Hand Mincer

**DaavG** · 12-03-2019, 10:10

Good morning All,

I am looking at a hand mincer. The common brand available is Global - anyone with any feedback on how good this is? Any specific make to buy?

My volumes are not significant but mainly to make wors at home - thinking of #22 size as not overly pricey (R800 roughly)?

Is it worth spending more for one of these electric mincers?
https://www.takealot.com/kenwood-140...r/PLID17259249 (1400W)
https://www.takealot.com/bosch-meat-...r/PLID41406643 (1600W)
https://www.takealot.com/taurus-1200...y/PLID42990792 Don't know this brand

Thank you.

**Ds J** · 12-03-2019, 14:04

The hand mincers are really slow. The only upside is that one can often mince and fill the casing in one step, whereas the casings rupture with an electric mincer.

Even a cheap electric mincer is usually fast enough that it is worth the extra money. I'll vouch for Kenwood - mom's lasted 22 years of baking, mincing, mixing etc seven daays a week.

**DaavG** · 12-03-2019, 15:45

Thanks Ds J. Only would be looking at around 10kgs at a time - is the #22 hand to much of a mission?

**Ds J** · 12-03-2019, 17:16

Originally Posted by DaavG

Thanks Ds J. Only would be looking at around 10kgs at a time - is the #22 hand to much of a mission?

This is a question you need to answer for yourself. Take things such as time, effort and affordability of an electric machine into account. I have learnt the hard way that in most cases, time equals money. It is cheaper to use electricity in the long run.

Maybe try to borrow one from a neighbour or cousin and give it a try? I doubt that you would prefer hand over electric.

I have enough experience with large electric mincers to prefer them, and the recollections of hand mincers from my childhood are of tannies complaining. Doing just 10kg at a time might prove my wrong.

What I do have enough experience with are the differences between hand tools and electric hand tools. The nostalgic feelings of a hand tooled table or knife are out the window when the speed of electric tools come into play.

**Sean KZN** · 12-03-2019, 17:42

Go electric, I have the Kenwood 1400, decent machine with lots of attachments.

As Ds J mentions, ease of operation is great. Doing 10 kilos with a hand mincer is going to put you off so much that you will try to avoid doing it.

Good luck which ever you decide on, home made tastes better than shop bought.

**Ds J** · 12-03-2019, 17:56

Originally Posted by Sean KZN

Good luck which ever you decide on, home made tastes better than shop bought.

Agree with this^. While you are at it, please consider mixing your own spices. It makes for delicious and healthier eating. Recipes and recipe books are available.

(Side note: I am health conscious and therefore particular as to what I eat.) "Ouma & Oupa wors spice" from company xyz or "Klippan wors mix" from company abc - basically all the favourite mixes from the known catering companies do not bring out the particular flavour of the meat. It gives a specific taste to anything one mixes it with. I have long said that I would like to throw a packet of xyz spice at a piece of donkey loin. It would probably taste exactly the same as that same spice thrown at the best available A-grade rump steak. so what is the use of mixing it with your hard earned venison? Rant over

**Andrew Leigh** · 12-03-2019, 17:58

I have a semi industrial No 12 powered mincer and it is great. It was not made for 10kg batches to be fair, it will whistle through 10kg. I normally do batches of 50kg after a hunt and then it is "worth it". It is immanently convenient but I doubt I would get the value I paid for it back. I get it in convenience.

**Andrew Leigh** · 12-03-2019, 18:13

What I must add is this in defense of a powered mincer.

My first pass on meat is through a 13mm plate, this keeps the meat nice and coarse and makes it much easier to mix in the spices, fat and other stuff. It also removes the bigger bit of chewy stuff you don't want in your wors.

My second mince is the additional spek / fat on about a 8mm plate.

I then combine the fat with the mince, spices, additives and ice cold water / crushed ice and place the mix back into the fridge to cool off again.

I then mince that mix in whatever final screen I choose. Normally the 8mm.

So essentially 10kg effectively ends up as 30kgs of mincing.

I am not good enough for the speed of the wors coming out of the attachment from a powered mincer so bought a sausage stuffer.

**Gleock** · 13-03-2019, 06:50

https://www.takealot.com/sunbeam-mul...r/PLID44188577
Problem solved.

**DaavG** · 13-03-2019, 08:04

Originally Posted by Ds J

This is a question you need to answer for yourself. Take things such as time, effort and affordability of an electric machine into account. I have learnt the hard way that in most cases, time equals money. It is cheaper to use electricity in the long run.

Maybe try to borrow one from a neighbour or cousin and give it a try? I doubt that you would prefer hand over electric.

I have enough experience with large electric mincers to prefer them, and the recollections of hand mincers from my childhood are of tannies complaining. Doing just 10kg at a time might prove my wrong.

What I do have enough experience with are the differences between hand tools and electric hand tools. The nostalgic feelings of a hand tooled table or knife are out the window when the speed of electric tools come into play.

Thanks Ds J agreed on your points, so will look at a home electric version. Andrew also raises the point of mincing 3 times for a batch which is a point I definitely didn't think of.