keep my mixer on the counter and can just grab the attachment out of the cupboard as opposed to another bulky piece of equipment I have to find a home for.

100% agree with you.