Meat Grinder Suggestions

[Sliverslinger]

The wife and I are looking to buy a nice reasonably high end meat grinder. We’ve used a Kitchenaid attachment for years and occasionally borrow a buddy’s 0.75 hp older style Cabela’s grinder. The 0.75 seems like a beast and probably about what we are looking for. Stick with Cabela’s or are there other grinders we should consider? Primarily used for grinding a deer and elk each year and occasionally making pepperoni and sausage in the off-season. Thinking around $300-400. All suggestions welcome.

[KFhunter]

Carnovore, no brainer

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[KFhunter]

Search carnivore in butchering cooking section, lots of discussion.  Im on my phone search work good

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[Lucky1]

I recently purchased a Weston 33-0201-W for about $80.00.
We ground up the trim from a couple deer with it. It worked well. I am happy with it. Not sure how durable it will be. It will only get used for deer and hopefully a elk if I can get one in the late archery season.

[brew]

carnivore for sure.  I only have to cut the meat up enough to be able to stuff down the throat.  I can grind 30 lbs of chilled meat in about 3 minutes.  it grinds it faster than I can feed it

[adamR]

I've been very happy with my LEM 1hp big bite

[Mudman]

Cabelas commercial grade 1hp has been good for us.  Plenty fast and large throat/feed.

[bobcat]

I have the 1 HP Cabela's grinder, before they started calling it the Carnivore. I'm more than happy with it. I think the 3/4 horsepower grinder would be fine as well.

The main reason I went with the 1 horsepower is that it has a forward and reverse. The 3/4 horsepower only had forward.

Hold off until they go on sale if you can. They generally always seem to go on sale around Christmas time. Mine was on sale for $399 when I got it.

[northwesthunter84]

Another vote for the 3/4 HP Carnivore.

[Sliverslinger]

Another vote for the 3/4 HP Carnivore.

This is precisely the one we’ve been looking at. Sounds like a winner.

[Buckjunkie]

I have a Tor-Rey model 12 FS. I had a Hobart but my uncle moved and took it with him. Both are excellent grinders.

[Bowhunter3]

I have the 1/2 hp carnivore and it is more than I imagine I would ever need. I could only imagine the 1hp is nuts. Carnivore all the way.

[Bowhunter3]

Whoops. I have the 3/4 hp, but everything I said still applies. Awesome machine.

[KFhunter]

I've got the #32 size which I think is the 1hp?   Carnivore


12 hogs through it, including several breeders over 600lb
1350 lb steer
bear
deer/s

I accidentally ran a very hard bone I think out of a joint, about twice the size of a marble and it stopped the grinder cold in its tracks and it just started humming but not moving.
got the reverse on, dug the bone out, and put it back together and didn't miss a beat, nothing broke, nothing smoked

now I use a foot pedal on the rough grind because it grinds faster then I can stuff and just in case I get a bone I can be off the foot pedal quicker than finding the knob on the side,  on the 2nd grind I just let it run


I also have the juicer attachment, ran a bunch of tomatoes through it and it did well.  Just have to feed the pulp through over and over until it quits juicing, but it went very quick.  It'll process *a lot* of tomatoes for sauce quickly. 

[Smokepole]

I have a Lem Big Bite #12.  It feeds itself.  I highly recommend it.  It also has a footswitch a juicer attachment available.  Check them out.  The bigbite auger has real advantages. 

[Odell]

Another vote for the 3/4 HP Carnivore.

thats the one we have and it is great. Get the foot pedal

[Oh Mah]

3/4 hp carnivore all the way.love my cuber attachment,take small cubes make reg. sized steaks.

The sausage making is easy and fast.

[j_h_nimrod]

1hp Carnivore   This is a great machine, double grinding 40lbs takes about 20 minutes. I let the kids help this year and my main rule is no fingers in the grind!

Seriously, I made sure they realized what would happen if they stuck a hand in there while running, there hands fit nicely down the feed neck 

[kenzmad]

Dad bought me a cabelas 1.75hp grinder. Could probably use it as a wood chipper for mulch for the flower beds. This thing is a beast!

[lamrith]

I already have a grinder, but thanks for the idea about the foot pedal folks!  I just ordered one so I am set when I grind in a week or two!

[rainshadow1]

If you can find a commercial unit from a food service source, it'll outperform any home grinder, hands down. Sounds like the big Cabelas grinder is a good unit... but I'm just saying... I found a 110v 1hp Hobart commercial kitchen grinder for $300... its scary. Pulled a plastic spoon right outta my hand, ended up in a half dozen pieces! (I killed off three $100 home units in three years before I found this. The Hobart will outlive me!)

[Stein]

The term "commercial" is often used as a marketing term.  What I would look for is the size of the motor (physical size and weight vs ratings which are often a joke) and how much of it is heavy metal vs. thin metal or plastic.

Cabelas puts their name on both, cheaper plastic units as well as heavy duty units that grind faster than you can feed them and will last 50 years.  LEM, Weston and a host of names familiar with butchers all make quality units as well.

As a simple test, if you can lift it with one arm, it will not work the same as something that needs two arms and a grunt to heft up on the table.  Good units can be had starting at about $300 and going up.

That said, I fed an elk through a Kitchen Aid grinder attachment and it worked.  It took forever but it could be done.

[lewy]

I’ve got the 3/4hp Cabelas grinder and it’s been great

[Jason]

I picked up an American Eagle 1hp grinder on craigslist for a good price. It has worked flawlessly.

[Wolfdog2314]

Another one here with the Cabelas 3/4 Carnivore. No issues and has been great. As a general rule buy as big as u can afford! I went with the 3/4 hp because it wasn’t much more than the 1/2. If I remember correctly to go up to the 1hp, the price increase was significant. Can’t go wrong with the 3/4 tho!

[CastleRocker]

Like Rainshadow said; find an old Hobart, or Globe, or any other "real" commercial grinder.  We destroyed two Cabela's, and one used LEM grinder before I found my Simpson/Hoover that we think is pre WWII.  I re-wired it, as I didn't really like the look of the cloth covered wires.  It takes Hobart plates, and knives, and weighs 161lbs.  It doesn't get moved around a lot.

[grundy53]

I have the 1 hp Cabelas commercial grinder ( before they rebranded it to carnivore) it grinds faster than I can stuff it. Usually do a couple elk and several deer a year plus last year a moose. Makes quick work. I've had mine for probably 5 or 6 years with no problems.

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[KFhunter]

instead of silicon I use coconut oil, the one that doesn't taste like coconut. 

It doesn't sour or go bad and I trust it more than silicon food grade sprays.

[ne kid]

I use 5-30 doesn't freeze up as fast keeps everything running smooth. Just kidding I still use a big hand grinder old school keeps me fit

[zwickeyman]

I bought an LEM #8 500 watt at Sportsmans warehouse and it works great. I think I paid 170.00

[TommyH]

Are you guys stuffing sausage with the carnivore or using a separate stuffer?

[KFhunter]

Are you guys stuffing sausage with the carnivore or using a separate stuffer?

I'm using this
https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,233663.0.html

[grundy53]

Are you guys stuffing sausage with the carnivore or using a separate stuffer?

I've done both.

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[Stein]

It works OK with the stuffer attachment, but is pretty slow and requires two people.  I'm looking forward to buying a stuffer and speeding the process up.

[KFhunter]

Ya, you'll be happy you did!


I like to punch down the meat in the stuffer really well as I fill it to remove all the air and you get nice full bags with very little air in the bags using a stuffer.