Sausage maker: what equipment do you need to stuff sausages at home
A sausage machine refers to three very different types of devices: the meat grinder equipped with a funnel, the vertical stuffer dedicated to stuffing, and the professional horizontal stuffer. For home cooking, the grinder with a funnel is sufficient in almost all cases: it grinds and stuffs with a single device, for a few kilos per session. The stuffer becomes interesting beyond five kilos or for very regular filling, and the stuffer is for professional use.
This guide compares the three systems, explains the role of the casing size and the diameter of the funnels, gives the flow and capacity guidelines, then lists the equipment mistakes that ruin a sausage before the first spice.
The three ways to stuff a sausage at home
Three devices allow you to fill a casing, with very different logics:
- the grinder with a funnel uses the same auger as grinding: we remove the plate and the blade, mount a funnel in its place, and the auger pushes the meat towards the casing threaded on top;
- the vertical stuffer does not grind: it is a cylinder filled with already ground meat, that a piston operated by a crank pushes towards the funnel;
- the horizontal stuffer uses the same principle as the stuffer, lying down, with greater capacities for large volumes.
The grinder with a funnel is the most widespread system, because it does not require any additional equipment and chains grinding and stuffing together. The stuffer works faster, does not heat the meat and gives a more regular filling, but it must be filled every batch and cleaned in addition to the grinder. The detail of the gesture, the knotting and the seasoning is described in our guide for making homemade sausages with a grinder.
Can you stuff without a machine at all?
It is possible for a first try, before investing. A wide kitchen funnel and the handle of a wooden spoon to push the meat are sufficient, but the filling is slow, irregular and tiring. It is conceivable for a first time, not for a habit: from the second batch, a grinder with a funnel saves a lot of time.
Comparison of the three systems
The table below summarizes what each family really brings. The last column is the most decisive: the quantity prepared in one session determines the choice much more than the price.
| System | Grinds too | Filling regularity | Cleaning | Recommended volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual grinder + funnel | yes | correct, depends on the pace | 4 pieces | up to 2 kg |
| Electric grinder + funnel | yes | good, constant flow | 5 to 6 pieces | 2 to 5 kg |
| Vertical stuffer | no | very good | cylinder and piston | 5 kg and more |
| Horizontal stuffer | no | excellent | heavy and bulky | professional use |
For a family that prepares sausages a few times a year, the first line is enough and avoids buying two devices. The models sold with a sausage kit cover the entire need: the range is gathered in our collection of manual meat grinders.
Casing sizes and funnel diameters
The caliber is expressed in millimeters and designates the diameter of the casing once filled. The guidelines are stable:
- 20 to 22 mm for merguez and thin sausages;
- 26 to 28 mm for a classic thin sausage;
- 32 to 34 mm for a medium sausage;
- 36 to 40 mm for thick cooked sausages;
- beyond 45 mm for large dry formats.
The funnel must be narrower than the casing, to let the meat pass without tearing it. A funnel of 16 to 18 mm is suitable for casings of 20 to 26 mm, a funnel of 22 mm for casings of 32 to 36 mm. A correct kit offers three diameters. Also check the compatibility with the body of the grinder: the funnels follow the numbering of the device, and a size 8 piece does not mount on a size 12 body, exactly like for the plates described in our article on the choice of the plate. A Toulouse-style sausage requires, for example, a large caliber casing.
Flow, capacity and real effort
A manual grinder comfortably processes one to two kilos per session: beyond, the crank becomes an exercise, especially at stuffing where you need one hand to turn and one to guide the casing. With two, it is much simpler. Our 750 W electric grinder processes about 1.6 kg of meat per minute and frees both hands, which changes everything for a batch of several kilos.
Two technical points are worth checking before purchase:
- the reverse function, on electric models, reverses the auger to clear a stuck piece without disassembling the device: on a fatty meat to stuff, it is often useful;
- stability: at stuffing, the device is pushed forward continuously, so a well-tightened table clamp or a heavy base prevents it from moving in full operation.
The powers and flows of the different models are detailed in our collection of electric meat grinders.
Can a manual grinder stuff all types of sausages?
The answer depends on the targeted sausage. A manual grinder easily covers fresh sausages, merguez and grilled sausages. For dry sausages, which require very tight meat and without air bubbles, a stuffer gives a much more reliable result, because it fills the casing without jerks or heating of the meat.
The equipment mistakes that ruin a sausage
Four mistakes come back constantly, and all are corrected before the first batch.
- Stuffing with the plate and blade still in place: the meat is ground a second time while it is pushed, it heats up, the fat melts and the casing fills with a smooth paste instead of a granular meat.
- Mounting a funnel too wide for the casing, which causes repeated tears.
- Working a meat too lukewarm: above 12 °C, the fat starts to melt and the whole thing becomes sticky, impossible to push regularly. Keep the meat in the refrigerator and put it back in the cold for ten minutes if the operation drags.
- Using a poorly prepared casing: salted natural casings are rinsed and soaked for at least thirty minutes in warm water, otherwise they break at the first filling. For a concrete first batch, follow our recipe for homemade merguez with a meat grinder.
The right equipment depends on the kilo, not the price
Choosing a sausage machine comes down to answering a single question: how many kilos per session, and how often. Below two kilos a few times a year, a grinder with a funnel kit does all the work and stores in a closet. Beyond, an electric model then a stuffer take over, in this order. The rest, casing size and meat temperature, depends on the method more than the equipment.
To start, a manual grinder delivered with its funnel is enough: our 3 in 1 manual meat grinder, for example, grinds and stuffs sausages with the same device, and its table clamp holds on a work surface up to 6 cm thick. To compare the manual and electric models delivered with their sausage kit, browse our collection of meat grinders.
Our entire range is gathered on Hachoir Cuisine.