KitchenAid food grinder/strainer attachments

[DirtTherapy]

Me again. I have a standard 5-qt KitchenAid stand mixer, and was looking into the food mill/grinder attachment that can be used to help make tomato sauce.

I see they have a white plastic food grinder, and also a metal food grinder. It appears that the fruit and vegetable strainer is compatible with only some of the grinders and not others, and there are a lot of negative reviews on it because apparently retailers are still selling the older grinder which doesn't work with the strainer. I'm thinking of skipping the whole thing... but does anyone have a KA setup they like that will crush tomatoes and extract skin and seeds? I know some third parties make KA compatible attachments. Last year E got me a slicer/shredder one that was a knock-off, and unfortunately the chute is very small and it couldn't shred cabbage very well. I don't think we'll be doing huge batches - maybe we're better off with an old fashioned hand crank food mill? BTW I also presume the white plastic would be easily stained by the tomato sauce.

https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-a ... mfvsp.html?

Ann

[zeuspaul]

I have the KitchenAid and no longer use it. It would heat up after awhile and the motor would drip oil (into the sauce). I had visions of a lot of tomatoes and replaced it with a Tre Spade tomato mill. The Tre Spade doesn't heat up as much due to the larger grid sized of the strainer. It also has a larger throat making it easier and faster to process the tomatoes. I pass the tomatoes through three times. With the KA I passed them through only twice.

If I were to use my KA again I would probably consider softening the tomatoes a bit in hot water so the machine wouldn't have to work so hard.

The Tre Spade is probably overkill for most users. It was a joy to use this year. It ate the tomatoes very quickly. Then I reduced the sauce in the oven over night. No stirring and the sauce tastes great with no spices added or necessary.

If it were not for the dripping oil I would recommend the KA. I don't know if this is unique to my machine. It is fine when using it as a mixer because it doesn't have to work as hard. For just a few tomatoes I would opt for one of the manual ones.

[DirtTherapy]

Good notes, Zeuspaul. As a side note, a couple of years ago I found a YouTube video on doing a deep (outside) cleaning of my KA mixer, which I did, and then another video about how to clean the inside and replace the grease. I did that too, even though KitchenAid basically says no one should ever service their own mixer like that.

The few times I used my mixer enough to get it heating up were making first a very long-whisked egg-white cake batter, then a caramel Swiss meringue buttercream. I found that taking those soft ice-packs I use for muscle pains and draping it on the mixer, as well as packing some crushed ice bags around the bowl to help bring the meringue temperature down, really helped... as does putting a small fan onto the mixer. I do use it occasionally to make bread doughs, but typically they are very wet enriched doughs that would be too difficult to mix by hand, and I usually hold back the last bit of flour so the dough hook doesn't have as much resistance. I add the remaining flour right at the end and then give it a few kneads by hand or with a dough scraper. The only other attachment I use on my stand mixer is the pasta roller attachment, which I really like.

KA's aren't perfect, and mine is the small basic model, which isn't as strong as the professional models. But, if you're having a problem with it dripping oil, it's possible the thick motor grease has broken down and it's time to have it serviced.

There was a post/thread on another tomato site that had a roasted tomato sauce concept, and like you, I tend to do my homemade tomato sauce in the oven. Especially when reducing it. We have a small convection oven, like an overgrown toaster oven, and I find it works really well as a dehydrator on low settings. No chance of scorching on the bottom of a pot, and the tomato paste remains a very vivid color.

I may just search for a bargain online. Maybe someone's selling their food mill barely used. BTW, my mixer was my alltime favorite bargain. I always wanted one, but lived alone and really "shouldn't" be baking all the time anyway, so I held off. I remember when Service Merchandise went out of business, I had my eye on one and waited for the price to fall further. It didn't, and I scooped up my (very basic but has lasted I guess 15 years or so) food processor instead. When Amazon was still rather new to me, I saw KA was selling a few factory refurbished mixers online. I eyed one and still couldn't talk myself into it. The next time I went back to Amazon, it 'remembered' what I'd looked at and the price had dropped further, and I bought it. Free shipping and all. The price? $90. Basic white, but it's worked like a champ. I've spent more on the pasta attachment.

[Sue_CT]

Interesting, DirtTherapy, your story sounds like mine. Wanted a KA but couldn't justify it, bought the KA Food Processor at the Service Merchandise going out of business sale, a great machine and great bargain, and eventually found a refurbished KA mixer at the outlet store in white and finally sprung for it, lol. Two of my most loved appliances!

[DirtTherapy]

Interesting, DirtTherapy, your story sounds like mine. Wanted a KA but couldn't justify it, bought the KA Food Processor at the Service Merchandise going out of business sale, a great machine and great bargain, and eventually found a refurbished KA mixer at the outlet store in white and finally sprung for it, lol. Two of my most loved appliances!

We're almost twinsies! Though the food processor I settled upon was a Black and Decker. Still going strong, though it didn't come with a lot of options. Just the one metal blade and the grater/slicer disk. The white plastic has started to really yellow over the years from age and light exposure, but it still works well. Edgar keeps threatening to buy me a fancy new one, but I don't need it and wouldn't want him to waste the money. Besides, he always ends up wanting to chip most stuff up by hand anyway. I do too unless it's something like the filling for Asian dumplings which I like to pulse together, or something I want to puree like roasted butternut squash.

[worth1]

I have the KitchenAid 6 quart pro stand mixer.
Got it from the factory outlet store for a bargain.
Got the KitchenAid food processor on sale at the grocery store.
Just used the later this weekend.
Use it mostly for salsa.
Mixer used for all manner of things.
Mayonnaise.
Small batch sausage mixing.
Tamales both filling and masa.
Fruitcake.
Homemade butter.
Bread.
Much more.
No attachments because I don't need them and I find them to be too expensive and a little on the weak side.

[DirtTherapy]

Ha, among us we must have scooped up all the bargains on mixers! I do find it interesting that you've made mayonnaise in the stand mixer, Worth, and not the food processor. I guess I find I make about the minimum of homemade mayonnaise at one time (one egg yolk worth) that the stand mixer wouldn't work well. I was also given a stick blender (a Braun) with a whisk attachment, and that whisk in the right size jar makes mayonnaise right in the storage jar. If I ever make a bunch for say a large batch of potato salad, I will try it in the stand mixer, and probably would use whole egg for that application.

[worth1]

I also have a stick blender and attachments.
Including a mini food processor.
If you read any of my cooking fiascos and I mention using the boat motor the stick blender is what I'm talking about.
The stand mixer makes some killer whipped cream.
I like to whip right up until just before it starts to turn to butter.

[Nanooknorth]

I have the strainer attachment for my kitchen aid and I wish I had saved my money. The part that holds the tomatoes to be strained is itty bitty. The the stained contents come out very high off the counter. What a mess. I am happy with my other attachments though. I use the meat grinder often.

[DirtTherapy]

Thanks - I've really decided against it. Now I'm looking at something called the Victorio strainer, which is a manual, clamp-on-counter-edge food mill and strainer. I'm seeing some on ebay and other sites. Might not do it this year, but will keep an eye out for one.

[Nanooknorth]

That is what I have and use over and over. I purchased the various screens and the shorter spiral for making grape jam. It meets all my needs and I can a lot.

[worth1]

I have the strainer attachment for my kitchen aid and I wish I had saved my money. The part that holds the tomatoes to be strained is itty bitty. The the stained contents come out very high off the counter. What a mess. I am happy with my other attachments though. I use the meat grinder often.

If you use the meat grinder often you might consider a bit of an upgrade.
You might possibly wish you had a long time ago.
Nothing like the giant #22 I have but something a bit bigger than you have already.
I bet you would love this Weston #12 that is reversible.
Reversible helps when you get stuck and have to stop.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/weston ... 1301W.html

[worth1]

Well I broke down and bought the all metal KitchenAid meat grinder attachment.
Nothing outstanding but we shall see.
I can't stand having to clean the monster meat grinder out just to grind a little meat for a freshly ground hamburger.
I'm also going to try and make some spicy harissa with it.
I keep the KitchenAid mixer out all the time anyway.

[worth1]

The new KitchenAid meat grinder attachment works as advertised and much better than I expected.
Not like the cheap plastic one that was around for too long.
I ended up grinding 4.8 pounds of meat in fairly fast manner.
My only complaint is the medium plate is too small and the large plate is too big.
I used the large plate twice and I don't like grinding twice.
I've looked on line for more plats but getting mixed results.
The #5 plate diameter seems to be too small and the # 8 seems to be too large.
I ran across more information where one was dead on what I had.
These plates are not the ones that came with the plastic grinder with the ears they are like the regular grinder plates.
You can bet I'll fix the problem one way or another.
Even if I have to make the darn things as a last resort.
But I know they're out there some place.
Next don't watch YouTube videos about the machine.
Most people don't know what the devil they are doing.
I know what I'm doing.
You have to prepare the meat before it goes in the grinder.
Taking shortcuts will make your life miserable.
That means cut it in long strips so it will fit in the feeding tube.
I ground up all the meat first run without using the plunger.
It will grab the meat and suck it in.
Do not cut it up into cubes.
It is a total waste of time and you'll end up using the plunger.

Do not use bread to push the rest of the meat out.
Then you have bread to deal with.
Use ice and it will clean out the grinder and plates and melt away.
Last but not least.
It isn't grinded up the meat it's ground up the meat.
It drives me crazy to hear people say this.

IMG_20240630_095135413.jpg

[MissS]

@worth1 Thanks, I've been debating about investing in this for a long time. Now I will further debate getting it.

[worth1]

@worth1 Thanks, I've been debating about investing in this for a long time. Now I will further debate getting it.

It was a toss up between it and a brand called meat that is a 500 Watt #8 grinder.
This one seems to be a # 8 but the dimensions are a little off.
Not one plate company has the exact same dimensions for the # 8 grinder plates.
Nothing I can't fix with the lathe and a carbide tool.

[worth1]

If you've already got the KitchenAid mixer then this will work as long as you don't beat it to death trying to do commercial work.
What's a hundred bucks these days.
I got it for making a very small amount of something because my big grinder is just too darn big to grind up a couple of pounds of meat.
Now I've got two electric meat grinders and two hand crank ones.
One is probably going on a hundred years old if not older.

[Mrmickey]

I had the same issue with the white plastic grinder it stained from the tomato sauce and was hard to clean. I switched to a stainless steel attachment for my KitchenAid, and it works much better for crushing tomatoes without staining.

If you’re just doing small batches, a hand-crank food mill could also work well. It’s simple to use, and you won’t have to worry about compatibility or stains. It just depends on how much effort you want to put in!

[worth1]

I've given up on stains on plastic.
Bleach works but what does it do to the plastic.
So far nothing.
Plastic also has a life span and degrades over time.
I had a fluke meter I had for so long it literally just started to crumble.
But of course plastic comes in many types and not all are the same.