Agreed, a lot of reviewers are taking some sort of compensation. I still like the grinder. It's been chugging away grinding up chicken thigh bones in spite of Lem recommending not to do so. It did struggle on whole bones, but I got smarter and used a cleaver to cut the bone in half. It make it much easier. I would not hesitate to buy another Lem product.
Thank you so much for posting this. I was looking for info for making my cats food and grinding bones and couldn’t find any information of manual grinders.
You are welcome. I am still pleased with the grinder. I've made many batches of cat food. It's held up grinding the bones. I have found that putting a full chicken thigh into the grinder is a bit much. I now cut the thighs in half with a cleaver and the grinding goes much faster.
I haven't tried the sausage stuffer option, so I can't speak for how good that works. I have been making cat food with it and have been grinding up chicken thighs and bones. Lem says not to grind up bones with this grinder, but it is holding up well. For sure the quality of the grinder is good.
It's been about 8 months since I've been using the grinder to make cat food. I grind up about 5-6 lbs of chicken thighs and bones each month. The grinder's knife (cutter) was getting a little dull, I could still shave a bit of my thumbnail on the edge though, so it's still pretty sharp. I sharpened the cutter on my whetstone and it's razor sharp again. I suspect that this is where spending a little more money for the stainless steel grinder is important. I've found that the grinding goes much faster if I cut the chicken thighs in half with a cleaver. Grinding up just half of the bone at a time is a bit easier on the grinder too. I've had no problems with rust. I do do dry the parts with a towel immediately after washing the grinder.
One more thing I've discovered. I am grinding up chicken thigh bones to make cat food. Lem says you shouldn't grind up bones with this grinder. It was a bit slow going grinding up a chicken thigh with a bone in it. I've found that it is much faster and easier if I use a meat cleaver to cut the thigh bone in half. Don't use the meat cleaver on a plastic cutting board. I split my favorite plastic Oxo cutting board in half. Agh! So far the grinder is holding up well. I'm grinding about 6lbs of chicken with bones every month.
You really should not use plastic cutting boards. It’s more sanitary to use natural hardwood for cutting boards. Nothing matches the sanitariness of natural wood. They can self heal and the resin in the wood is a natural antibacterial agent. Only need to rinse and use a mild soap to clean. If you do chop and get cuts in the surface. You can use either a dishwasher on high heat to remove the cuts or can use a steam iron. When the surface is no longer smooth. You can use a palm sander to level it again. Then spray with a light oil They truly are superior in every way. If you don’t want to use wood. You can use bamboo. It is a grass and renewable. However. Most of these tricks don’t work for long with them as well as there is no resin inside them to be naturally antibacterial. So you have to steam on high in the dishwasher to sanitize them or soak in a sanitizer and air dry. To restore the grain you can spray with alcohol and dry then sand too. But for me. I prefer hardwood. I consider my bamboo boards as a wear item. When they’re to a point I no longer am happy with their performance. I toss them in the woods for the animals to use. I’m only going to put my labor and effort into hardwood or stainless steel. I have virtually no plastic in my kitchen and there’s nothing nonstick on my property. Only cast iron, stainless steel and glass. Natural, easy to clean, easy to sanitize, most importantly- safe. No micro plastics in my prepared food
Ty! While I don't have this exact brand? I recently purchased a similar one. you helped me figure out how to properly put it together. I know it ain't rocket science but it is new to me.😁
If you are grinding up game meat or making sausage and don't have the directions for your grinder here they are: 1. Bolt the grinder body (#5), using the clamp screw (#6), to a sturdy surface, which can be easily cleaned. Slide the auger (#4) in the grinder body. Attach the handle (#7) to the body using handle thumb screw (#8). Put the knife (#2) on the square portion of the auger stud (#3), making sure the sharp edges of the knife are facing out. Place the grinder plate (#9 or #10) on the pin portion of the auger stud. Make sure the notch in the plate is aligned with the locator pin on the grinder body. Hand tighten the retaining ring (#1) on the grinder body. Unit is ready for grinding. 2. Over-tightening the retaining ring will cause excessive wear on the knife and plate. Under tightening will cause the meat to be mashed instead of cut. If mashing occurs, disassemble the grinder, clean out the meat from the grinder and plate, reassemble the grinder and tighten the retaining ring a little tighter than it was originally. 3. After using the grinder, disassemble and hand wash in hot soapy water. Rinse with hot water and hand dry. DO NOT PLACE UNIT IN DISHWASHER. After drying, spray the grinder body, auger, knife and plates with a food grade silicon spray. This will prevent oxidation; keep the unit in good operation condition for many years of dependable service. LEM Products recommends that you use our Silicon Spray; it is USDA approved and complies with FDA regulations. 4. When making burger from wild game, add a minimum of 10% pork fat to the meat. This will give the burger moisture, but not make it fatty. If pork fat is not available, use beef fat. Never use beef suet. Suet is too hard. The burger will be cooked before the suet melts causing little suet particles to remain in the burger. 5. When making sausage, add at least 20% fat with the meat and grind it like burger. Mix the seasoning with the meat after the fi rst grind and then grind the mixture a second time. For a coarser grind, grind the meat through the 3/16” plate one time. Then mix the seasoning with the meat. This works well for those who like coarse sausage. Also, LEM Products recommends you use our Soy Protein when making sausage. It is available in a 1 lb. package, which is enough for 50 lbs. of meat. Use 2 teaspoons of Soy Protein for each pound of meat. Soy Protein helps to retain moisture and prevent shrinking during smoking or cooking. It is very high in protein, making it an excellent binder. It also gives the fi nished sausage a smooth, moist consistency. Soy Protein has no taste. It contains no cholesterol and is fat free because it is derived from a vegetable source. 6. To stuff sausage casings, follow the directions provided with the stu ffing tubes. 1. LEM Products carries natural sheep, hog, and beef casings. Fresh casings produce a juicy, tender sausage. You’ll hear a distinctive ‘pop’ when you bite into a sausage stuff ed in a natural casing. To store unused natural casings, cover the casings with salt, place them in a zip lock bag and refrigerate. The casings will keep for an indefi nite length of time. Natural casings produce 4-5 links per pound. Salted casings have a very long shelf life. If not refrigerated, the salted casings quickly give o a strong odor, even though they are not spoiled. Put them back under refrigeration and for the most part the odor disappears. To use natural casings: rinse in warm water several times, fl ush the inside, and then soak in warm water for ½ to 1 hour until they become soft and pliable. 2. When putting the casing on a stuffi ng tube, place it loosely on the tube. If it does not go on easily, the tube is too large. Forcing the casing onto a tube that is too large will cause breakage and it may not come o the tube correctly. Sausage meat should be stuff ed as tightly as possible into the casing. 3. Collagen casings are uniform in size for easier stuffi ng. They can be used for fresh or smoked sausage. The smoked collagen casings are stronger than the fresh collagen casings so they can be hung in a smoker and not break. DO NOT soak collagen casings before stuffi ng. 4. Synthetic/Fibrous Casings can be used for summer sausage, hard salami, bologna, and many other sausages. They should be soaked in warm water for 20 - 30 minutes before stuffi ng. 5. Large synthetic casings should be stuff ed one section at a time. Hold the casing fi rmly on the tube. Pack the meat tightly into the casing to prevent air pockets. After stu ffing the casing, grab the untied end with one hand and the tied end with the other hand. Twist the untied end of the stuff ed casing closed until the log becomes very rm. This next step may take 2 people. One person can hold the twisted filled casing and the other person can tie the open end closed. You can also use hog rings to close the open end of the casing. Hog rings and pliers are available at LEM Products. Inspect the stuff ed casings for air pockets. Lightly puncture as many air pockets as possible to avoid fat reservoirs from forming in the pockets while cooking.
This is the only one I tried. I read a ton of reviews before I decided on the Lem. Because I was going to grind up bones, I wanted a good quality grinder. If you are going to use the grinder a lot, then quality is important.
@@Diane_R Yeah, I should've mentioned I won't be using it for bones. Chicken and pork, mostly. But I'll probably mess with beef, as well. Especially if I can get a good deal. One thing I like better about the Weston#22, is that it's not a clamp down, but it's got 4 feet you bolt down... plus the price, of course. Probably end up going with the Weston and if it busts I'd feel better losing the 50 rather than spending the extra 100 and always wondering if I wasted extra money. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for the reply!
This grinder is stainless steel, so it's more expensive than tin coated cast iron. For sure cast iron is more brittle than stainless steel. Grinding up bones might break the cast iron. Lem does make a similar model to the Weston one you mention. It is more expensive, I don't know why. Maybe a better casting or grade of cast iron. Here's the link: www.lemproducts.com/product/cast-iron-bolt-down-hand-grinder/butcher-meat-grinders
Thank you so much. It’s so hard to find legitimate honest reviews on meat grinders. I’m glad I found this review.
Agreed, a lot of reviewers are taking some sort of compensation. I still like the grinder. It's been chugging away grinding up chicken thigh bones in spite of Lem recommending not to do so. It did struggle on whole bones, but I got smarter and used a cleaver to cut the bone in half. It make it much easier. I would not hesitate to buy another Lem product.
Thank you so much for posting this. I was looking for info for making my cats food and grinding bones and couldn’t find any information of manual grinders.
You are welcome. I found that grinding up the chicken thighs with bones is easier and faster if you use a cleaver to cut the thigh & bone in half.
I enjoyed your straight forward no nonsense/ bs video.
Thank you.
You are welcome. I am still pleased with the grinder. I've made many batches of cat food. It's held up grinding the bones. I have found that putting a full chicken thigh into the grinder is a bit much. I now cut the thighs in half with a cleaver and the grinding goes much faster.
Excellent breakdown on this grinder. Thank you! Just starting research as I'd like to get a manual grinder\sausage stuffer. Very helpful!
I haven't tried the sausage stuffer option, so I can't speak for how good that works. I have been making cat food with it and have been grinding up chicken thighs and bones. Lem says not to grind up bones with this grinder, but it is holding up well. For sure the quality of the grinder is good.
It's been about 8 months since I've been using the grinder to make cat food. I grind up about 5-6 lbs of chicken thighs and bones each month. The grinder's knife (cutter) was getting a little dull, I could still shave a bit of my thumbnail on the edge though, so it's still pretty sharp. I sharpened the cutter on my whetstone and it's razor sharp again. I suspect that this is where spending a little more money for the stainless steel grinder is important. I've found that the grinding goes much faster if I cut the chicken thighs in half with a cleaver. Grinding up just half of the bone at a time is a bit easier on the grinder too. I've had no problems with rust. I do do dry the parts with a towel immediately after washing the grinder.
One more thing I've discovered. I am grinding up chicken thigh bones to make cat food. Lem says you shouldn't grind up bones with this grinder. It was a bit slow going grinding up a chicken thigh with a bone in it. I've found that it is much faster and easier if I use a meat cleaver to cut the thigh bone in half. Don't use the meat cleaver on a plastic cutting board. I split my favorite plastic Oxo cutting board in half. Agh! So far the grinder is holding up well. I'm grinding about 6lbs of chicken with bones every month.
You really should not use plastic cutting boards.
It’s more sanitary to use natural hardwood for cutting boards. Nothing matches the sanitariness of natural wood.
They can self heal and the resin in the wood is a natural antibacterial agent.
Only need to rinse and use a mild soap to clean.
If you do chop and get cuts in the surface. You can use either a dishwasher on high heat to remove the cuts or can use a steam iron.
When the surface is no longer smooth.
You can use a palm sander to level it again.
Then spray with a light oil
They truly are superior in every way.
If you don’t want to use wood.
You can use bamboo. It is a grass and renewable.
However. Most of these tricks don’t work for long with them as well as there is no resin inside them to be naturally antibacterial.
So you have to steam on high in the dishwasher to sanitize them or soak in a sanitizer and air dry.
To restore the grain you can spray with alcohol and dry then sand too.
But for me. I prefer hardwood. I consider my bamboo boards as a wear item. When they’re to a point I no longer am happy with their performance. I toss them in the woods for the animals to use.
I’m only going to put my labor and effort into hardwood or stainless steel.
I have virtually no plastic in my kitchen and there’s nothing nonstick on my property.
Only cast iron, stainless steel and glass.
Natural, easy to clean, easy to sanitize, most importantly- safe.
No micro plastics in my prepared food
I have one that my grandmother used to use. It looks almost the same, but less polished. I wonder what I could use it for.
Ty! While I don't have this exact brand?
I recently purchased a similar one.
you helped me figure out how to properly put it together.
I know it ain't rocket science but it is new to me.😁
I thought I'd show how it goes together as a bonus. Good to hear it helped. Have a great day.
If you are grinding up game meat or making sausage and don't have the directions for your grinder here they are:
1. Bolt the grinder body (#5), using the clamp screw (#6), to a sturdy surface, which can be easily cleaned. Slide the auger (#4) in the grinder body. Attach the handle (#7) to the body using handle thumb screw (#8). Put the knife (#2) on the square portion of the auger stud (#3), making sure the sharp edges of the knife are facing out. Place the grinder plate (#9 or #10) on
the pin portion of the auger stud. Make sure the notch in the plate is aligned with the locator pin on the grinder body. Hand tighten the retaining ring (#1) on the grinder body. Unit is ready for grinding.
2. Over-tightening the retaining ring will cause excessive wear on the knife and plate. Under tightening will cause the meat to be mashed instead of cut. If mashing occurs, disassemble the grinder, clean out the meat from the grinder and plate, reassemble the grinder and tighten the retaining ring a little tighter than it was originally.
3. After using the grinder, disassemble and hand wash in hot soapy water. Rinse with hot water and hand dry. DO NOT PLACE UNIT IN DISHWASHER. After drying, spray the grinder body, auger, knife and plates with a food grade silicon spray. This will prevent oxidation; keep the unit in good operation condition for many years of dependable service. LEM Products recommends
that you use our Silicon Spray; it is USDA approved and complies with FDA regulations.
4. When making burger from wild game, add a minimum of 10% pork fat to the meat. This will give the burger moisture, but not make it fatty. If pork fat is not available, use beef fat. Never use beef suet. Suet is too hard. The burger will be cooked before the suet melts causing little suet particles to remain in the burger.
5. When making sausage, add at least 20% fat with the meat and grind it like burger. Mix the seasoning with the meat after the fi rst grind and then grind the mixture a second time. For a coarser grind, grind the meat through the 3/16” plate one time. Then mix the seasoning with the meat. This works well for those who like coarse sausage. Also, LEM Products recommends you use our Soy Protein when making sausage. It is available in a 1 lb. package, which is enough for 50 lbs. of meat. Use 2 teaspoons of Soy Protein for each pound of meat. Soy Protein helps to retain moisture and prevent shrinking during smoking or cooking. It is very high in protein, making it an excellent binder. It also gives the fi nished sausage a smooth, moist consistency. Soy Protein has no taste. It contains no cholesterol and is fat free because it is derived from a vegetable source.
6. To stuff sausage casings, follow the directions provided with the stu ffing tubes.
1. LEM Products carries natural sheep, hog, and beef casings. Fresh casings produce a juicy, tender sausage. You’ll hear a distinctive ‘pop’ when you bite into a sausage stuff ed in a natural casing. To store unused natural casings, cover the casings with salt, place them in a zip lock bag and refrigerate. The casings will keep for an indefi nite length of time. Natural casings
produce 4-5 links per pound. Salted casings have a very long shelf life. If not refrigerated, the salted casings quickly give o a strong odor, even though they are not spoiled. Put them back under refrigeration and for the most part the odor disappears. To use natural casings: rinse in warm water several times, fl ush the inside, and then soak in warm water for ½ to 1 hour until
they become soft and pliable.
2. When putting the casing on a stuffi ng tube, place it loosely on the tube. If it does not go on easily, the tube is too large. Forcing the casing onto a tube that is too large will cause breakage and it may not come o the tube correctly. Sausage meat should be stuff ed as tightly as possible into the casing.
3. Collagen casings are uniform in size for easier stuffi ng. They can be used for fresh or smoked sausage. The smoked collagen casings are stronger than the fresh collagen casings so they can be hung in a smoker and not break. DO NOT soak collagen
casings before stuffi ng.
4. Synthetic/Fibrous Casings can be used for summer sausage, hard salami, bologna, and many other sausages. They should be soaked in warm water for 20 - 30 minutes before stuffi ng.
5. Large synthetic casings should be stuff ed one section at a time. Hold the casing fi rmly on the tube. Pack the meat tightly into
the casing to prevent air pockets. After stu ffing the casing, grab the untied end with one hand and the tied end with the other hand. Twist the untied end of the stuff ed casing closed until the log becomes very rm. This next step may take 2 people. One person can hold the twisted filled casing and the other person can tie the open end closed. You can also use hog rings to close
the open end of the casing. Hog rings and pliers are available at LEM Products. Inspect the stuff ed casings for air pockets. Lightly puncture as many air pockets as possible to avoid fat reservoirs from forming in the pockets while cooking.
Have you tried other manual grinders? I'm debating if it's worth an extra hundred bucks to get the LEM over the Weston.
This is the only one I tried. I read a ton of reviews before I decided on the Lem. Because I was going to grind up bones, I wanted a good quality grinder. If you are going to use the grinder a lot, then quality is important.
@@Diane_R Yeah, I should've mentioned I won't be using it for bones. Chicken and pork, mostly. But I'll probably mess with beef, as well. Especially if I can get a good deal. One thing I like better about the Weston#22, is that it's not a clamp down, but it's got 4 feet you bolt down... plus the price, of course.
Probably end up going with the Weston and if it busts I'd feel better losing the 50 rather than spending the extra 100 and always wondering if I wasted extra money.
I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for the reply!
This grinder is stainless steel, so it's more expensive than tin coated cast iron. For sure cast iron is more brittle than stainless steel. Grinding up bones might break the cast iron. Lem does make a similar model to the Weston one you mention. It is more expensive, I don't know why. Maybe a better casting or grade of cast iron. Here's the link: www.lemproducts.com/product/cast-iron-bolt-down-hand-grinder/butcher-meat-grinders
@@LetsGoFlyers2011. How did it work out?
Every thing very good but I don’t need the plastic hole tube items! Please
Remove ! Thanks !