Review: Weston Meat Grinder

After working at a butcher shop one fall and having access to their industrial-grade machinery, I forever swore off grinding my own wild game. We're talking two minutes for an entire elk, versus hours of stuffing chunks into a table-top grinder at home. Not to mention the headaches when the grinding plate clogs with sinew, the motor overheats, or the meat gets warm sitting on the tray.

Finally, I’ve found a grinder that makes at-home processing enjoyable again: the Weston Butcher Series #32 Meat Grinder. With a 1.5-hp motor, this grinder is designed for use in a commercial kitchen—leaps and bounds above the standard at-home 0.5-hp (or less) motor. This fall, it ground 95 pounds of elk meat in 10 minutes flat through a coarse, 7mm plate. The only limiting factor was how fast I could feed meat into the hopper. A second pass through the coarse plate was slightly slower (15 minutes), but produced a perfect grind for burgers, pasta dishes, and other similar applications. (Note: the grinder also comes with a 4.5mm plate, but I never use it for wild game.)

Not only is grind time drastically reduced, but overall processing time comes down, too. The #32 grinder can handle chunks up to the size of a small fist, which means less time prepping for grinding. I’ve also found that bigger pieces produce a better grind—an actual grind, that is, as opposed to being mushed through a plate. Together, less prep and faster processing keep the meat cold and the quality excellent.

In terms of the grinder itself, the motor is air-cooled, meaning no breaks needed—ever. On top of that, a reverse mode can be used to unclog or clean out the auger—though it would be the rare situation to need it. Full metal gears provide ample torque, and can withstand the abuses of sinewy game without fear of shearing (I didn't even bother to trim off sliver-skin or medium-sized tendons). The stainless steel plates and cutting blade are easy to clean, and will provide years of reliable use. Additionally, sausage-stuffing attachments make at-home brats a breeze. It’s a rock-solid setup—one that has earned a permanent place in my garage.

Hunters serious about processing their own game should consider upgrading to a grinder of this size. The only drawback is the cost—at $850, it’s a hefty pill to swallow. But at the end of the day, what’s an additional weekend during hunting season worth? Now multiply that over the 20-plus years you’ll have this grinder. That’s a lot of days that could be spent in woods rather than shoving meat through an overheating grinder for hours, or days, on end. Yeah, it’s worth it.

$850; westonbrands.com.