How to set up a meat grinder to make sausage

In addition to meat and other ingredients, store-bought sausages contain stabilizers, preservatives, monosodium glutamate and other not very healthy substances. But you can’t cook homemade sausage without a special meat grinder. For this you need a special purchased device. You can also assemble a meat grinder for sausage at home.

Meat grinder for making homemade sausage

What types of sausage grinders are there?

To produce homemade sausages, use a sausage attachment on a meat grinder. The meat grinder itself can be of different designs, with its own advantages and disadvantages.

The main difference is the type of energy used:

• Mechanical, powered by human muscle power. Devices of an old design that require significant physical effort to operate. The main advantage is the lower price. Very reliable at work.
• Electric meat grinders. More modern devices that do not require physical effort during operation. More expensive than mechanical devices, they can fail if overloaded, but this is compensated by higher productivity and ease of operation.

Electric meat grinders, in turn, are divided according to the place of use:

• Household. They are assembled in a plastic case and have smaller dimensions, power and performance compared to professional devices. Despite this, the device, manufactured by well-known companies, will work in the home kitchen for many years.
• Professional. Used in cafes, restaurants and canteens. They have a metal body and a high-power electric motor. They have increased productivity and are more expensive than household ones. It is not suitable for use as a home meat grinder.

Meat grinders may have additional features:

• Material of the body and working elements. Almost all household devices have a plastic body, but the working elements must be metal. This material is stronger and washes better.
• Reverse. When winding cores around a knife, the usual device must be disassembled, but in a reverse one it is enough to turn on the rotation in the opposite direction. This is a convenient function, but with a well-sharpened knife and grate it is of little demand. Dull elements can be sharpened in a specialized workshop. This is usually done by key cutting shops.
• Additional attachments. In addition to the main task - preparing minced meat, attachments allow you to form cookies, cut food into cubes and fill the casing of sausages and sausages.

Sausage attachment

This nozzle has the shape of a cone, with a piece of tube instead of the top. The prepared intestine is placed on this tube with an accordion. During operation, minced meat is fed into it, which fills the shell and pulls it off the nozzle. Periodically, the grinder must be stopped and the sausages tied or twisted to separate the continuous sausage into pieces of the required length.

A special ring has been added to the base, with which the attachment is secured in the meat grinder. This device is made of food-grade plastic and can be purchased additionally. Raw smoked sausage prepared using such a device at home will not be inferior in taste to factory-made sausages.

Special attachment for a meat grinder for preparing sausage

What does a meat grinder consist of and what is the purpose of the parts?

The design of this type of kitchen appliance consists of durable plastic. And if in the case of a manual one, the entire body consists of metal, then in this case there are only individual metal elements. A motor is built into this body, which performs the main function. By pressing the start button, the device is activated and begins to work.

Another difference is the absence of a handle. There is simply no need for it here, since the machine performs the main function independently, from the operation of the engine. Almost all models have a removable meat receiver, which must be attached to the main body before starting work.

The kit usually includes a special pusher for the food being processed, with which it is convenient to move the food towards the knife. At the end of the screw there is a corrugated plastic rod that provides fixation. And thanks to the convexities on the knife, more gentle and high-quality chopping of meat occurs. This is one of the differences between the new model and the old one.

What does a classic hand-held device consist of:

1. Building: A. Meat receiving area; B. Fastening clamp;
2. Lever;
3. Auger with left-hand thread;
4. Bearing bushing;
5. Cutting knife with 4 blades;
6. Lattice;
7. Union nut;
8. Eye bolt for attaching the handle

Meat grinder disassembled

The device can also be supplied with additional grates with different hole diameters, knives, attachments for making sausages, frankfurters and freshly squeezed juice.

The attachments must be sharpened regularly and should not be used for cutting too hard or stringy semi-finished meat products.

The screw shaft is an important and basic part. It has the appearance of a spiral, which during operation grinds excess meat, moving it towards the nozzles with knives. It is this mechanism that requires the use of durable metal.

Screw shaft - conductor of products inside the device

Knife and special cutting attachments. They do all the work of grinding, cutting and crushing meat or any other products. It is made mainly from stainless materials. It is necessary to sharpen knives for better and high-quality work, even though the steel is sharpened on the grate during rotation.

The structure of the knife and its shape affect the grinding of the product. For example, if a knife has a curved blade, it means that it will easily chop the veins and fibers of meat, while preventing the auger shaft from clogging.

The grid has three types of hole diameters:

1. Very large - 12 mm. Grille with three or four holes. Used for stuffing sausages. Not always included.
2. Large holes - 8 mm. This rack is ideal for preparing sausage mince.
3. The middle holes are 4-4.5 mm. Universal grid. Suitable for preparing minced meat for cutlets. Included.
4. Small holes - 3 mm. Pate lattice. It is ideal for making pate or puree.

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Using these grates you can get coarse or finely ground minced meat. It all depends on your preferences

The nut (fixing ring) clamps and secures the grid, knife and auger shaft. Sometimes it can be difficult to unscrew it after finishing work. But this problem can easily be solved with the help of ordinary cloth thrown over the nut. So, the hand does not slip, and the part can be easily unscrewed.

A manual cast iron or aluminum meat grinder, especially from Soviet times, is attached to the work surface using a threaded device (foot). And therefore, in order to prevent the device from moving on the table, you need to place something under the metal base. This can be a newspaper folded several times. In modern models, the mounting base is plastic or rubber, and therefore the device is attached to the table much more securely.

Electric sausage grinder

This is a device that is driven by an electric motor.

Design

The electric meat grinder consists of two main elements:

• Electric drive. It is a plastic box, the shape of which is determined by the manufacturer. There is a speed switch on the side or top, and on the front wall there is a slot for installing the working part. In addition to a meat grinder, it can be a juicer, dough mixer, noodle maker and other accessories.
• Work tool. Serves for grinding products. Unlike a blender, it has a screw mechanism and operates at low speeds.

Self-guided step-by-step assembly

The principle of assembling an electric meat grinder for preparing homemade sausage is similar in devices of all brands:

1. Secure the meat grinder to the drive.
2. By rotating counterclockwise, unscrew the ring that presses the mesh.
3. Remove the mesh and knife, and then install the grid back onto the end of the auger.
4. Place the sausage attachment correctly on the grill and screw the ring into place.

The shelf life of raw smoked sausage prepared in an electric meat grinder reaches several months, which allows it to be used in field conditions.

To further chop the minced meat, the knife must be left in place.

Assembling an electric meat grinder

How to stuff sausage with an electric meat grinder

The process of filling the shell with minced meat using an electric meat grinder occurs quickly without the use of physical force:

1. Assemble the device and plug it into a power outlet;
2. Tie the end of the casing with a rope and place it on the end of the accordion attachment on the meat grinder.
3. Turn on the machine and start feeding the sausage filling into it.
4. The minced meat, filling the shell, pulls it off the nozzle.
5. After reaching the required length, turn off the electric drive and tie the sausage near the nozzle.
6. Repeat pp. 3-5 until the shell is completely filled.
7. After finishing work, wash the device.

The semi-smoked sausage prepared with this device at home must be subjected to additional treatment with hot smoke.

Caring for an electric meat grinder

Caring for an electric meat grinder involves washing the mechanical part. This can be done manually or using a dishwasher. Particular attention should be paid to cleaning the grate openings from food residues.

After finishing washing, all parts must be laid out on a towel or napkin and allowed to dry completely.

The electric drive cannot be washed. You can wipe the body with a damp cloth.

Assembly and operation of a manual meat grinder

Before starting the main work, it is necessary to thoroughly wipe all components. Carrying out such actions will increase the service life of the device. Moisture and food residues will cause rust to appear on the body.

Now we’ll find out how to assemble a manual meat grinder step by step:

• We take the auger and insert it into the housing. The wide part of this device should be located near the handle, the narrow part - in the place where the knife is secured.
• We insert the handle into the ledge of the auger and fix its position using a special screw.
• In another part of the auger we install a cross-shaped knife, its flat part should face outward. The disc-type cutting element must be in contact with the grate with its edges.
• After the knife is installed, put on a metal round mesh (the protrusions on the body and the mesh must match).

At the final stage of work, we tighten the fixing round nut and check the functionality of the equipment by several rotations of the handle.

Previously, we got acquainted with the process of assembling a manual meat grinder, now we will learn how to correctly insert a knife into a meat grinder. You can find two main types of knives in stores, with a single-sided or double-sided blade. When the auger is installed, a part with a one-sided blade is fixed to the device so that the cutting part slides along the surface of the grate.

The device in question has a manual drive. The principle of its operation is based on the pressure created by the screw. The meat from the loading hopper falls onto the auger, which presses the product against the body and moves it towards the outlet. When moving along the shaft, part of the meat falls under the knife, which cuts off small fragments from the piece and pushes the product through the grate into a substitute container.

The reason for improper operation of the device is most often the winding of meat films around the cutting part. In this case, you need to disassemble the meat grinder, clean the knife from stuck parts and put it back together. It is recommended to disassemble the device after each chopping of meat or other products. This will increase the service life of the device.

There are times when it is very difficult to unscrew the clamping washer of a meat grinder. This occurs due to the dullness of the knife, which leads to accumulation of meat near the cutting part. In such a situation, proceed as follows:

• Turn the device over and place it in a container of hot water for about 10 minutes.
• We take a small hammer and make light taps in the center of the grille, as well as on the ribs of the clamping nut.
• We unscrew the part, after the manipulations it should quickly give in.

If you have an assistant nearby, you can try to unscrew the meat grinder together. In this case, one person holds the device, and the second unscrews it.

If the user has encountered assembling a manual model, he can easily figure out an electric household appliance.

The assembly diagram of the meat grinder is as follows:

1. We connect the plastic gearbox to the metal rim of the auger; the grooves of the parts must align. Turn the gearbox counterclockwise until a characteristic click appears. If the parts are connected incorrectly, the engine will not be able to turn the auger.
2. The inside of the auger must exactly match the outline of the hole on the body.
3. We put a sharp knife on the output part of the auger and install a grate. The holes and protrusions must match. When carrying out such work, it is necessary to position the knife correctly.
4. We tighten the clamping nut and install the loading hopper in the upper part of the device body.

Now that we know how to assemble an electric meat grinder, let’s get acquainted with other nuances of this process.

When installing the part, the cutting part of the knife should be in contact with the grid, which will facilitate thorough chopping of the supplied products. After installing the knife, secure the grill, fixing it in a special groove, then tighten the nut. If the cutting element is installed incorrectly, the meat will clog and remain inside the device.

At the initial stage of work, we cut the processed products into small pieces; they should fit into the opening of the receiving hopper. We plug the device into the outlet, press the start button and begin to push the product using a pusher to the auger. Once on the shaft, the raw material will move and end up on the knife. Here the product is crushed and goes out into the receiving bowl.

There are several simple rules for using an electric meat grinder. Do not throw bones into the loading hopper together with meat. Before serving, any product is cut into small pieces. After carrying out the work, it is necessary to disassemble the household appliance, thoroughly wash and dry all parts.

Previously, we learned how to assemble an electric meat grinder - this is a simple job that every user can do. Disassembling the household appliance occurs in the reverse order. First you need to unscrew the clamping nut, remove the metal grid and the knife. Then turn and pull out the auger along with the gearbox. At the final stage of work, remove the loading container. All removable parts must be cleaned of residues and rinsed in water, then wiped with a soft damp cloth.

If you have already encountered assembling a manual meat grinder, then assembling an electric product will not bring any difficulties. As a rule, the assembly process is described precisely and in detail in the instructions for a particular model, and depending on different manufacturers, some nuances may vary slightly.

Algorithm for assembling an electric meat grinder:

The first step is to connect the gearbox housing to the metal housing of the auger. The end of the auger must be immersed in the plastic groove of the gearbox. Afterwards, you need to smoothly scroll it counterclockwise until you hear a characteristic click. If the parts are not connected tightly, the motor simply will not be able to turn the auger during operation.

• When inserting the auger, pay special attention to ensure that the protrusion clearly aligns with the hole on the body. Otherwise, the screw shaft simply may not work.
• It is necessary to put a blade and a grid on the other end of the auger, paying attention to the coincidence of the protrusions and holes. At this stage, it is important to place the knife blade on the correct side.

Secure all parts with a clamping nut, as if using a manual meat grinder.

• Install the loading bowl, after which you can begin working directly with the device.

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Most modern hand-held devices are made of high-quality and reliable material to last for centuries. There are also modern meat grinders made of durable plastic. Such a meat grinder, of course, is easier to break than a cast iron one. Therefore, you should handle it more carefully.

A cast iron meat grinder is a faithful assistant in the kitchen. It will serve for a very long time. And to break it, you need to try very hard. This is her advantage. The disadvantage of a cast iron meat grinder is that it is very heavy compared to other devices.

The cast iron meat grinder is very heavy, but it works flawlessly

A meat grinder made of aluminum alloys is much lighter than a cast iron one. And during operation it will serve faithfully for a very long time. There is only one drawback of such a device - sometimes your hands get very tired from grinding large amounts of meat or other products.

Plastic models of meat grinders are made from high-quality and very durable materials. But, nevertheless, this model is not as durable as a cast iron meat grinder, and its parts can quickly fail. Therefore, it is important to use the meat grinder carefully.

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A manual meat grinder, from a design point of view, is a fairly simple device. Its operation is based on two things - a manual drive and mechanical pressure created by the screw. The grinding process looks like this:

• meat, fish or any other product is placed in the receiver and falls onto the screw shaft;
• then the product is pressed against the grid and cut off with a special four-blade knife, which slides along the surface of this grid;
• the products are crushed continuously: the meat is placed in the receiver and then comes out through the grate.

The principle of operation is simple: add food and get minced meat. Simply and easily!

So, how to properly assemble a manual mechanical device? The easiest way is to follow the assembly procedure according to the product's operating instructions. But if the instruction is lost then follow the step by step assembly method. So here we go.

The first stage is to prepare all the elements and carefully lay them out in front of you

Next, we fix our assistant on the table and begin to sequentially assemble and prepare it for work.

There are two types of knives: with a single-sided and double-sided cutting part.

Once the auger is installed, take the single-edge blade and install it onto the auger shaft.

The flat part of the blade should face the grate and slide along it. But not the other way around.

It happens that the knife is installed incorrectly. And then such a meat grinder is of little use. The meat is not ground, but only choked. And in this case, the device may simply jam.

A knife with a double-sided cutting part can be placed on either side. There is no difference. You can see how to properly install a knife in a meat grinder, and what they are like, in this video.

Mechanical sausage grinder

In addition to an electric meat grinder, healthy sausage can be made using a manual meat grinder.

Design

A manual meat grinder consists of the following elements:

• a housing with a clamp that allows you to firmly install it on a table;
• auger feeding food to the knife;
• knife and mesh, chopping meat;
• a nut that presses the grille to the knife and auger;
• a handle with which the moving parts of the apparatus are set in motion.

The body, screw and handle are made of aluminum, the knife and mesh are made of high-alloy steel.

Self-guided step-by-step assembly

Before starting work, you need to assemble the meat grinder and install the attachment for making sausages on it:

1. Insert the auger into the housing.
2. Install the knife and grid.
3. Attach the nozzle to the mesh and press it to the body with a nut.
4. Secure the body with a clamp to the edge of the table.

To make it easier to feed minced meat into the intestine, it is allowed to use a device without knives.

Assembling a mechanical meat grinder

How to stuff sausage

The procedure for stuffing the casing is similar to preparing sausages using an electric meat grinder:

1. Assemble the device and secure it to the table.
2. Place the sheath on the nozzle.
3. By rotating the handle and auger, feed the minced meat into it.
4. When the sausage reaches the required length, tie it with a rope.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 until the intestines are completely filled.

The calorie content of smoked sausage is high, which makes it a highly nutritious product that can replace a regular meat dish.

Stuffing a sausage product with a mechanical meat grinder

Care

Caring for a mechanical meat grinder consists of washing all elements, drying and assembling the device after drying. It would be correct to do this immediately after completing the work, while the remaining products have not dried and can be easily washed off with hot water and dishwashing detergent with a sponge.

How to correctly insert a knife into an electric and manual meat grinder

The meat grinder has become an integral part of our lives. You can use it to prepare minced meat or puree. First, manual ones appeared, then electric ones; both types are equally used for chopping meat, vegetables, fruits and crackers. There is only one function - to chop, but when preparing for work, sometimes the question arises: how to insert the knife correctly? Without this, the meat grinder will not work correctly.

In today's material we will take a detailed look at how to assemble and disassemble a manual and electric model. The main emphasis will be on how and where to install the knives in the meat grinder. Such instructions should help you master the equipment and use it without any problems to prepare minced meat, puree and other dishes.

Typical manual meat grinder

Types of meat grinders

There are two types of meat grinders. Electric, high and medium power. The former successfully process any type of product - streaky meat or even frozen meat, which is why they are much more convenient than manual ones - you don’t have to wait for the meat to defrost, you can immediately start shredding. In addition, an electric chopper can not only grind meat into minced meat, but also cut it into small cubes.

Several types of attachments will allow you to set a certain amount of minced meat obtained at the output. Upon detailed study, it will be possible to understand that there are no fundamental differences in the design of meat grinders - both are similar in their design. Once you understand what goes where, you can easily correctly install all the screws, knives and fastening elements for your device.

Electric meat grinder "Moulinex"

Main parts of meat grinders

The difference in the structure of the devices, although small, is still there. To begin with, let’s look at the diagram of the manual model. They have the following elements in their device:

• Main building
• A securing screw that helps secure the pibor to the table
• A special screw that moves the meat inside the body and helps it get under the knife blade. This is one of the main elements
• Element for fixing the grille
• Grate allowing ground products to pass through

Most often, the body is made of steel with an admixture of aluminum. Older models are made of cast iron, which is why they are heavier and more susceptible to corrosion. The knife is made convex on one side and flat on the other. It is on the second side that the edges are located, crushing the processed food into small pieces. The hole perfectly follows the shape of the square tip of the screw, thanks to which the knife, when placed in its place, is securely fastened to the screw. The screw also secures the grille, which is secured using a special ring screwed to the outlet tube.

Spare parts from manual model

How to install a knife correctly

The performance of a kitchen appliance largely depends on the correct installation of components. To avoid mistakes during collection, follow the instructions below.

1. To begin, place the auger inside the housing. Its longer threaded end should come out through the hole in the back wall
2. Screw the scroll handle to the screw
3. Secure the handle with a special clamp
4. Now proceed to installing the knife itself. Attach this element with the flat side outward and the convex side inward. This way the knife will be installed exactly as it should be.

Ready! Now all that’s left to do is install the grille and secure it with the fastening ring. Having attached the meat grinder to the table, you can start working.

If installed incorrectly, the knife will not chop meat. Of course, the screw will push everything into the grate, but since the blades cannot shred the meat, it will remain inside and eventually clog, so try to ensure that the knife is positioned correctly.

The order of installation of all elements

Rules for assembling an electric meat grinder

The electric model is more bulky equipment. Before entering the grinder, the meat passes through a funnel, and then, with the help of special pushing mechanisms, it passes into the hopper. Some models are capable of not only making minced meat, but also cutting meat into cubes. The equipment is assembled according to the following scheme:

1. As in the manual model, a screw is initially inserted into the housing
2. The next step is to insert a ring with several holes
3. The double-sided knife is also installed with the flat side facing out
4. Now we attach the grille with medium-sized holes
5. Installing another knife
6. Now we install a smaller grid and fix everything with a special ring

Thus, the meat undergoes double processing. In general, the scheme is almost identical to that used when assembling a conventional, manual model. The knives here must also be installed with the correct side, otherwise they simply will not cut anything. Electric meat grinders with high production capacities have a huge energy reserve, which is why they can grind even frozen pieces. If the power of the devices is low or average, then you will only be able to grind fresh products.

Electric meat grinder and components

Each model has its own individual characteristics. Manual ones are practically no different from each other. Electric models have different powers and capabilities. All of them will work stably if assembled correctly - the mechanism of the device is as sensitive to assembly disturbances as any other. If you follow the order when installing the knife, then you will not have any difficulties when processing meat. The main thing to remember is that the knife should be installed with the flat side outward, and the convex side inside the body.

How to make a sausage attachment from a plastic bottle

If you don’t have a special attachment for making sausages, you can make it yourself.

Manufacturing

You can make such a nozzle in a few minutes:

1. Cut off the cylindrical part of the bottle from the neck.
2. Place the mesh inside and install it perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bottle.
3. Use a marker to mark the point of contact between the mesh and the bottle.
4. Use scissors to cut the bottle along the line.

To prepare thin sausages, insert a 20 ml syringe with a cut off end into the bottle.

Any plastic bottle is suitable for making this device, but it is better to choose one with a long, thin neck. This makes it easier to put the gut on it.

Sausage attachment from a plastic bottle

How to put it on a meat grinder

This device is put on and used in the same way as a conventional device:

1. Unscrew the nut that secures the grille.
2. Place the bottleneck inside it.
3. Screw the nut into place without applying any physical force.

Using this device you can prepare all types of sausages, including raw smoked and dry-cured sausages. The calorie content of raw smoked sausage is high enough to replace heavier stew and perishable boiled sausage on a hike.

Homemade sausage attachment from a bottle

Installation of additional components

Most modern meat grinders come with additional knives, grates with various holes and attachments for preparing sausages or kebbe. If it is necessary to use them, the order of assembling the meat grinder may vary, which is also usually specified in detail in the instructions for the device from the manufacturer.

In this case, you should adhere to the following algorithm for assembling an electric meat grinder:

• installation in the middle of the auger body;
• attaching a ring with the largest holes to the auger (their number may vary depending on the meat grinder model and manufacturer);
• installation of a double-sided knife;
• installation of a grille with medium-sized holes;
• fastening the remaining knife;
• installation of the last grate;
• securing the clamp nut.

In the case of preparing sausages, instead of knives and grates, you will need to attach a special attachment to the auger, which is secured with a clamping nut. And for the purpose of making cookies or pasta, you can use metal or plastic shaped rings.

When assembling an electric meat grinder, it is better to follow the factory instructions from the manufacturer. If a household appliance malfunctions, it is recommended to contact a service center for diagnostics and repair if necessary.

How to stuff sausage without a meat grinder

If you don’t have a meat grinder, for example, on a hike or at the dacha, you can make do with improvised means.

Using two plastic bottles

To do this, you need two bottles of different diameters:

1. For a thicker bottle, it is advisable to cut off the bottom with a long neck.
2. Place the sausage casing over your throat with the end tied.
3. Fill the bottle with minced meat.
4. Using a thinner bottle, squeeze the minced meat into the intestine.
5. Tie the sausage with twine every few centimeters.

Scheme for making nozzles from plastic bottles

Sausage without casing

In the absence of a special shell, it is allowed to do without it. To do this, the prepared minced meat is wrapped in polyethylene, foil or a baking sleeve.

Sausage without intestines can be boiled or baked in the oven. It will not be possible to smoke such a product. It is permissible to store boiled sausage in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.

Cooking sausage without casing