We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n For the last decade or so, my cousin and I have processed all of the deer we harvested on our own. Growing up, we would take our deer to the local butcher and receive pre-packaged meat with no guarantee it was from our harvest. When we grew tired of wondering, and paying upwards of $100 a deer, we invested in a knife kit and a small grinder.<\/p>\n A few years back, we inherited an 1876 cast-iron sausage stuffer that weighs about as much as a truck and requires two full grown men to turn the handle and pump meat into the casings. Although it was taxing, we persevered with that setup at our annual sausage party for several years. Unfortunately, last year\u2019s party saw the end of the cast-iron stuffer as the cast-iron top plate cracked and exploded during the days-long event.\u00a0<\/p>\n While it was tough to say goodbye, it opened up the door to experience what 150-years of sausage stuffer technology has advanced to. Here are my picks for the best sausage stuffers after processing 125 pounds of meat at this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n As we headed into this year\u2019s annual sausage stuffing party, we acquired five sausage stuffers from top outdoor brands in the meat processing industry. I also tacked on a small grinder to reminisce about the good old days and review a budget option.<\/p>\n The plan was simple, take 85 pounds of venison and 40 pounds of pork fat and produce the following options:<\/p>\n The annual three-day event began on a cold Friday in February where we first measured out the 85 pounds of cubed venison while mixing in the pork fat. <\/p>\n Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The next morning, after leaving the trays to soak in the seasonings, we reconvened with about a gallon of coffee and high-spirits to begin the next step: grinding the meat. We made quick work of all four trays using a Meat! .5-horsepower grinder<\/a> and Lem Big Bite #32 1.5-horsepower grinder<\/a>. Then, it was time to get to the real test, finding our new replacement sausage stuffer.<\/p>\n Read Next: <\/strong>Best Meat Grinders<\/a><\/p>\n Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n I had no idea what we were missing in years past. All of the best sausage stuffers on this list outperformed the 1876 cast-iron stuffer by a landslide. You won\u2019t have to go antiquing for your new sausage stuffer, but we still had to decide which stuffers performed best. We looked at build quality, mounting platform, handle ergonomics, hopper size, gasket performance, and durability.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> I\u2019m typically not a fan of declaring a landslide victory when it comes to gear testing, but in this case, I\u2019ll be making an exception. Upon the very first crank with the Cabela\u2019s Pro Series, I knew we had our winner.\u00a0<\/p>\n The hopper holds a hefty pile of meat at 12-pounds, and the vertical design makes it incredibly easy to rotate the handle clockwise without placing too much pressure across the surface area. I\u2019m also a big fan of clear plastic stuffing tubes over the metal options as it\u2019s easier to monitor the output, ensuring an evenly stuffed casing. The air release valve worked without a hitch and the gasket didn\u2019t fail, no matter how quickly we tried turning the handle to force a failure.<\/p>\n Another great feature of the Cabela\u2019s Pro Series is the two-speed design for stuffing and a faster retracting speed. Pair that with the integrated spring clips for faster hopper installation and removal and we were flying. When you\u2019re working through over 100-pounds of meat, speed and efficiency is key.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s safe to say that we will be putting the Cabela\u2019s Pro Series sausage stuffer through the wringer again at next year\u2019s party, and I can\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> The Lem MightyBite 5-pound sausage stuffer performed phenomenally. For a small hopper and lightweight design, this stuffer was incredibly easy to use and filled a hefty pile of sausage casings. Although the hopper is small and requires refills more often, it was incredibly easy to remove and re-install the hopper as it simply slides in and out.<\/p>\n Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The single speed design means it wasn\u2019t the fastest for reloading, but the handle doesn\u2019t require much force at all to produce a full clockwise rotation. Another big advantage of the Lem MightyBite is that the air release valve worked without a hitch and the gasket didn\u2019t fail, no matter how quickly we tried turning the handle to force a failure.<\/p>\n As I mentioned before, I\u2019m not a fan of non-clear plastic stuffing tubes, but the Lem MightyBite gives you the option for stainless steel or plastic stuffing tubes, so it\u2019s your choice. If you\u2019d prefer stainless steel, each tube is labeled with size and diameter for your convenience.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> The Meat! 15-pound vertical sausage stuffer is a beast. It doesn\u2019t offer a fancy two-speed design, and it\u2019s not built for speed, but it can hold an impressive amount of meat and filled sausage casings effectively. If you\u2019re trying to pump out a high volume of sausages, this is the sausage stuffer for you.<\/p>\n Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The hopper was easy to remove, fill, and re-install, and the Meat! stuffer gained my favor with the clear plastic stuffing tubes. You\u2019ll have to monitor your output closely, as the wide surface area can trick you into rotating the handle too fast and blowing out your casing.<\/p>\n We did have to stop mid-casing once as we were getting a lot of play from the housing, but after a quick tightening of the main support bolts, we were back in action. However, due to the wide surface area, rotating the handle clockwise did require a substantial amount of effort when compared to the skinnier more vertical hoppers. I was able to cause a gasket failure, but only when I purposefully turned the handle as fast as possible. During regular use, the stuffer performed well and is very deserving of the best large hopper award.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n While the Cabela\u2019s Deluxe meat grinder may be fighting well outside of its weight class when comparing it to devices solely made for sausage stuffing, I\u2019d be remiss not to include a solid budget option for folks just starting out on their meat processing journey. The Deluxe meat grinder is very similar to what my cousin and I started with before we came to own the ancient cast iron stuffer. While it might take a considerable amount of time for grinding and sausage stuffing, it will get the job done.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> The Weston 5-pound vertical sausage is a great option when it comes to smaller hoppers, and comes in at a lower price point than most other comparably sized stuffers on the market. It is lightweight, and the hopper is easy to remove and reinstall on the base. The Weston 5-pound stuffer also comes with clear plastic stuffing tubes.<\/p>\n Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n There are, however, some areas for improvement. I noticed that the hopper had a lot of play when seated in the base, and unlike the other stuffers in the test, features open face gears. The open face gears shouldn\u2019t cause an issue, but it is possible that over time and usage, your meat could become more easily tainted from chipping gears.<\/p>\n The biggest room for improvement is the gasket which failed twice, prior to us pushing the stuffer to attempt a failure. This isn\u2019t the biggest problem you can encounter, but it can be frustrating as it requires you to reseat the gasket and reset the hopper and casing.<\/p>\n Caleb Meighen<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Overall, I think the Weston 5-pound sausage stuffer is a safe option for folks looking to produce small amounts of sausages at a time. It\u2019s very fairly priced and did its job of filling our kielbasa casings.<\/p>\nHow We Tested the Best Sausage Stuffers<\/h2>\n
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Best Sausage Stuffers: Reviews & Recommendations<\/h2>\n
Best Overall: Cabela\u2019s Pro Series Sausage Stuffer<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Small Hopper: Lem MightyBite 5-Pound Sausage Stuffer<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Large Hopper: Meat! 15-Pound Vertical Sausage Stuffer<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Best Budget: Cabela\u2019s Deluxe Meat Grinder<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Weston 5-Pound Vertical Sausage Stuffer<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Weston 11-Pound Dual Speed Vertical Sausage Stuffer<\/a><\/h3>\n
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