LEM SS Meat Grinder

[Chef Munky]

I've just bought this model # 5 LEM Stainless Steel Big Bite Grinder - .25 HP | LEM Products

It seems to be a top notch appliance.The only other meat grinder I own is the K/A attachment.With the sausage stuffer tubes.This is one step up.The K/A was fine.Just too slow for us,and we had to cut the meat into stew like chunks to get the job done.We could do better.

Didn't pay that price for it.More like 1/2.Free.If I play the guilt card.
Kids are suckers!

Anyways, reading the product description it says "For occasional use"
What's that supposed to mean? It works once in a while.Or not for every day large capacity use say over 50Lb's at a time? Meaning beef and pork.It won't be used everyday.Maybe once a month when it's time to restock the freezer with burger patties and breakfast sausage.

Looking at the chart would we only be able to do 4Lbs at a time?
New to this bear with me here.

Haven't used it yet.Still on the website looking at purchasing additional patty and jerky attachments for it.

Shop til you drop baby!

Munky.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I interpret that as, Not a Daily High Volume Grinder.

 

[Dawgluver]

Sounds like it's for a home kitchen, not a butcher market. You can probably use it daily as long as you don't put a whole cow through it.

 

[Zagut]

I have a LEM grinder and I love the thing.

Haven't bought ground beef in years.

You'll do fine with it as long as you aren't going commercial with it. Don't worry about the 4lb. limit. use it but don't overheat it.

Cutting the meat into stew size chunks makes it easier on you and the machine. Having it chilled doesn't hurt either.

Don't bother with too many attachments. Different plate sizes are where your money should go. Forming a patty isn't hard and once the grind size is what you want how hard is it to make jerky in the shape and size you desire?

Have fun with your new toy.

 

[Andy M.]

The chart says 4 pounds of meat per minute can be ground. The other models grind faster.

I think this would be fine for home use.

 

[RPCookin]

Boy, for $279 I hope you grind a lot of meat. I have the old hand crank one I inherited from my mother, who used it from my earliest memories (at least 60 years), and it still works great - and I get a little exercise when I use too.

Granted, I can't stuff a sausage with it, but I don't really need to. For $300 I can buy a lot of sausage at the local locker.

 

[Chef Munky]

I have a LEM grinder and I love the thing.

Haven't bought ground beef in years.

You'll do fine with it as long as you aren't going commercial with it. Don't worry about the 4lb. limit. use it but don't overheat it.

Cutting the meat into stew size chunks makes it easier on you and the machine. Having it chilled doesn't hurt either.

Don't bother with too many attachments. Different plate sizes are where your money should go. Forming a patty isn't hard and once the grind size is what you want how hard is it to make jerky in the shape and size you desire?

Have fun with your new toy.

Were planning on having a lot of fun with it.Special tables, work area, lugs with lids,room in the freezer and fridge.I think were just about set.

The plates for the grinder is what sold me on buying the LEM.I had been looking around for meat grinders.Some that we looked at replacement plates,knives were hard to find.Some you had to send for them O/S..LEM makes what you need to replace easy to find.If you don't know they will help you.

As far as the patties go.Already have a manual one. You can only make one at a time.That's tedious and boring.Like mowing the lawn.I can't stand mowing the lawn!! Anything but thaaaat!

The jerky maker is a fluff piece for me.At least It would take a lot of guess work on the dehydrating times.We can't get 1/2,1/4" specialty cuts of meats here unless we buy it at Safeway.They then up the original price to do so.Everybody will win here.Just trying to keep the peace. Some days it isn't so easy.

It's good to know that someone here has one to.
You might have me nagging you with questions.

Munky.

 

[CraigC]

Next you'll be wanting one of LEM's sausage stuffers.

 

[Chef Munky]

Update

Well I'm exhausted.Phewww glad it's over for the day.
More tired from prepping the walls floor and setting everything up.

It looks like were going to have to buy new knives and plates for it.
I'll buy a few extra's just in case.

Grinding up a 20Lb beef knuckle the machine kept getting clogged.
We had to dismantle it.Clean the auger and grinder head twice.That was just for the first grind.It was a fight.Luckily it never got hot.
That's at least a good sign.

We ended up using the stand by K/A for the second grind.Glad we had that as a back up.

Pork shoulder can wait until tomorrow.

Munky.

 

[Zagut]

Something's not right here.

Were you grinding a lot of sinew and silver skin?

Shouldn't have clogged that easily.

I've put a lot of meat through my grinder and have never had it clog.

Did you have the blade installed correctly? (Flat side towards the plate?) I could see it having a hard time if it was backwards.

And after only 20 lbs. you shouldn't need new blades or plates.

You can easily sharpen the blades and flatten the plates when needed.

And you really shouldn't need to after only 20 lbs.

The reason for different plates is for different size grinds. and the plates really should last a very long time before they need replacement.

Now a #5 plate is a smaller size but that shouldn't effect the behavior of your grinder in the way you've described. It should only mean it will take you a few minutes longer to grind.

And if you do use your grinder to stuff sausage casings be sure to use a stuffing plate. It's essentially a plate with giant holes to let your sausage mixture pass easily without grinding it again.

Good luck on the shoulder but make sure your set up is correct.

 

[FrankZ]

Boy, for $279 I hope you grind a lot of meat. I have the old hand crank one I inherited from my mother, who used it from my earliest memories (at least 60 years), and it still works great - and I get a little exercise when I use too.

Granted, I can't stuff a sausage with it, but I don't really need to. For $300 I can buy a lot of sausage at the local locker.

You might be able to. Look into stuffing horns for it. You can likely find some.

 

[Chef Munky]

Something's not right here.

Were you grinding a lot of sinew and silver skin?

Shouldn't have clogged that easily.

I've put a lot of meat through my grinder and have never had it clog.

Did you have the blade installed correctly? (Flat side towards the plate?) I could see it having a hard time if it was backwards.

And after only 20 lbs. you shouldn't need new blades or plates.

You can easily sharpen the blades and flatten the plates when needed.

And you really shouldn't need to after only 20 lbs.

The reason for different plates is for different size grinds. and the plates really should last a very long time before they need replacement.

Now a #5 plate is a smaller size but that shouldn't effect the behavior of your grinder in the way you've described. It should only mean it will take you a few minutes longer to grind.

And if you do use your grinder to stuff sausage casings be sure to use a stuffing plate. It's essentially a plate with giant holes to let your sausage mixture pass easily without grinding it again.

Good luck on the shoulder but make sure your set up is correct.

Thank you very much for the help here. I do appreciate it.Things like this that one learns from another such as the case here is priceless.

What happened was on me.Not the LEM.I had when putting the auger in forgot to slip on the washer of all things.No wonder we had so much play before it clogged.Tested it again tonight.Sure thing it was me.Everything else was just fine.I've learned also to watch how thick the fat pieces are.Alternating the two at times.And you were right we did have silver skin problem.
I know, see a "LEM-atologist" about that.It's cureable.

We just made close to 12Lbs of breakfast sausage that would have cost me about $80.00.Had I bought it already made.

The reason I thought it was the knife and plates was because we bought it used.I don't know what they've put it through.It was fully assembled when I got it.All I had was the use and maintenance form.
What I needed was a LEM for Dummies book.

Another exhausting learning day here.All's well.Thank you for the help.
Thinking about naming it "MEL"

Munky.

 

[Markf]

I love my #5. I also have a 5 pound LEM sausage stuffer. They have been workhorses. I use the sausage stuffer (comes out on the bottom) to make breakfast sausage by extruding the meat onto strips of wax paper vs. casing. Then onto a cookie sheet and into the freezer. Once half frozen, I cut into links!

After using the #5 for many years, the knife blade is still very sharp.

I do cut my meats into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Makes feeding it easier.

Mark

 

[Josie1945]

Munky, All grinders will do that,there is a eazy solution.Have your
meat cut into cubes.Meats need to be really cold, I half freeze mine.
If it is half frozen the grinder will zip thru it fast. I have the lem sausage stuffer it is so easy.Well worth the money. Have fun !!!

Josie

Well I'm exhausted.Phewww glad it's

over for the day.
More tired from prepping the walls floor and setting everything up.

It looks like were going to have to buy new knives and plates for it.
I'll buy a few extra's just in case.

Grinding up a 20Lb beef knuckle the machine kept getting clogged.
We had to dismantle it.Clean the auger and grinder head twice.That was just for the first grind.It was a fight.Luckily it never got hot.
That's at least a good sign.

We ended up using the stand by K/A for the second grind.Glad we had that as a back up.

Pork shoulder can wait until tomorrow.

Munky.

 

[RPCookin]

Gotta figure that Munky solved the problem... last post in the thread was 2 years ago.

 

[Zagut]

Ya never know.

I've got things on my to do list older then 2 years.

But let's hope for the best.