Customer Reviews

Metalware Open Country Beef Jerky Works Kit

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased their Jerkey Making Kit. I was skeptical of turning ground meat into jerky. I figured it would dry out, fall apart and turn to something like Pemican. To my great surprise it held together and I was using Venison (lower fat content). The Nesco Flavor packets were quite tasty. The Ground meat Jerkey lacks the feel of tradtional strip beef jerkey but makes it easier to eat, especially those with dental issues.

The one problem I have with the jerkey Kit is that it is too small, you get less than 1/2 lb of meat per load, so you have to load the gun at least twice, usually 3 times per pound of meat. Sometimes it can gugle and spit when their is air in the meat. Usually by the last half of the tube the air has call compressed out but then you have to reload. If you really want to make Jerky I would get a gun with a larger capacity. But this gun proved to me it could be done (I had a lot of doubt).

One tip, squirt the meat onto wax paper and then transfer it onto your drying racks (I use the nesco snackmaster) when I squirted directly onto the racks it shoved meat between the grills and made it tough to remove. Maybe I should try it with that herb tray insert

I have to admit when my husband presented me with this contraption, I was a little skeptical. My experiences with beef jerky were limited to the leathery stuff you buy in convenience stores. My first concern about using ground beef was safety. My Snackmaster dehydrator dries at a high enough temp that that was no longer a concern.

My second concern was taste. What on earth would ground beef jerky taste like? So, hesitantly, I bought extra-lean ground beef, and used the seasoning packets that came with the "jerky gun."

If you've ever used a press, you are going to LOVE how easily this thing makes jerky that's uniform and attractive. (Okay, I know most folks don't care what it looks like so long as it's good, but *I* care.) The only criticism I could have of this is that it doesn't hold very much at a time, so I would have to stop and refill it. But this is so easy to use, I was still done in no time.

Several hours later, the jerky was dried. I took a smaller piece out of the tray and nibbled on it. Hey, this stuff's great! Really tasty!

Once you've used up your seasoning packets, you can find kits online at various camping/hunting stores, or you can experiment and make your own. This is so simple, and so good... and you save so much money making it yourself. (That store-bought ick works out to at least [money]/pound.) The jerky gun is one of the niftiest gadgets in my kitchen. I *highly* recommend this kit.

My wife and I recently received the Nesco American Harvest Jerky Works Kit as a gift. I was somewhat skeptical of this product because I have always made my venison jerky out of steaks and roasts.
The first time I tried this product, I was very impressed by the texture and taste of the jerky. Since then, I have made several batches of jerky with it, and everybody that has tasted it can't believe that I made it.
I haven't gone back to my other method of making jerky since I have tried this product, and I don't expect that I ever will.

The Nesco American Harvest Jerky Works has made jerky preparation a snap! The homemade jerky is comparable to the jerky sticks you can purchase in stores. The process is simple ground meat of your choice, spice and cure. Load into gun and choose between two shapes flat or round. Dependent upon your food dehydrator you can have jerky in a matter of hours. Replacement spices and cures can be found at most larger department/retail stores. Thanks Amazon.com for recommending this product!

Like others, I was very skeptical of making beef jerky out of ground beef. After having tried this kit, I am so glad I took a chance. The gun was easy to use, and made perfectly shaped pieces of jerky. I used extra-lean ground beef and the Original seasonings packet that came in the kit.

Pros:

-Gun easy to use, attachments super easy to figure out.

-Seasonings & cure come in little single-use packets, no measuring here!

-Choice of attachment sizes (flat strips, small or large round sticks).

-Cleans up easy in the dishwasher, just make sure the small pieces don't fall on the drying element.

-Makes GREAT tasting jerky, and dries perfectly in around 6 hours (I used the Nesco FD-50 dehydrator).

Cons:

-I had to reload the gun 3 times to go through a pound of ground beef mixture. Not a really big deal, but does get a little messy.

-The gun doesn't squeeze the last little bit of meat through the circular attachments. A chopstick works well for pushing out the excess meat the gun doesn't get.

Overall a great little gadget to have in your kitchen. I highly recommend if you like jerky & food dehyrator stuff.

Hi, I've been using the Jerky Works Kit gun for 3 or 4 years now. I'm on the third one and it's popping now and when they do that, they're shot. It's just too hard to force the meat through when they act like that. The handle needs replaced and Nesco doesn't sell a replacement handle.

I have only used each one 6 to 8 times. We make up 4lbs hamburger at a time. I am now looking for something that will last longer. I do highly recommend their original jerky seasoning (has msg in it) and if you don't mind something needing replaced often, their gun works good for a few times.

Ok, I have read thousands of reviews on Amazon and never felt compelled to write one before now. I bought my food dehydrator and decided to try the Nesco American Harvest Jerkey Works Kit and can not believe how easy it made making jerkey. All you have to do is mix the seasoning and cure (provided in kit) with any ground meat, load the meat in the gun and press it onto your trays. With my type of dehydrator it takes me approx. 7 hours to make great tasting jerkey. I strongly recommend this product.

The product certainly does do it's job and makes formed jerky and beef sticks, but being that it is of cheap construction (like everything else it seems) doesn't last all that long. As another reviewer posted, once it starts making popping noises, you're on borrowed time as the internal spring piece (what you push down to pull the barrel back) will strip out and become chewed up, especially if you're using harder cuts of meat (or meat with more fat/water as it gives more resistance). I would've preferred if they had used better parts, but obviously it would cost more, and you wouldn't have to keep paying money and buy new ones!

I bought the Nesco American Harvest Beef Jerky Kit because my family found it daunting to make it the conventional way with steak, marinade and all the mess. My two teenage sons, who always look for the easiest way to do anything, found this to be the most convenient (and tastiest) way to make great beef jerky that is a big hit with all of their friends. You can make different sizes and even add your own condiments to add a little extra zest. Just be sure to keep an eye on your dehydrator every few hours or some jerky may come out drier.

I am a casual user of the food dehydrator, mainly for beef jerky. I had always used thin cut steak and marinated it for a day or two and then dehydrated. Well, I received a Nesco dehydrator for christmas which had jerky spice packets included with it. Reviewing how these packets worked, i saw that it called for ground meat, a new concept for me. Well, I broke down and got this item and mixed up a small batch, and I am never going back to the steak. It took a while for me to perfect which flavors to use, but this is as close to store bought jerky you can get. My best batch is 3lbs of 96%lean ground beef, one Hot & SPicy pack, One teryaki pack, and One original pack...with one 4 oz bottle of Hickory Liquid smoke...and presto...Store bought beef jerky. I have a Nesco dehydrator (see my other review nesco FD-60), and 3 lbs ground beef fill all the trays with the flat jerky strips. Lowrey's beware. And it's quick to make this, no marinating or cutting up beef, just buy the meat, mix the spices in, and into the gun it goes, and little formed strips of beef come out the gun. It's just like a caulk gun. I make the flat strips, but this kit comes with the capability to make beef sticks as well, which are awesome as well. Try this jerky fans, you will not be disappointed