If you own a KitchenAid stand mixer, the metal food grinder is the cheapest good way to grind your own burgers. Chill it in the freezer, keep the meat near 32°F and grind a few pounds at a time. It's slow for big batches, and in Smoked BBQ Source's test it tended to smear fat and clog, so it isn't a deer grinder.
Key specs
| KitchenAid Metal Grinder | |
|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 list |
| Size | Mixer hub |
| Motor | Your stand mixer |
| Output (maker) | Not listed |
| Plates | Fine, medium, coarse |
| Weight | Not listed |
| Warranty | See KitchenAid |
| Notable | Two sausage tubes; chill it in the freezer first |
How it grinds
It runs off the mixer's power hub, so speed depends on your mixer. It comes with fine, medium and coarse plates. Smoked BBQ Source found the grind quality average, with a tendency to struggle with fat, smear the meat and clog.
The fix is cold: put the attachment in the freezer for an hour, and grind meat that's firm and nearly frozen at the edges.
In the box
The metal grinder, a removable food tray, three plates, a food pusher, a cleaning brush, two sausage tubes and a stuffing plate.
Price
$99.99 list at KitchenAid.
After grinding
Ground meat keeps one to two days in the fridge, so freeze what you won't cook. Pressed flat in vacuum bags, it freezes and thaws fast; our sister site has a guide to vacuum sealing meat. Grinding for jerky? Ground jerky has to reach 160°F; see ground beef jerky on The Dehydrator Report.
This review is based on KitchenAid's published specifications and on independent tests where they exist; we name whose test each finding comes from. We haven't run our own timed tests on this model yet and will add hands-on notes when we do.
Questions
Is the metal version better than the old plastic one?
Yes. The metal body can be chilled in the freezer, which keeps fat from smearing.
Can I stuff sausage with it?
Yes, with the included tubes, but it's slow. A separate stuffer is easier. See grinder vs stuffer.
