6 Meat Grinder Attachments For Stuffing That Keep Family Recipes Alive
Explore 6 essential meat grinder attachments for stuffing. These vital tools help preserve culinary traditions by perfectly recreating classic family recipes.
That old, handwritten recipe card for your grandfather’s breakfast sausage is more than just a list of ingredients; it’s a connection to your family’s past. Turning that recipe into reality, however, often hinges on one simple piece of equipment. The right meat grinder attachment makes sausage stuffing a joyful tradition instead of a frustrating chore.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Reviving Traditions with Sausage Stuffing Kits
A meat grinder is already a workhorse for processing your own meat, but its utility doubles with a simple stuffing kit. These attachments transform your grinder’s output, allowing you to direct the ground meat into casings. It’s the most direct and space-efficient way to get started without investing in a separate, dedicated sausage stuffer.
Most kits are straightforward, consisting of a few key parts. You’ll typically get two or three different-sized tubes (or funnels), which determine the thickness of your final sausage. A smaller tube is for breakfast links, a medium one for bratwurst or Italian sausage, and a larger one might be for summer sausage. The kit also includes an adapter or flange that connects the tube to your grinder’s head.
The process is simple in theory: you attach the tube, slide a casing over it, and run your pre-ground, seasoned meat mix through the grinder a second time on a "stuff" setting or without a blade. The auger pushes the meat through the tube and into the casing. This method is perfect for small batches of 5-10 pounds, making it an ideal entry point for anyone looking to bring an old family recipe to life.
KitchenAid KSMSA: For Stand Mixer Versatility
For many households, the KitchenAid stand mixer is the center of the kitchen, and its grinder attachment is a popular first step into meat processing. The official KitchenAid Sausage Stuffer Kit (KSMSA) is designed to work seamlessly with their Food Grinder Attachment (FGA). This is the definition of convenience if you’re already in that ecosystem.
The kit comes with two plastic tubes—a 3/8 inch for small links and a 5/8 inch for larger sausages like bratwurst. The primary advantage here is guaranteed compatibility and ease of use. You know it will fit, and it requires no guesswork.
However, the main tradeoff is the material. The plastic construction is lightweight and easy to handle, but it can absorb odors and stains from spices like paprika or fennel over time. For someone making sausage once or twice a year, this is rarely an issue. But if you plan on making it a regular part of your routine, you might eventually look for a more durable alternative.
LEM Grinder Stuffing Tubes for Heavy-Duty Use
When you move from a stand mixer attachment to a dedicated meat grinder, you enter a different class of equipment. Brands like LEM cater to folks who process meat more seriously, and their stuffing tubes reflect that. These kits are built for durability and performance.
Typically made of stainless steel, LEM tubes are designed to fit specific grinder sizes, such as #5, #8, #12, and so on. It is crucial to know your grinder’s size before buying. This information is usually stamped on the grinder body or its retaining ring. Steel tubes won’t stain, won’t hold onto the ghost of last year’s garlic sausage, and can be sanitized more effectively.
These kits are for the hobby farmer who processes a deer each fall or makes 20-pound batches of sausage to stock the freezer. The rigid steel construction also handles cold, stiff sausage mixes better than plastic, reducing flex and making the stuffing process more efficient. They represent a small but significant step up in your home butchering setup.
Gvode Sausage Stuffer Tubes for KitchenAid
The popularity of the KitchenAid grinder has created a market for third-party upgrades, and Gvode is a prominent name. Their stainless steel sausage stuffer tubes are designed specifically to fit the KitchenAid attachment, offering a direct solution to the primary weakness of the official plastic set.
By swapping the stock plastic tubes for a set like this, you get the best of both worlds. You can continue using the convenient stand mixer you already own while gaining the hygienic and durable benefits of stainless steel. This is an excellent middle-ground for the person who loves their KitchenAid but wants longer-lasting, easier-to-clean tools for their sausage-making hobby.
These third-party kits often provide a wider range of sizes as well. You might find three or even four different tube diameters, giving you more control over the final product, from slim snack sticks to thick kielbasa. It’s a practical upgrade that enhances the versatility of a tool you already have.
KitchTree Steel Tubes for Hygiene and Durability
Similar to other third-party offerings, KitchTree provides another excellent stainless steel option for those looking to upgrade from plastic. Focusing on these steel alternatives highlights a key principle for any small farm or homestead: invest in tools that last. Plastic components can become brittle and crack, especially when dealing with the pressure of a dense, cold meat mixture.
The real advantage of steel is food safety and flavor purity. Stainless steel is non-porous, meaning it won’t harbor bacteria or absorb fats and spices. After a thorough wash, it’s completely neutral, ensuring your delicate apple-pork sausage doesn’t have a faint hint of the spicy chorizo you made last month.
When you’re producing food for your family, this peace of mind is invaluable. While the initial cost is slightly higher than a plastic set, the longevity and hygienic properties of steel make it a more economical choice in the long run. Think of it as buying it once and buying it right.
Cuisinart Sausage Stuffer Kit for the MG-100
Just like with KitchenAid, staying within a brand’s ecosystem offers a guarantee of compatibility. The Cuisinart Sausage Stuffer Kit is made specifically for their popular MG-100 Electric Meat Grinder. If you own that machine, this kit is the most straightforward and reliable choice.
The kit typically includes three funnels of varying sizes to stuff everything from small breakfast links to larger sausages. By sticking with the manufacturer’s own attachment, you avoid any frustrating moments trying to make a "universal" part fit. Everything lines up as it should, making for a smoother, more predictable process.
This path is for the person who values simplicity and reliability over customization. You bought the Cuisinart grinder because it’s a solid, no-fuss machine. The matching stuffer kit follows the same philosophy, letting you get straight to the task of making sausage without worrying about equipment compatibility.
Pro-Cure Universal Sausage Stuffer Funnels
What if you have an old, hand-crank grinder from your grandmother or a lesser-known brand without dedicated attachments? This is where universal kits come into play. Pro-Cure and other brands make sets of funnels designed with a tapered base to fit a wider range of grinder outlets.
These are problem-solvers. They may not offer the perfect, locked-in fit of a brand-specific attachment, but they provide a functional solution for unconventional equipment. You might need to hold it a bit more carefully during stuffing, but it gets the job done.
A universal kit is the go-to for breathing new life into an older piece of equipment. It’s a testament to the resourcefulness that defines small-scale farming—making do with what you have. Just be sure to measure your grinder’s outlet diameter to ensure the universal funnel’s base will be a reasonably close fit.
Choosing Your Attachment for Family Recipes
Selecting the right attachment isn’t about finding the "best" one, but the one that’s best for you. Your decision should be guided by the equipment you already own and how you plan to use it. Ask yourself a few simple questions:
- What machine are you using? If you have a KitchenAid or Cuisinart, your first decision is whether to stick with the manufacturer’s kit or upgrade to a third-party steel version. For a dedicated grinder, you’ll need to know its size (#5, #8, etc.) to buy a compatible set like those from LEM.
- How often will you make sausage? For an annual holiday tradition, a basic plastic kit is perfectly adequate. If sausage making is a regular monthly or seasonal activity, investing in durable stainless steel tubes is a wise choice.
- What is your priority? Is it the absolute convenience of a perfectly matched set? The long-term hygiene and durability of stainless steel? Or the budget-friendly versatility of a universal kit for an old grinder?
Ultimately, the goal is to make the process enjoyable. The right tool removes friction, letting you focus on the craft of seasoning the meat, getting the texture just right, and carrying on a delicious family tradition.
In the end, these attachments are more than just pieces of metal or plastic. They are the bridge connecting a cherished recipe to your family’s table. Choosing the right one ensures that the legacy of that recipe isn’t just preserved, but actively and joyfully celebrated for years to come.
