The best sausage stuffer

[gbrown]

The grinder was slower, and would produce excessive pressure at times, splitting casing. I usually make 1 lb links. The stuffers seem to keep a fairly consistent pressure. Making links is a little slower, but still faster than with the grinder. Using the grinder, I can do it myself, but the press is a 2 person job. One to turn the crank, one to hold the casing and give some resistance to fill the casing.

[Bulldogger]

I got a very good deal (sub $100) on a 7lb Hakka Bros stainles steel stuffer a few years ago on Amazon. Stainless is nice bc you can put most of it in the dishwasher.
https://www.amazon.com/Sausage-Stuff...search&sr=8-19
Vertical or horizontal is a matter of personal preference. As I recall vertical used to be a bit less expensive.
BDGR

[megasupermagnum]

The grinder was slower, and would produce excessive pressure at times, splitting casing. I usually make 1 lb links. The stuffers seem to keep a fairly consistent pressure. Making links is a little slower, but still faster than with the grinder. Using the grinder, I can do it myself, but the press is a 2 person job. One to turn the crank, one to hold the casing and give some resistance to fill the casing.

Thanks, that is the kind of opinion I am looking for. Doing this with one person is a concern to me. An electric grinder is as you say, like having an extra set of hands. This was actually one thing I liked when looking at the Enterprise or Chop-Rite style press. They are set up in such a way that in theory you should be able to crank with your right hand, and manage the casing with your left. Did you find that it was simply too difficult to concentrate on two things while maintaining good quality, or it was too hard to crank one handed, or some other reason?

[megasupermagnum]

I got a very good deal (sub $100) on a 7lb Hakka Bros stainles steel stuffer a few years ago on Amazon. Stainless is nice bc you can put most of it in the dishwasher.
https://www.amazon.com/Sausage-Stuff...search&sr=8-19
Vertical or horizontal is a matter of personal preference. As I recall vertical used to be a bit less expensive.
BDGR

Please, everyone, stop posting recommendations for these Chinese made stuffers. I'm not looking for recommendations on which stuffer, and I'm definately not going to buy one made in China. I made this as clear as day in my first post. Read it.

I am looking for one thing. Opinions from those who have used BOTH grinders and stuffers to make sausage, brats, bologna, etc.

[Geezer in NH]

Mabey you should google search USA made sausage stuffers

[megasupermagnum]

Mabey you should google search USA made sausage stuffers

I'm at a loss for words. I don't know how to be more clear, so I'll state it a 3rd time.

I am looking for one thing. Opinions from those who have used BOTH grinders and stuffers to make sausage, brats, bologna, etc.

Any continued insulting posts will be reported.

[LenH]

My opinion may be a bit lopsided but I did not like the stuffing attachment for my grinder (#22 hand crank) it was odd shaped and would split the casing if using
the collagen type casing, with natural hog casing it did ok. I decided to get a stuffer. The first one was a cast iron tin plated deal that looked like a 90 deg elbow
that worked pretty well but was small maybe 3#. I was looking at the larger crank type and was going to get the 5# and my wife talked me into the #15 one. At the time
prolly 35 years ago or more they were only about a hundred dollars difference so I got the larger one.

With this stuffer I can stuff a large bologna casing about 8# in about a minute and a half, one hand cranking and the other holding the casing. Stuffing snack sticks can be a bit
tricky but manageable as pressure can be tricky, I usually split the casing a time or two while trying to be too fast.

Another thing to consider is the seal provided by the stuffer. The one I have has an O ring and one time while making something the O Ring snapped and I didn't have a replacement.
After a search at the local hardware store the clerk asked if I tried super glue, it had never crossed my mind but it worked to get me through that predicament, until I could order replacement.

I hope this helps.

[Bulldogger]

OK. I've used a grinder and stuffer to make sausage. Grinders when stuffing need the product to be easily moved by the large screw that forces it into the business end. Those screws are sized to move chunks of meat, not ground goop. To stuff conveniently with a grinder you have to freeze the ground mix to nearly solid so the grinder screw/worm can move it into the casings. Otherwise it just globs up and won't move. If you move FAST, you can grind and mix half frozen meat and stuff it, but if you are delayed you have to freeze it. This means having space in your freezer enough for a tub of ground meat, or dividing it up into portions and so on. The preceding lesson is why I bought a large piston stuffer. And it happened to be from China.

[Markopolo]

i make a lot of sausage... i started out with the kitchen aide thing, that was a lesson in frustration... my wife wanted one of them old cast iron vintage ones that doubled as a fruit press.. it did not seal well, so we got a new after market disk for it... it worked ok... we also used a bag and cut the end off and positioned it carefully inside before we pressed it out.. it was so so...

then we bought the real deal. a 30lb sausage stuff all stainless, easy to care for, sealed well, cranked out the stuff, and had a 2 speed handle. wow.. making stuffed casings was fun again... we do whole bears at a time.

MSM... you are a hunter gatherer.. more then a weekender. you hunt everything, and fish and gather. get the right tool, you will be happier in the long run by far. my 30 pound stuffer was just under 300 bucks shipped.. for you it would be prolly 70 bucks less.. get a stainless something with stainless gears. when you are done processing at the end of the day, you will be happier.

Marko

[pertnear]

This is similar to the model I use. It's very handy because you can back the press back out quickly when it's empty.
Attachment 285363

[cwlongshot]

EXCELLENT TOPIC!! Marked for proper reading soon!!!

I want to make this purchase this year for the upcoming hunting season. Last two years we have quadrupled my sausage making. Two years ago I made about 40# and it was gone in a month. (Sharing) Last year... I made closer to 200#... I still have about 35/40#. It will be gone with a few cook outs over the up coming months.

Stuffing Casings was so bad last year I only stuffed 1/4 of my sausage going mostly to patties and 1/2# bags. For my Italian sausage meant for sauce.

[gbrown]

Thanks, that is the kind of opinion I am looking for. Doing this with one person is a concern to me. An electric grinder is as you say, like having an extra set of hands. This was actually one thing I liked when looking at the Enterprise or Chop-Rite style press. They are set up in such a way that in theory you should be able to crank with your right hand, and manage the casing with your left. Did you find that it was simply too difficult to concentrate on two things while maintaining good quality, or it was too hard to crank one handed, or some other reason?

Well, sometimes you run into resistance that requires you use more power than one hand. Not often, but sometimes. For one person, I would probably suggest an electric, slower, but as you said, an extra set of hands. Usually, there would be 2 or 3 of us doing the processing deer, but alas, now there is only me. It's a trade-off, just figure out what works best for you.

[Lloyd Smale]

my stuffer is my choke point. Ive got a big #32 grinder and a grinder motor powered mixer but cheapened out and bought a 5 lb verticle stuffer. To me its a pain in the but. It wont even do two sticks of summer sausage without refilling. I keep wanting to buy a 15 lb verical with the fast return feature but i tell myself we just dont ever know when the farmer is going to say we dont need you to kill deer anymore or my old body wont allow it anymore. So i keep going wading in mud. If your idea of a day of stuffing is 4 sticks of summer sausge one would work fine. but i usually do more like 25 at a crack and if i was going to do it again id have bucked up for AT LEAST A 10LB unit. But even an inexpensive 5 lbs stuffer is a zillion times better then doing it with your grinder. Especially if your doing small skins like bratts or breakfast sausage.

[megasupermagnum]

You guys convinced me to give a stuffing press a try. I figure worst case I don't like it, I can return it, or even sell it. It seems these good ones hold their value well. Since the price difference was not monumental between the 5lb and the 15lb, I went with the bigger one. The pocketbook might hurt for a week, but I'll forget about it when I taste some bear brats.


I bought this one from another site.
https://www.sausagemaker.com/Sausage...-p/18-1023.htm

[Markopolo]

This is similar to the model I use. It's very handy because you can back the press back out quickly when it's empty.
Attachment 285363

this is very similar to what I use too... Did I mention i have also use a 1/4hp grinder with attachment for stuffing as well... my fishing buddy convinced us to buy the 30lb er. i have and never looked back.. also, the one comment about air in the casing was totally valid. I use a tiny needle if I get any at all, and we dry most the old way in an old refrigerator.

Keep one hand on the casing at all times with your new press... i have learned that an extra pair of hands is nice to keep everything moving smoothly, when available.. you will make short work of that bear.