Reddit mentions: The best mixer parts

It's pretty fun, because (1) there are endless new toys to acquire (if you're into that!), and (2) it's actually fairly budget-friendly after you get the initial hardware out of the way (ex. KitchenAid mixer etc.)...I mean, a 50-pound sack of flour is like twenty bucks, and you can make a zillion loaves of breads & cookies out of that! I do get a few premium ingredients for specific recipes here & there, but mostly I just use run-of-the-mill ingredients & get really great results!

It's also really fun amping up both the quality of your results & the experiencing of your cooking & baking time. For example, I cook these amazing five-hour carnitas in the oven, which is one of the things that got me into using leaf lard (which then turned into other incredible things, like lard-based oatmeal cookies). But then the off-the-shelf tortillas were disappointing with those stellar carnitas, so I picked up a cast-iron tortilla press (for smashing, not baking!). I then combined that with a lard-based tortilla recipe and oooooh yeah that's an awesome combination of textures, flavors, warmth, and happiness, hahaha! So going down rabbits holes is quite fun with baking!

I do a lot with my 8-cavity mini-loaf pan, which surprisingly freeze well! Banana bread & pumpkin bread with sweet cream cheese spread, cornbread, chocolate chocolate-chip bread, the list is endless! I also bake excellent homemade Twinkies in various flavors on a regular basis. I was never an overly-huge Twinkie fan, but one of my favorite bakeries makes them in a million flavors with a million different fillings & coatings (chocolate-dipped, white-chocolate dipped & dark-chocolate striped, peanut-butter filled chocolate twinkies, raspberry cake coated with coconut, etc.). So endless variations are also quite fun with baking!

If you want to build up your skills on the more technical side, Bigger Bolder Baking is a fantastic website to check out. If you want a few top-notch (I'm talking like "WOW!") recipes to try out right off the bat:

• Chocolate-chip cookies with this specific dark chocolate (only for very special occasions, because $$$)
  
• Glossy fudge brownies with this specific pan ($$$ but will last forever) & this particular cocoa powder ($$$, but the economics actually aren't bad, once you calculate out the price-per-batch, haha!)
  
• Sour-cream pancakes (without blueberries) - great way to test your Danish dough hook!
  
  You'll discover a lot of little tricks over time. For example, which those chocolate-chip cookies above, whipping the cream & sugar & butter & eggs into something that literally resembled whipped cream is a really great trick to know about...most people just stir those together until combined, but they will actually change color, texture, and consistency when whipped long enough! Side note, if you have a KitchenAid, I highly recommend getting a SideSwipe blade (available on Amazon, be sure to get the right blade for your mixer!).
  
  On that topic, I also recommend getting a coated dough hook & an 11-wire whisk. Wait until you try homemade marshmallows! (super easy with that whisk attachment!) When it gets cold out, I cut those bad boys into 2" chunks, skewer them, heat up some water for the delicious Stephen's hot cocoa powder mix, and then torch the marshmallows. That combination came out so good that I started hosting annual hot chocolate parties, lol!
  
  You can get as creative as you want to with baking, too...like with cakes, you can airbrush them, do drip cakes, mirror glaze cakes, you can torch the tops of cupcakes, make cake pops, the list is endless! Depending on what stage you're at in life, especially in my case as a working adult with a family, I don't get a lot of opportunity for creative outlets due to a lack of free time (and energy, tbh lol), but my family has to eat, and baking is a fun way to amp up your enjoyment in life by making cool stuff you can eat & having fun doing it!
  
  Plus pretty much everything is actually really easy, no matter how complicated it looks...you're just following someone else's step-by-step directions, that they have painstakingly figured out for you through probably dozens of iterations to get it perfect (as Stella did when perfecting her lacy brown-butter cookies!), and that mostly boils down to (1) mix stuff in a bowl, (2) bake it, (3) don't burn it, (4) let it cool down & "set". That little four-step process yields amazing no-knead bread, pan pizzas, twinkies, cookies, brownies, you name it!

It does depend on what she loves making for the most part, but greaseproof cupcake liners are awesome. You can get some here in some of here---> https://shopsweetsandtreats.com/ favorite colors. The benefit to greaseproof is that the color stays vibrant and doesn't dull down when baked (because it doesn't absorb grease).

Portion scoops in various sizes. I don't have a restaurant supply store by me, so I buy from webstaurantstore.com. This type of place would also be the place to buy stainless steel half-sheet pans. Note that restaurant supply stores are not necessarily the same as baking supply stores. One is geared more toward commercial users (but most sell to residential users), the other is likely a retail store that just stocks items commonly used in baking, but at retail prices.

You said she already has the stand mixer... if it's a Kitchenaid, you could upgrade the flat paddle and the whisk attachments. https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE6L-5-5-6-Bowl-Lift-Beater/dp/B006HGZ7AY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1511341329&sr=1-1&keywords=KitchenAid+Flex+Edge+Beater+for+pro+600+stand+mixerhttps:// and www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KN211WW-11-Wire-Whip-Bowl-Lift/dp/B000PJ6XGQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511340838&sr=8-3&keywords=11+wire+whip+kitchenaid . Make sure you get the one that fits the right model number of the mixer you have (if you, in fact, have a Kitchenaid). These attachments are better because they are more efficient AND are completely dishwasher safe.

You could also get her an extra bowl for the stand mixer. Comes in handy more often than you might think.

Edit: Came back to say that if she's going to bake artisan breads, the best baking "stone" I've ever had isn't stone, it's cast iron. ttps://www.amazon.com/Lodge-P14P3-Seasoned-Baking-Pizza/dp/B0000E2V3X/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1511341833&sr=1-3&keywords=lodge+baking+stone

Everything. I make everything with my kitchen aid except for simple one bowl oil-based cake recipes/quick breads.

Creaming butter is super easy, whipping eggs/egg whites/heavy cream. Basically any and all baking, my kitchenaid does all the work.

I also have this attachment (link below) which I find very helpful. You might have to adjust your bowl height so it fits in (there are directions in the manual on how to do this) but it makes a big difference. I rarely have to turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl, I'll do this maybe once while making a dough. Make sure you get the correct attachment for your model.

BeaterBlade KA-6L Metro Design Beater Blade for KitchenAid 6-Quart Bowl Lift Mixer and 5 Plus Series 5Qt Stand Mixers, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015TMI28/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5jTyyb8CHAGQ6

Additionally, there are a ton of other attachments you can slowly add to your collection that allow you to do so much more with your mixer. Personally, I love the meat grinder. Great for making your own sausage, meatballs, or just ground meat.

Have fun with your new toy!

You may even find a local or semi-local appliance repair shop depending on your situation.

It's entirely possible one of the brushes wore out on the motor. They're a super easy and super cheap fix. These are $8. Other cheap options are loose wires or broken contacts. Those are usually cheap and easy fixes, too.

The one expensive thing would be if the motor is shorted. This is not as likely, but it happens and if it does it runs $130-$150 on Amazon. If you're lucky, the new one might be able to donate its motor to the old one.

If you're at all handy, you might be able to take a look for yourself. If you're not so handy, start looking for a repair shop near you.

Armed with this info, they can't screw you too hard. :)

Good luck! Hope you can get the original mixer up and running again!

It worked! I still have to perfect it but I used the paddle attachment with the rubber side and I only had to mix by had for another 10-15 mixes rather than 40-50 - amazing!

KitchenAid KFE5T Flex Edge Beater Dishwasher Safe, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004A15870/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H8c2CbRKWZ727

I also just sifted the flour and sugar, I didn’t use the food processor.

Overall this was a great experiment and I cut down a lot of time and dishes and still had pretty good macaron.

I will continue the testing and perhaps will try those Costco egg whites too!

Thanks everyone!

Great find! Mine was in similar shape when I got it, it’s easy to get it cleaned up, just time consuming. You’re going to want to replace the grease, you can find kits on eBay. I used the non-petroleum grease and it’s been working fantastic. You can often find good cheap accessories on the Facebook marketplace if you’re on Facebook. I found a lady near me selling two bowls and all the accessories for 40 bucks. Make sure whenever you decide to dig into restoring this, you have a bunch of time on your hands. Changing the grease took me a little over two hours. I’m a bit of a perfectionist though 😅 you can also look on YouTube and find fantastic tutorials on how to repaint them. That’s my next project. I just have to pick a color! here’s the link to the grease I used

(REPAIR KIT) 4oz Food Grade Grease for KitchenAid Stand Mixer With Gloves and Putty Knife - MADE IN THE USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NVNM6S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gvvZDb0YKPPHK

As far as I know, there aren't any mini-fridges specifically designed for curing meats. The closest I have found is a digitally controllable wine fridge. The downside is that it only goes up to 65ºF, but I ferment my salami at 70ºF. I've written a blog post about modifying my fridge for curing.

As for meat grinding, if you already have a kitchen-aid, the best thing to start with is the meat grinder attachment. Don't bother getting the stuffer attachment because it's terrible. It's really worth the money to buy a dedicated stuffer. I use this one, but I'm considering upgrading to the 15lb stuffer.

As for books, I like The Art of Making Fermented Sausages and Charcuterie. But note that The Art of Making Fermented Sausages uses T-SPX bacteria in it's recipes where Charcuterie uses F-RM-52. Curing with T-SPX takes around 30 days, where F-RM-52 is around 2 weeks (IIRC). I haven't tried curing with F-RM-52 yet. The Art of Making Fermented Sausages is very "food science" based, so it contains charts and graphs about pH levels and how they related to humidity and temp, etc. Charcuterie has more recipes than just Salami, and is more similar to a recipe book.

Good luck!

1. WINE. Every good student needs wine to get the creative side of brain functioning at maximum capacity. A highly-creative mind will find new spells to use that just might solve Wizard-Muggle tensions. To maximize my wine consumption during school I need the KitchenAid 5-Qt. Tilt-Head Polished Stainless Steel Bowl with Comfortable Handle from my Baking Things list. I mean, this is an appropriate vessel for wine consumption, yes? I might even share with other students. It can also substitute for the Goblet of Fire in a pinch.
   
2. BROOM(STICK). How else is one to get rid of annoying House Elves? Oh, you mean we're supposed to be nice to the domestic help? I suppose it could be a good mode of transit but since first years aren't supposed to have broomsticks I'm going to assume that you actually want us to bring cleaning supplies. I mean, you never know what sort of ghosts you might come across in the plumbing. In that case, I'm going to need the Bounty Paper Towels 6 Select A Size Huge Rolls (Packaging May Vary) from my Household Needs list. The paper towels can be used to clean many surfaces, serve as toilet paper and tissues in an emergency and are quite handy for note-taking when you've forgotten your notebooks in class. The empty rolls can be joined together to serve as a modified broomstick that with the right amount of magic (you know, the change something into something else spell) might even turn you into a star Quidditch player.
   
3. HAT. If a wizard doesn't have a hat, how on earth is s/he going to hide a familiar that isn't on the approved list? To make sure that I can bring my dog, Davey, to class with me each day I'm going to need the DMC CS1430-6750 Classic Reserve Aida, 30-Inch by 10-Yard, White, 14 Count from my Cross Stitch list. I can fashion part of it into a proper wizard's hat and the rest I can use to make the CAPE from the bonus riddle.
   
4. BOOK. One does not simply go to wizarding school without a proper spellbook. I've learned to pack light since I have to lug all my stuff from home to the dorms and back each term so I'll need the Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High Resolution Display with Next-Gen Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers from my Stuff Sally Likes list as my spellbook. This is really a quite sound investment because each term when the professors revise the required texts I'll be able to get a digital update and be more environmentally conscious than buying traditional textbooks. I really hate it when the professors release new editions just to get more royalty money.
   
5. TRUNK. Storage space is at a premium in dorms, even at wizarding school. For that I'll need the Prepworks from Progressive International DKS-100 Flour Keeper with Built in Leveler from my Baking Things list. I know it doesn't look like much, but just like the Room of Requirement, it will scale in size to provide exactly the storage space that I need for all my stuff. Remember what I said about packing light? This is another one of those tricks.
   
6. CAPE. This is the bonus and I've put the item for it in #3 above. Didn't Edna Mode teach you anything?
   
   I'm really not a troublemaker but I do like to see Mischief Managed.

I got a super cheap knock off version from Marshalls for like $8 or 9. It works great too! It's plastic so I know that over time it probably won't hold up quite as well as the real one, but I use it very frequently and have had it for about a year and it's not showing any damage so far. Mine also has scrapers on both sides rather than just one. Might be worth keeping an eye out for another option like that if the $ is holding you back!

Edit: I think this is the one I have https://www.amazon.com/New-Metro-Design-KA-TH-Tilt-Head/dp/B0015TMHFG/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i4?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=AEZX5DVB22DJVNTTCJYH&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1cded295-23b4-40b1-8da6-7c1c9eb81d33&pf_rd_i=desktop.

Even if this one eventually breaks (and like I said, so far that doesn't seem to be an issue I'll have any time soon), I'll never again be without this type of paddle. It is SO much better than the standard one.

I got this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0048EKI8S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Its$79 bucks but I think it will pay for itself bc of the sausage maker and cheese grater. I saved $1 per lb on cheese by shredding myself

I wanted it for the sausage maker bc we love sausage. Its my very unromantic vday present. It doesnt chop potatoes but it slices them thin so I made scalloped potatoes really quick. There is a thinner attachment that you can make homemade potato chips too.

The ground pork i made was hands down the best ground meat Ive ever had. I didnt know ground meat would have that much variance but its really good. Plus I always found pork shoulder for .99 cents a lb vs $4 a lb I pay for sausage thats mediocre.

I accept your offer. I cant even get these guys to get their dishes in the sink. Husband hoards dishes "ill finish that later" Next thing I know there are 3 days of old plates with half eaten food

I got this to grind venison with and have been completely satisfied. I can' say if it is better than the kitchen aid one or not, but I chose it for the larger hopper, and it seemed easier to clean. I used an older, purpose made, grinder (albeit an older, cheaper one) a few years ago and decided to get this one. I like it a lot better; it takes up less space and is easier to clean.

I've made dog treats, bread and pretzels. My dog could care less about the treats. Bread is something I'm still experimenting w/ to figure out. The pretzels have been pretty good.

Bread is tricky because the spent grain isn't milled like regular flour, obviously. One option is to find bread recipes that use the spent grains to make whole grain bread. You only use a small portion of the spent grain mixed in w/ regular bread flour. Pay attention to how much water you add as the spent grains contain a lot of water from mashing. Another option is making your own bread flour from the spent grains. You just dry the spent grains and mill them into flour. If you have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer you can attach a grain mill to it.
I've only tried drying and grinding into flour once and it didn't work well because I didn't dry the spent grains enough before I attempted to mill them. It's a lot of work and so far I've only had edible, but not great, bread from it.

I've made pretzels w/ this recipe a few times. I think it's pretty good. I make a spicy mustard sauce to go w/ them. It also helps overcome how dense these can be. It's nothing special, but I'll post the recipe if anyone is interested.

I've seen recipes for cookies too, but I haven't tried any yet.

Making food from spent grains is almost involved as brewing beer itself. Have fun!

Don't go too fast if you plan on using it for breads. No matter the make/model you can blow out a KA motor pretty quick doing 50-60% hydration dough at anything over 3. I believe they say to not go about 2 for doughs.

If you don't have one, consider getting a Flex Head Beater as they work really good.

Take the time to learn what the minimum/maximum amounts are that you can work with. Can you beat 2 egg whites or do you need to do recipes that require 4? Can you do 1L of whipping cream or does it go all over the place. I can't remember if this stuff is in the instructions anymore tbh.

Most important make sure you name your KA. They always do a better job if you talk to them and tell them how much you love them.

Enjoy :)

Shredding meat (Paddle attachment), whipping egg whites into fluffy clouds for Keto bread (whip attachment and yes, it tastes a bit eggy, but I LIKE IT - it's only eggs and protein powder and whatever flavor you add), Grinding attachment is incredibly useful because make your own sausage meat is amazing. There is also a grating attachment (http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-RVSA-Slicer-Shredder-Attachment/dp/B00004SGFP) so you can buy blocks of cheese and grate it yourself. Whipping up eggs to make souffle omelets (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/omelet-souffle)...

if it didn't come with one, get a meat grinder extension they are an amazing thing, as they can do many more thing than grind meat, though grinding your own meat is a pretty amazing experience. I've done potatoes and cheese processing in it as well as meats, and it turns out quite nice. My friend uses his for making wheat grass juice and other processing needs, where the juice is just needed. Just put a mesh strainer in the bowl part of the mix, and all the little tiny parts are caught and you are left with juice in the bowl.

Depending on your budget, a mix of chuck and a flavorful cut like short rib, ribeye, or sirloin works well.

I have a different recommendation, though, if you're looking to make a great burger: grind the meat yourself. Lots of kitchen manufacturers like KitchenAid or Cuisinart make meat grinder attachments to their devices - I have this one and it works really well. Burgers made from fresh coarse-ground meat, loosely clumped together, will beat the crap out of grocery store meat that's been ground to a paste and sitting in a styrofoam container. I've found this is true for other uses of ground meat as well (tacos! stuffed peppers!), so I haven't bought ground meat in a few years. I'm somewhat of a kitchen gadget person, and my meat grinder is my single favorite gadget.

I recently made some cultured butter using Brad's recipe. Pretty fantastic.

I strongly recommend picking up the meat grinder attachment for your KitchenAid as well. :)

I dont know this specific model but this is my absolute favorite attachment: https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE5T-Beater-Tilt-Head-Mixers/dp/B004A15870

Also there are so many random things you can use this machine for- one of my faves is shredding chicken for chicken salad. It takes 30 seconds and is 100% worth cleaning the bowl. Happy cooking!

I have a plastic standard type spiralizer. I also have the kitchen aid one (if you have a KA stand mixer).

I love the Kitchen Aid one SO MUCH (idk if Bed Bath and Beyond has them so you can use coupon). I can put a zucchini in there. Put a few dishes away. Come back, put another zucchini on there. The parts are so much easier to clean up than the plastic unit. I love it sooooo much. Initially I was intimidated to use it, but it's super easy.

I did try peeling potatoes with it, and that didn't work so much, although I could have been doing something wrong. It was a champ on apples too.

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSM1APC-Spiralizer-Attachment-Slice/dp/B00XPRRHYW?th=1

Yes, home made zoodles are great!

I have a spiralizer similar to the one linked. It always such a mess though. So my Christmas present to myself this year was a spiralizer attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer!

Super simple to attach, quick work of zoodling, and very easy cleanup. I really prefer it over the other version I have.

The Kitchenaid stand mixers have variable quality and the shiny new ones you see in the store are more poorly reviewed than older versions of the same product.

That said it cuts down on the time it takes to make any number of baked goods. They're not as good in my experience at bread dough as it seems to kind of wear on them.

If you don't do a ton of baking or you don't really want to start grinding your own meat then it might not be worth getting. That said I enjoy the ability to have less mess when baking cookies or bread and I've enjoyed making sausages and grinding up meat for burgers.

The model you choose is pretty dependent upon what you want to make, do you want cupcakes, cookies, frostings and other such baked goods? The cheaper ones will likely do just fine for a long time.

Do you want to make bread multiple times a week? You should probably look into a heavier duty more expensive model from any number of companies.

My only advice is that if you do buy one you should get one of these definitely worth and they should be standard when you buy a mixer.

I have the KitchenAid meat grinder attachment that works really well, I've so far ground about 150 lbs of meat through it. I primarily use it for sausage making but I've ground beef for burgers and meatballs too. My only gripe with the grinder is that while it works perfectly for meat cubes or strips if I have to grind something twice that's a bit of a chore.

Of course this only is useful if you already have a kitchenaid, otherwise a standalone electric would be cheaper.

One nice thing you could do is print out all of Len Poli's recipes and put them in a binder. They are all pdf files, and they're not available as a single file. Poli is a master butcher who graciously put all his recipes up on the web.

To get into charcuterie you really need to have a curing chamber. You can pay a lot of money for one, or make your own out of an old refrigerator for cheap. Then you need a meat grinder and a sausage stuffer. If you have a Kitchenaid, you can get the meat grinder and stuffer attachements together for $130. After that you need various sized casings and things like curing salt.

But what shroomenheimer said is right on. That's the best book on the market.

Since you have a kitchenaid, This one.

That's just the roller, but it's only 60 bucks.

Now if you add the cutters, they cost a lot more.

This one makes spaghetti and fettuccine, but it's about 130 bucks

But if you have to get the cutters, might as well buy the set. for 180 bucks.


You can hand cut the noodles btw. It's not that difficult, but getting it consistent is the difficult part.

But to be honest, it's that inconsistent noodle thickness that adds to the charm of homemade pasta, if you ask me.

As long as they're consistent enough to cook even enough, it's fine I say.


There's also this set

But really I wouldn't pay for a cutter that cuts ravioli for me.

My wife and I use the attachment for our KitchenAid stand mixer and it's always worked great for us.

That said, we can a lot and tend to do double, triple, quadruple batches, etc. Having a powered mill makes things a lot faster and easier. The cost over a hand mill was worth it for us, especially since we already had the mixer.

Happy Pi Day!

3.14159265359

This beater so I don't have to scrape the side of the bowl getting batter all over my hand.

Enjoy your pi day!

I would second the apple sauce. And add that apple sauce can be made with the peels on. The food mill will filter them out and you will throw them away in the end but it gives your sauce a nice color and a slight change in flavor.

I also recommend NOT using a hand food mill. I have used this for the last 2 years and it has taken a process that was dredful and time consuming and made it quick and fun.

Do you own a kitchen-aid mixer? I do, and I own the meat grinder attachment. It works wonderfully. Don't bother with the sausage stuffer though (if that's part of your plan), buy a dedicated one. On ebay you can also buy different bits to grind different sizes (although it comes with two).
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA-Grinder-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421515129&sr=8-1&keywords=kitchen+aid+grinder

I know. I couldn't believe it. She was pretty darn happy. All the money saved can buy accessories. She already bought the silicone edged paddle.

That sounds delicious!

Which attachment do you have? I found 2 that looked good

https://smile.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KGM-Stand-Mixer-Grain-Mill-Attachment/dp/B003DVP1V6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480608500&sr=8-1&keywords=kitchenaid+grain+mill

and

https://smile.amazon.com/Mockmill-KitchenAid-White-Ceramic-Attachment/dp/B00ZRLIHRK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480608500&sr=8-2&keywords=kitchenaid+grain+mill

I love mine too. I decided to buy more than I needed and get the 6 quart. I'm glad I did now. A double batch of cookies or sausage-cheese balls easily use the entire 6 quarts.

It is awesomeness for bread too, although I usually just do the New York Times No Knead bread for daily use. No mixer involved.

And this is my favorite upgrade.

The meat grinder we bought is the food grinder attachment for a kitchen aide mixer
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA-Grinder-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFH/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1404688010&sr=8-3&keywords=food+grinder
....It isn't fast, but with patience you can grind all you need....I told my wife that we could at a bare minimum match the prices that we are buying ground beef at and probably much more lean beef....A 5lb 70/30 chub package of ground beef right now is about $15. My wife buys the groceries except bbq meats and I know I can get a 15lb brisket for about $35 or so give or take a few bucks. I can live with a little more expensive ground beef if I know that the meat I am eating is from ONE cow rather than god knows how many different cows. Growing up my parents seldom ever bought meat from the store....We always had a hog or two and our beef was from our own farm. I can't really remember the difference except that farm fed pork and beef always seemed to taste better. Chickens too for that matter...but pork and chickens were never ground ourselves. We took them to a processing plant and they did it for us depending on what Dad asked for.

Well, your questions are all valid and I can only provide you with what I did in Northern New York, near Lake Placid (Winter Olympics 1932 & 1980).

​

Firstly, review this website, which has numerous recipes, and I have have tried three of them. http://lpoli.50webs.com/Sausage%20recipes.htm#DRY

Then to answer your questions:

1. The temperatures where I live range from -30F - 95F. So, I do my sausages, dried and/or smoked during the cooler months. You can optionally use a refrigerator that should be set at 45-48F degrees, for the curing process. Or find a dark, cool place like a basement.
   
2. Use Cure #2, which is recommended for long curing sausages and meats
   
3. My first attempt to make dried sausage was this recipe:
   
4. SAUCISSON SEC RECIPE
   
   📷
   
   PREP: 30 MINS. COOK: 30 MINS. YIELD: 7 SAUSAGES (70 SERVINGS)
   
   This classic French sausage is a great entry point for the novice to charcuterie. The technique is straightforward, the seasonings simple, and the curing can be done in a relatively forgiving environment, like a basement or garage, not requiring specialized equipment.
   
   As with all cured meats, though, some specialized ingredients are involved, like dextrose, curing salt (also known as Insta Cure or Prague powder), and casings. Curing salt contains sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, which stave off the development of the bacteria that cause botulism, and is therefore essential to the safety of this recipe.
   
   A stand mixer with a meat grinding attachment will work fine for this recipe. Remember to keep everything very cold at all times. The meat should always be cold enough that it hurts your hands to handle too long. If it begins to warm, get everything in the coldest part of the refrigerator or even the freezer for a few minutes, repeating as necessary.
   
   As the sausage hangs, the meat ferments. White mold will form on the outside of the casing. This is normal, and desirable. After about three weeks, you'll have a firm salami-like sausage with balanced flavor and a sour tang from fermentation. Simply slice and enjoy with some crisp French bread and cornichon pickles. The French also enjoy it with very sharp Dijon mustard.
   
   

   What You'll Need
   

   
   

• 4 1/2 pounds/2 kg pork meat
  
• 1/2 pounds/225 g fatback
  
• 2.7 Table Spoons/1 1/2 ounces/40 g kosher salt
  
• 1 Table Spoon/1/4 to 1/2 ounces/10 g black pepper (coarsely ground)
  
• 1 Table Spoon/ ounces/15 g ​dextrose
  
• .4 Table Spoon/1/4 ounces/6 g curing salt no. 2
  
• 1.2 Table Spoon/2/3 ounces/18 g garlic (minced to a paste)
  
• 1/4 cup/59 ml white wine (dry)
  
• 8 feet hog casing (or sheep casing, soaked in tepid water for 2 hours before use)
  
  
  

  How to Make It
  

  
  

1. Set up the meat grinder, all metal parts from the freezer. Grind the pork meat and fatback on a large (¾” [1.9 cm]) plate into a bowl sitting on ice. Use a paddle to mix in all other ingredients.
   
2. Keep the casing wet while you work with it. Slide the casing onto the funnel but don’t make a knot. Put the mixture in the stuffer and pack it down. Begin extruding. As the mixture comes out, pull the casing back over the nozzle and tie a knot.
   
3. Extrude one full coil, about 48 inches (1.3 m) long, and tie it off. Crimp with fingers to separate sausages into 12-inch (30-cm) lengths. Twist the casing once one way, then the other between each sausage link. Repeat along the entire coil. Once the sausage is cased, use a sterile needle to prick any air pockets. Prick each sausage 4 or 5 times. Repeat the casing process to use remaining sausage.
   
4. Hang the sausages to cure 18 to 20 days at 60°F–75°F (18°C–21°C). These can be refrigerated, wrapped, for up to 6 months.

What kind of grinder did you get? First party plastic or metal grinder? or 3rd party that can attach itself to the kitchenaid?

I was looking into the plastic one from kitchenaid but heard that it has a high chance of cracking out of the blue or on even on soft meat.

While the metal one is much more desirable. Seems pricey though (CAD)

1. Pasta roller kitchenaid attachment
   
   
2. Because I love making pasta and rolling it out by hand is tiring.
   
   
3. I'll survive, I still have hands and a rolling pin!
   
   Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!

Flames and Racing stripes are okay, but how about a Flying Tiger?

It'll make everything even better: Fresh whipped cream. Home-made marshmallows. Meringue pies. Angel food cakes. Pound cakes, butter cakes with buttercream frosting. Brioche. Yuhuhuhuhummmmm!

Oh yesssss. Happy milling :)

KitchenAid KGM All Metal Grain Mill Attachment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DVP1V6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nLgNAbF5CN6HG

Congratulations! My mom gave me mine over ten years ago, and it's still going strong.
Now you just need these!

I got the cheap kitchenaid grinder attachment a bit ago. It's pretty great for grinding up burgers. Used it for some at home double double's the other night.

Next I want to start making charcuterie.

If it has a 5, it means it has a 5 quart bowl, 45, 4.5 quart.

If your kitchen aid has a tilt head, then then you can buy the smaller one (i.e. this ) if yours is a "bowl lift", you'll want this. However, be careful on the last one, for it's plastic. It should be fine, but if your batter is super heavy it might break and need a replacement with a metal base (like I had to).

My most recent game changer is the Beater Blade for my KitchenAid stand mixer. It's like the regular beater, but the silicone on the sides of it scrapes as it mixes. It's awesome.

Anything baking related would be great. But I'd love to have this [Beater Blade] (https://www.amazon.com/Original-BeaterBlade-KitchenAid-6-Quart-KA-6L/dp/B0015TMI28/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1505425108&sr=8-4&keywords=beater+blade). It's magical for baking. Instead of having to stop the mixer over and over to scrap the sides down the blade scrapes the sides and bottom for you. Laziness is the mother of invention. Makes baking go quicker so you can have tasty things faster!

I had this before, and it was pretty good, but it still left a lot of batter on the sides of the bowl. I got this one for Christmas, and while louder, works a lot better in my opinion.

They aren’t cheap, but they last forever if you take care of them.

KitchenAid KSM2APC Spiralizer Plus Attachment with Peel, Core and Slice, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FFRR7NK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KxLOCbFBCG4V9

Start baking more! Cakes, cookies, breads. People are always impressed by baked goods. Oh, and always make your own whipped cream and frosting from now on, those are game changers.

Also, drunk you should consider springing for a paddle attachment with a scraper. It's amazing, it scrapes the sides of the bowl for you so you have to do even less work.

Any word on how the grain mill attachment for KitchenAid stand mixers work? A lot of people have those stand mixers, and while not cheap, it is at least not a hand crank. But I don't have any experience with that attachment. Would love to know if anyone else does.

If he has a kitchen aid:

Flex Edge Beater

Pouring shield


If he works with chocolate: good chocolate. The stuff you get at the grocery just doesn't cut it.

Some decent metal mixing bowls. Very versatile. Can be used for whipping cream stuff, used as a double boiler, and non-baking uses.

Containers for storing ingredients. I prefer OXO, but some people like sterilite or Rubbermaid.

I'm pretty sure most of that is a decal, not paint.

Edit: like this

I the fuck, for one (did that make sense?), grind my own meat all the time. I've got a fairly cheap attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer that does the trick just fine. Meat quality his BY FAR better than most ground junk you get at the grocery store; it's like going to the butcher, but at a better price. Also helps with making sausage and other nonsense you can't make without a grinder at home...

I've read some bad reviews on that attachment regarding metal shavings and grey ooze left in the food. Do you have one? Any issues like that?

Absolute best attatchment

Here's the exact mixer I've got. Attached a few gift cards on black friday ended up moving it to $150 $200 and changed shipped from Macy's.

This is the exact grinder attachment I've got. $36 at a kitchen supply store at the local outlet shopping center.

EDIT: still had the receipt in my email :P

So the Kitchen aid used to have extruder that came with meat grinder. I think they discontinued it. It didn't work very well anyways.

The pasta rollers for Kitchen Aid work really well. (http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KPEX-Pasta-Excellence-Attachment/dp/B0007QN05Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1373640212&sr=8-4&keywords=kitchen+aid+pasta)

Now I believe they replaced the meat grinder/pasta maker extruder with this one (http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KPEXTA-Stand-Mixer-Pasta-Extruder-Attachment/dp/B003GWZ9ZK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373640212&sr=8-3&keywords=kitchen+aid+pasta) I don't know how well it works, has to be better than old one.

I use the KitchenAid Spiralizer Attachment and it works wonderfully.

Not 100% sure model mixer you got but get one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE5T-Beater-Tilt-Head-Mixers/dp/B004A15870

They make mixing soooo much easier!

Welp, it seems to go up and down in price a lot, I got it for $52 last year. It's a bit more than that at the moment. Still, for that price you also get the grinder it attaches to, and if you get tomatoes regularly, it's a lifesaver.

What's your budget? The kitchen aid grinder attachment is your best option. A hand crank grinder might be less, but not by much...

There's one for 5Q and one for 5.5-6Q, so make sure you get the right one! :)

We've had this one for a few years now. We don't use it more than 3-4 times a year but it's held up well!

​

https://www.amazon.com/ChefsChoice-Stainless-Attachment-Designed-KitchenAid/dp/B00BVC0LC8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1539367754&sr=8-5&keywords=metal+meat+grinder+attachment

​

Sounds like your book should be bundled with one of these instead!

Or go super-advanced with the Kitchenaid Mixer attachments and have electricty do all the work for you! Kitchenaid mixers are to food what your 10-in-1 shower product Sueeve is for hygiene.

It could still have it. Better off just grinding your own meats. Just get one of these

Get one of these. It's a lot better than the regular paddle. I use it 3-4 times a week.

I have the grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid and it works great. No need to mess with the casing attachment if you're just looking for ground.

But as for looking in the grocery store, just slice off the casings and brown in a skillet with a little oil. Break it up as you cook. Dab with paper towels and put on your pizza before baking.

That Squeezo thing looks cool! Anybody use a Kitchenaid mixer strainer?

I'm a big fan of a stand mixer with this attachment: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA-Grinder-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFH

Doesn't overwork the beef, and can make a ton real fast!

LPT: Buy a cheese grating attachment for a electric mixer like the one here. Go through a whole block of cheese in minutes with minimal energy or manual graters breaking

Get a beater with a scraper, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE5T-Beater-Tilt-Head-Mixers/dp/B004A15870

Put some flames on it like Alton Brown.

Where are you seeing $100-200 for the attachments? This is what I have

I had the same problem when I upgraded to a Pro 600. I then discovered the 11-wire whip, and it's awesome. It will beat two egg whites, no problem. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PJ6XGQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fpALzbBH6CK4G

You can also get a beater blade with a rubber edge that scrapes the bowl while mixing.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015TMI28/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_zuALzbFK7EBAA

If you order either of these, be sure to get the ones that fit your model.

Yeah, I thought about using the mixer to try it out, but I decided against it. If I had more time to screw around, I probably would have gone for it. I saw somewhere that someone suggested using one of these. Maybe I'll try something like that when it doesn't matter if it works or not. Thanks!

Here it is

KitchenAid KSM2APC Spiralizer Plus Attachment with Peel, Core & Slice, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FFRR7NK

I have the Chef's Choice model and it works well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chefs-Choice-Attachment-KitchenAid-Dishwasher/dp/B00BVC0LC8

My family and I go every year. We’ve increased our haul since we got this. Its sped up our apple uses incredibly.

Edit:

The full kit needs the meat grinder:

KitchenAid FVSFGA Fruit & Vegetable Strainer Set with Food Grinder Attachment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SGFJ/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_1s2uDb7TMNKY3

KitchenAid FVSP Fruit & Vegetable Strainer Parts Attachment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SGFK/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_pq2uDbB4JTXCW

VERY inexpensive. $39.99 for the grinder and $9.99 on Amazon for the sausage attachment.

Amazon sells stickers for kitchenaid mixers:

https://www.amazon.com/Mixer-Kit-Shark-Plane-Decal/dp/B000ZMBICM

Here's one on Amazon for $23.21 at the moment.

We use the kitchenaid attachment.. Plus side is that you can get grinder plates/sausage stuffer for it as well and make your own ground meats and sausages.

Works well for processing tomatoes. Only ever had problems making grape jelly when the seeds got impacted inside it: cleaning it out and changing the speed helped.

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSM1APC-Spiralizer-Attachment-Slice/dp/B00XPRRHYW

Zelda?

I didn't know I needed that. Now I do

I've seen those, will give it a try. Did you get the sideswipe or the metro design?

I think you're looking for a roller mill. Here's one that attaches to a kitchenaid mixer:

roller mill

A related question I had after reading yours: Does the new beater blade not help with scraping the sides? I've only had experience with the traditional design.

> Flying Tiger

Sold! Is it strange to feel my life becoming more complete right now? Because it does. My mixer will drop flavor bombs in faces. You're incredible.

Kohls really pisses me off with this shit. I wanted a grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid bowl mixer, so I can grind my own meats, it's this guy right here: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FGA-Grinder-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFH

Well anyway I heard Kohls was having a 20% off sale on kitchenwares, so I popped on down to my local store to see it "marked down" to $50 from $60. Two things pissed me off about that. First off the math is flat-out fucking wrong. Yeah $60 is 20% more than $50, but 20% of $60 is $12, so it shoulda been $48 if they're gonna call it 20% off. The fact that it was only $10 off the "original price" while being marketed as 20% discount just screams to me that some jerkass with barely a middle-school understanding of maths just added 20% to the actual original retail price and called it the "original price" and "20% off". Second, at that time the damn grinder was $50 all day long at Sears or Walmart, no sales no discount. I knowthis because I'd been wanting one for some time but felt it wasn't worth $50 to me.