Having just made my first batch of sausages this weekend, I'm looking to pick up a manual stuffer for future batches. I've narrowed down to 4 options and would appreciate some advice on which to choose.
I've read through the forum and found information about each but not much by way of comparison, wondered if anyone's used 2 or more of these.
Right now I'm just starting out but next year my girlfriend and I aim to buy a smallholding and keeping pigs is one of our plans so in the future there's likely to be more sausage making on a slightly larger, though not commercial, scale.
I had tried to find the shorter, wider version that they used on River Cottage Pig in a Day, made by Smith's but they don't seem to sell that anymore, which is a shame as it looked a bit easier to handle than the taller ones that are listed below.
Northern Tools stuffer: Cheapest I can find, nylon gears that may, or may not, be a problem in the future. Uses plastic stuffer tubes.
http://www.northerntooluk.com/food-prep ... ges#images
The hobby stuffer, batch size is about what I made this weekend. Fine for smaller amounts, not sure whether larger is better. Also not sure if it's all stainless or not, despite the title given that some of it is painted. Plastic stuffer tube by the look of it, doesn't say if it comes with others.
http://www.sausagemaking.org/acatalog/F ... uffer.html
The bigger 5l 'Pro' version, I'm guessing this takes 3-4Kg of mix, which is about the most I expect to make in one go, though who knows for the future. A much bigger machine I expect.
http://www.sausagemaking.org/acatalog/P ... uffer.html
Then there's the 6l one from Biltonbox which I've seen good reports on but is bigger than all the others.
http://www.biltongbox.com/shop/index.ph ... oductId=48
Do the larger stuffers work as well with smaller (say 2Kg) loads or do you really need to load them up. Any other disadvantages of larger models?
The last two both come with 4 different stainless stuffing tubes and look properly heavy duty and likely to last a lifetime.
Price is less of an issue, I'm looking to buy something that will give me many years of use so the difference between £100 & £160 whilst significant is less so over a long working life, and even less so if you end up buying a second one down the line.
Thanks,
Justin.