If you're here you have probably already realized the benifits of making your own sausage at home. Many people think about what is added to the meat as the most important benifit and forget about the meat itself. Choosing your own meat can make for a healthier and more flavorful sausage. The only way to control the meat in your sausage is to own your own meat grinder.
When it comes time to choose your first grinder you will find that there are thousands on the market. To help narrow down your search we'll discuss your options.
The first thing to consider is how the grinder is operated. You can choose from manual or electric. Manual will be less expensive, but if you are using it often your arm will thank you for moving up to an electric model.
Make sure that the grinder you choose has attachments for that grinder so you can make sausage with it. You will need a stuffing tube for putting your homemade sausage in casings. Multiple grinder plates and blades are nice to have as well. Having a larger diameter plate you can easily grind your own meat for chili and for a more coarsely ground sausage.
Afer you have spent the time grinding and mixing, and then running your sausage into the casings you look back at the mess you made. This is the time when you'll be glad you picked a grinder that was easy to clean. I would advise you stay away from plastic models. Plastic is like a magnet for fat. After you finish grinding, the fat from the meat will stick to the plastic making it had to clean. Look for a grinder with all metal internal workings.
You can also look at what you already have. Many kitchen mixers have attachments that you can use for grinding.
No matter what type of grinder you choose you will find that you use it more that you thought you would. Not only will you be able to make homemade sausage, you can also grind your own meat for the best burgers you have ever eaten.
