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For the final decade or so, my cousin and I’ve processed all the deer we harvested on our personal. Rising up, we might take our deer to the native butcher and obtain pre-packaged meat with no assure it was from our harvest. After we grew bored with questioning, and paying upwards of $100 a deer, we invested in a knife package and a small grinder.
A couple of years again, we inherited an 1876 cast-iron sausage stuffer that weighs about as a lot as a truck and requires two full grown males to show the deal with and pump meat into the casings. Though it was taxing, we persevered with that setup at our annual sausage get together for a number of years. Sadly, final 12 months’s get together noticed the top of the cast-iron stuffer because the cast-iron high plate cracked and exploded in the course of the days-long occasion.
Whereas it was powerful to say goodbye, it opened up the door to expertise what 150-years of sausage stuffer know-how has superior to. Listed here are my picks for the very best sausage stuffers after processing 125 kilos of meat at this 12 months’s occasion.
How We Examined the Finest Sausage Stuffers
As we headed into this 12 months’s annual sausage stuffing get together, we acquired 5 sausage stuffers from high out of doors manufacturers within the meat processing business. I additionally tacked on a small grinder to reminisce in regards to the good outdated days and assessment a funds possibility.
The plan was easy, take 85 kilos of venison and 40 kilos of pork fats and produce the next choices:
- 40 kilos of venison scorching canine
- 30 kilos of kielbasa
- 30 kilos of Italian sausage
- 25 kilos of venison bacon
The annual three-day occasion started on a chilly Friday in February the place we first measured out the 85 kilos of cubed venison whereas mixing within the pork fats.
The following morning, after leaving the trays to soak within the seasonings, we reconvened with a couple of gallon of espresso and high-spirits to start the following step: grinding the meat. We made fast work of all 4 trays utilizing a Meat! .5-horsepower grinder and Lem Big Bite #32 1.5-horsepower grinder. Then, it was time to get to the actual check, discovering our new alternative sausage stuffer.
Learn Subsequent: Best Meat Grinders
I had no thought what we have been lacking in years previous. The entire greatest sausage stuffers on this listing outperformed the 1876 cast-iron stuffer by a landslide. You gained’t need to go antiquing to your new sausage stuffer, however we nonetheless needed to resolve which stuffers carried out greatest. We checked out construct high quality, mounting platform, deal with ergonomics, hopper measurement, gasket efficiency, and sturdiness.
Finest Sausage Stuffers: Evaluations & Suggestions
Finest General: Cabela’s Pro Series Sausage Stuffer
Key Options
- Worth: $200
- Hopper Dimension: 12 kilos
- Weight: 14 kilos, 15 ounces
- Two-speed design
- Spring-loaded air launch valve
- Comes with three stuffing tubes (clear plastic)
- Comes with two heavy-duty C-clamps
- 4 holes within the base to screw onto a bench
Execs
- Straightforward to make use of and minimal effort required
- Two speeds for stuffing and quicker retracting velocity
- Built-in spring clips for quick cylinder set up and elimination
- Absolutely enclosed gearbox
- Clear plastic stuffing tubes
Cons
I’m sometimes not a fan of declaring a landslide victory on the subject of gear testing, however on this case, I’ll be making an exception. Upon the very first crank with the Cabela’s Professional Collection, I knew we had our winner.
The hopper holds a hefty pile of meat at 12-pounds, and the vertical design makes it extremely straightforward to rotate the deal with clockwise with out putting an excessive amount of strain throughout the floor space. I’m additionally a giant fan of clear plastic stuffing tubes over the steel choices because it’s simpler to watch the output, making certain an evenly stuffed casing. The air launch valve labored with out a hitch and the gasket didn’t fail, irrespective of how rapidly we tried turning the deal with to pressure a failure.
One other nice characteristic of the Cabela’s Professional Collection is the two-speed design for stuffing and a quicker retracting velocity. Pair that with the built-in spring clips for quicker hopper set up and elimination and we have been flying. If you’re working via over 100-pounds of meat, velocity and effectivity is essential.
It’s protected to say that we are going to be placing the Cabela’s Professional Collection sausage stuffer via the wringer once more at subsequent 12 months’s get together, and I can’t wait.
Finest Small Hopper: Lem MightyBite 5-Pound Sausage Stuffer
Key Options
- Worth: $180
- Hopper Dimension: 5 kilos
- Weight: 12.8 kilos
- Single-gear design
- Laborious plastic piston with a built-in launch valve
- Comes with three stuffing tubes (clear plastic or chrome steel)
- Comes with two heavy-duty C-clamps
- 4 holes within the base to screw onto a bench
Execs
- Straightforward to make use of and minimal effort required
- Absolutely enclosed gearbox
- Stuffing tubes are labeled with measurement and diameter
Cons
- Stainless-steel tubes make it tough to watch output when beginning a brand new casing
The Lem MightyBite 5-pound sausage stuffer carried out phenomenally. For a small hopper and light-weight design, this stuffer was extremely straightforward to make use of and crammed a hefty pile of sausage casings. Though the hopper is small and requires refills extra typically, it was extremely straightforward to take away and re-install the hopper because it merely slides out and in.
The only velocity design means it wasn’t the quickest for reloading, however the deal with doesn’t require a lot pressure in any respect to supply a full clockwise rotation. One other large benefit of the Lem MightyBite is that the air launch valve labored with out a hitch and the gasket didn’t fail, irrespective of how rapidly we tried turning the deal with to pressure a failure.
As I discussed earlier than, I’m not a fan of non-clear plastic stuffing tubes, however the Lem MightyBite provides you the choice for chrome steel or plastic stuffing tubes, so it’s your selection. When you’d want chrome steel, every tube is labeled with measurement and diameter to your comfort.
Finest Massive Hopper: Meat! 15-Pound Vertical Sausage Stuffer
Key Options
- Worth: $300
- Hopper Dimension: 15 kilos
- Weight: 25 kilos
- Single-gear design
- Laborious plastic piston with a built-in launch valve
- Comes with three stuffing tubes (clear plastic)
- 4 holes within the base to screw onto a bench
Execs
- Hopper is straightforward to take away and set up
- Absolutely enclosed gearbox
- Clear plastic stuffing tubes
Cons
- Prime seal malfunctioned as soon as
- Predominant assist bolts on the underside wanted tightened
- Rotating the deal with requires a bit extra effort as a result of wider floor space of the hopper
The Meat! 15-pound vertical sausage stuffer is a beast. It doesn’t provide a elaborate two-speed design, and it’s not constructed for velocity, however it will probably maintain a powerful quantity of meat and crammed sausage casings successfully. When you’re attempting to pump out a excessive quantity of sausages, that is the sausage stuffer for you.
The hopper was straightforward to take away, fill, and re-install, and the Meat! stuffer gained my favor with the clear plastic stuffing tubes. You’ll have to watch your output intently, because the huge floor space can trick you into rotating the deal with too quick and blowing out your casing.
We did need to cease mid-casing as soon as as we have been getting quite a lot of play from the housing, however after a fast tightening of the primary assist bolts, we have been again in motion. Nevertheless, as a result of huge floor space, rotating the deal with clockwise did require a considerable quantity of effort when in comparison with the skinnier extra vertical hoppers. I used to be in a position to trigger a gasket failure, however solely once I purposefully turned the deal with as quick as potential. Throughout common use, the stuffer carried out properly and may be very deserving of the very best giant hopper award.
Finest Funds Choice: Cabela’s Deluxe Meat Grinder
Key Options
- Worth: $180
- Yield: 4 kilos of meat per minute
- Weight: 11 kilos
- 600W DC motor
- Straightforward-to-use toggle change management
- Stainless-steel knife
- Two chrome steel chopping plates (4.5 mm and eight mm)
- Meat stomper
- Comes with three stuffing tubes (clear plastic)
Execs
- Means that you can grind and stuff sausages all with one machine
- An ideal possibility for small quantities of snack sticks or sausages
- Massive meat tray
Cons
- Stuffing takes a very long time
- Wouldn’t suggest for giant quantities of sausage manufacturing
Whereas the Cabela’s Deluxe meat grinder could also be combating properly outdoors of its weight class when evaluating it to gadgets solely made for sausage stuffing, I’d be remiss to not embrace a stable funds possibility for folk simply beginning out on their meat processing journey. The Deluxe meat grinder is similar to what my cousin and I began with earlier than we got here to personal the traditional forged iron stuffer. Whereas it’d take a substantial period of time for grinding and sausage stuffing, it would get the job performed.
Weston 5-Pound Vertical Sausage Stuffer
Key Options
- Worth: $130
- Hopper Dimension: 5 kilos
- Weight: 10.4 kilos
- Single-gear design
- Laborious plastic piston with a built-in launch valve
- Comes with three stuffing tubes (clear plastic)
- Comes with two heavy-duty C-clamps
- 4 holes within the base to screw onto a bench
Execs
- Hopper is straightforward to take away and set up
- Clear plastic stuffing tubes
Cons
- Hopper has quite a lot of play when seated
- Deal with rotates counter-clockwise
- Open face gears
- Prime seal malfunctioned twice
- Rotating the deal with requires a bit extra effort than different 5-pound stuffers within the check
The Weston 5-pound vertical sausage is a superb possibility on the subject of smaller hoppers, and is available in at a lower cost level than most different comparably sized stuffers in the marketplace. It’s light-weight, and the hopper is straightforward to take away and reinstall on the bottom. The Weston 5-pound stuffer additionally comes with clear plastic stuffing tubes.
There are, nonetheless, some areas for enchancment. I seen that the hopper had quite a lot of play when seated within the base, and in contrast to the opposite stuffers within the check, options open face gears. The open face gears shouldn’t trigger a problem, however it’s potential that over time and utilization, your meat might turn into extra simply tainted from chipping gears.
The most important room for enchancment is the gasket which failed twice, previous to us pushing the stuffer to aim a failure. This isn’t the most important downside you possibly can encounter, however it may be irritating because it requires you to reseat the gasket and reset the hopper and casing.
General, I feel the Weston 5-pound sausage stuffer is a protected possibility for folk trying to produce small quantities of sausages at a time. It’s very pretty priced and did its job of filling our kielbasa casings.
Weston 11-Pound Dual Speed Vertical Sausage Stuffer
Key Options
- Worth: $220
- Hopper Dimension: 11 kilos
- Weight: 24.9 kilos
- Two velocity, all-metal gear field design
- Stainless-steel piston with a built-in launch valve
- Comes with 4 stuffing tubes (chrome steel)
Execs
- Hopper stays within the housing however tilts out for straightforward loading
- Absolutely enclosed gearbox
- Twin velocity performance means that you can rapidly increase the piston for filling the hopper
- Has a gasket seal within the tube connection, not like different stuffers within the check
- Comes with an additional principal piston gasket seal
- 4 bolts within the base, not like different stuffers within the check with two
Cons
- Stainless-steel tubes make it tough to watch output when beginning a brand new casing
- Deal with rotates counter-clockwise
- Prime seal malfunctioned as soon as
- There isn’t a great way to mount the stuffer to a bench
The Weston 11-pound twin velocity vertical sausage stuffer is a superb possibility for these in search of a mid-sized hopper. The 2-speed gear field design was thrilling to make use of, and the built-in hopper system made re-filling as straightforward because it will get.
Just like a few of the different stuffers, the Weston 11-pound twin velocity comes with chrome steel tubes, however not like the others, presents an additional principal gasket seal. Whereas the additional seal is a pleasant addition, just like the Weston 5-pound stuffer, the gasket failed as soon as, previous to us pushing the stuffer to aim a failure.
The most important hurdle with the Weston 11-pound sausage stuffer is that there isn’t a great way to maintain it stationary. It doesn’t have holes within the base for mounting, and it didn’t include C-clamps to carry it to a bench, so we struggled to maintain the stuffer from tipping and tilting whereas rotating the deal with.
General, the Weston 11-pound twin velocity stuffer functioned properly sufficient to supply some Italian sausage and kielbasa. Whereas it has some room for enchancment, it’s nonetheless a stable possibility at a good value and the twin velocity performance is a blast to make use of.
Issues to Take into account Earlier than Shopping for the Finest Sausage Stuffer
Through the years of processing our personal deer, my cousin and I graduated from merely chopping the meat off of the bone and turning it into steaks or floor meat and commenced experimenting with brines and people who smoke to create pastrami and hams. Naturally, venison sausages weren’t far behind. It didn’t take lengthy for us to appreciate that our small grinder wasn’t as much as the duty of stuffing sufficient sausage casings to take the time worthwhile.
Among the best sausage stuffers makes a world of distinction. When selecting the best stuffer to your meat processing operation, contemplate how a lot meat you propose to course of, whether or not you need the sturdiness of chrome steel tubes or the comfort of clear plastic, and the way you wish to mount your gadget.
Ultimate Ideas on the Finest Sausage Stuffers
Any of the very best sausage stuffers we examined will give you the results you want, nevertheless it comes all the way down to discovering the one that matches your wants. For me, that’s a big hopper, a dependable and sturdy gasket, and a simple to show deal with and kit platform.
The Cabela’s Professional Collection was a standout, however realistically, except you’re producing over 100-pounds of sausages in a single weekend like we’re, a stuffer of that measurement is likely to be overkill. The smaller LEM MightyBite 5-Pound Sausage Stuffer is sufficient to produce wild recreation sausages for the entire household.
It doesn’t matter what your talent degree, don’t be intimidated to take management of your wild recreation processing. This one weekend produced sufficient scorching canine, Italian sausage, kielbasa, and venison bacon to final me till subsequent fall, and I do know it’s from my deer. I extremely suggest you give the very best sausage stuffers a shot for outcomes that gained’t disappoint.