It is understandable to not want to buy all the equipment right away. You can buy your meat already ground, or ask a butcher to grind it to your desired grind size (usually coarse for large sausage and fine for breakfast sausage). Mixing by hand is easy. The only piece of equipment I would recommend sooner than later is a dedicated sausage stuffer, fortunately this time of year they are all on sale, and a quality 5 or 7 lb stuffer is very affordable. Stuffing with a grinder, especially a Kitchen Aid type mixer with a grinder stuffer attachment is way too slow.
I guarantee one thing for sure, once you taste homemade sausage, you will be hooked! You won't want to buy it from a store again. Then once you are hooked, shop the sales, and buy the equipment one piece at a time.
I grew up helping my dad make homemade sausage the hard way with a small table top mixer with a grinding/stuffing attachment that would overheat (I can still conjure up the hot electrical smell of that overheated motor), so when I started making my own as an adult, I took care of the hard part first, I bought a used old fashioned cast iron stuffer (that I still use today) and bought my meat ground to my specs and casings from a butcher. Years later I went all the way, and bought a heavy duty grinder, mixing tub that attaches to a grinder, and a commercial grade scale.
I make 25 lb batches (or 50 lb with family) and freeze it in vacuum packages, so I don't make it very often, but when I do it's a breeze because of the equipment. I've made 25 lb batches by myself in less than 2 hours from cutting to grinding to stuffing.
Being more into BBQ lately, I plan to make more varieties and more often.
Do it, you will love it.
I guarantee one thing for sure, once you taste homemade sausage, you will be hooked! You won't want to buy it from a store again. Then once you are hooked, shop the sales, and buy the equipment one piece at a time.
I grew up helping my dad make homemade sausage the hard way with a small table top mixer with a grinding/stuffing attachment that would overheat (I can still conjure up the hot electrical smell of that overheated motor), so when I started making my own as an adult, I took care of the hard part first, I bought a used old fashioned cast iron stuffer (that I still use today) and bought my meat ground to my specs and casings from a butcher. Years later I went all the way, and bought a heavy duty grinder, mixing tub that attaches to a grinder, and a commercial grade scale.
I make 25 lb batches (or 50 lb with family) and freeze it in vacuum packages, so I don't make it very often, but when I do it's a breeze because of the equipment. I've made 25 lb batches by myself in less than 2 hours from cutting to grinding to stuffing.
Being more into BBQ lately, I plan to make more varieties and more often.
Do it, you will love it.
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