Customer Reviews

Northern Industrial #12 Electric Meat Grinder

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My husband and I have been using electric grinders to make our cats' food since 1998 (used hand grinders prior to that). We have both the Tasin and this NT grinder.

I received the Tasin as a gift but needed another one b/c we were in the process of a cross-country move and we each needed a grinder as he had 2 of our cats, and I had the other 2 w/ me. I am so glad I checked amazon first before shelling out 2x as much for another Tasin. Reason being - they are practically if not actually, one and the same.

The wattage is the only thing that on paper is slightly higher on the Tasin, but it's the wattage *during* grinding that is the important factor. And the grinding speed seems the same to me. We use the reverse button a lot on both grinders; it's a handy feature our old Villaware grinder did not have.

If I had to do it over, which one would I buy? - NT b/c a) It's more readily available i.e from amazon than from some unknown person on the internet, and b) I'd rather pay less, so the winner again is NT from Amazon. FWIW, I paid $129 for my NT purchased from amazon (what can I say, I was in a rush and couldn't wait for a price decrease), but at the time Tasin cost way more than I see it selling for now ($150-200) so it was still a better deal.

At the price the NT's selling for nowadays ($90-100) on amazon, it's a no-brainer. My husband and I grind around 25lbs of meat at a time. It takes us about 1.5 hrs from set-up time till loading up the dishwasher. This grinder actually seems to do better w/ bones than just meat. I'd suggest alternating supplements and meat, as well as alternate veggies (if you use any) and meat when feeding through the grinder chute. Thaw the veggies a little first as I have found it makes it easier to grind, but meat is easier to grind when it's semi-frozen.

We typically grind whole chicken fryers and whole rabbits for our cats. Only recently did we try turkey. I was skeptical about the turkey but hubby cut the longer heavier bones (e.g. leg) length-wise and grinding was a breeze. We were able to grind almost an entire 14lb turkey. Very cool.

When in doubt, mash bones up first, and you'll have no problems. So far, I'm happy w/ both the Tasin and NT grinders. I've had both for about 3 yrs now.

The only complaint I have w/ both grinders is that after the very first wash, the metal turned into a dark ugly color. Also the small parts such as the grinding plate tend to rust more easily than my old Villaware, so that's the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5. Seems to me quality issues pop up for most appliances these days:(

Oh another thing - don't be fooled by the bigger-seeming intake chutes on this grinder (and the Tasin) than say the older Villaware b/c you'll still need to chop up the meat into smallish pieces to fit 'em into the chute. There's no getting around that unless you buy a huge $2,000 restaurant-style grinder that weighs a ton.

Hope this review helps:)

I purchased this grinder for multi-purpose use, both for pet food and for human use. The third or fourth time I used it, grinding turkey meat, the grinder made a clunking noise and stopped. The motor would run but the shaft would not turn. I disassembled it, cleaned all the removable parts, put it all back together, and still nothing. On picking up the grinder, I could hear something rattling around that sounded like it was in the motor casing, and preventing the shaft from turning.

I called Northern, who, no questions asked, said they'd send another grinder. They did, that very day, plus a pre-paid UPS label to send the faulty one back. The replacement has been running very well so far, knock wood, several weeks into receiving it, and I'm pleased with the performance.

I'm even more pleased with the customer service.

I've made 3 batches of dog food since I got this grinder. It grinds chicken bones without a whimper. The time and effort this grinder saves over hand grinding makes it worth the money.

This is the first time I've used a meat grinder so all I can say is that it seems to do what it's supposed to do, so I'm pleased so far. I have a few things to mention:

1) (This point deleted, see the comments below).

2) Probably no one's as dumb as I am, but the first time I used this grinder I put the blade in backward. It can be installed in two ways, but of course you want the flat side outward so it will be against the plate. The result of installing it backwards was that it seemed to work for a couple pounds of meat, then the plate got jammed with stringy stuff and I had to stop and clean it. The second batch (with the blade installed correctly) using the same kind of meat (chicken thighs with skin removed) went through with no problems. So if you're having trouble with the grinding going too slowly, maybe you've made the same mistake I did.

3) Someone mentions in another review that the finish on some parts turned dull after one wash. I had a meat slicer that did the same thing, it happens if you soak the parts in water for an extended period of time, or if you use bleach or some types of sanitizers. If you can't wash the parts right after using, don't soak them (but do yourself a favor and rinse them off before stuff dries on them).

4) Someone mentioned that they needed to use a plate when making sausage to support the auger - I think that's what the plastic disk is for - it's in a compartment on top of the machine. But maybe this was added in a later model.

5) As others have mentioned, some parts (the plates especially) will rust if you don't dry them immediately after they get wet (from rinsing or washing them). If you dry them and coat them with a little cooking oil they shouldn't rust. Even if they do, it's really only a cosmetic problem - rust isn't toxic and it shouldn't affect how the grinder works (unless maybe if you let the blade get too rusty).

I use this grinder to primarily make dog food or sausage. It handles both jobs easily. The only suggestion I would have is to cover the main body and buttons with syran wrap to prevent juices from getting into the buttons and cord compartment. It will also make cleanup easier.

I bought this grinder for grinding venison into burger. I was VERY frustrated with my other so called professional grinder that I bought for more than this one cost.

I ADORE this grinder. It grinds as fast as I put the meat in. I'm pretty picky about the quality of meat, and trim off all fat and sinew, but my old grinder would catch up on any minuscule piece - this one is one heck of a workhorse!

I will absolutely recommend this grinder to anyone who wishes to grind meat - just an excellent piece of equipment. I'm grinding about 200lbs total of venison, and it's not a joke that it can do that in an hour.

Excellent, excellent machine!

This thing will grind up an entire cow. The only problems I have are: 1) The cutter blades aren't stainless and will easily rust if not fully dried off before storing (put some oil on them also); 2) The size of the item - it really is pretty massive and very heavy. I am going to buy my wife a Kitchenaid grinder attachment for routine use (easier to use and clean). However, this unit is good for grinding large quantities of material.

We got this grinder in early June. It is now mid August and we are buying another grinder, not because we don't like the machine, but because it stopped working.

For our dogs: We grind about 40# of chicken per week, bones and all. The grinder flies through the chicken faster than we can stuff it down the chute. It is loud however. One day in particular, I ground 120 lbs of meat/bone/organ/veggies. By the time I was done I could not hear. So, if you're going to do a large grind, then wear earplugs.

For ourselves: We grind beef for hamburger, and we have made sausage. Grinding beef is no problem. However, when it came to making sausage, the instructions were less than helpful. I still don't know if we used the equipment properly, but the sausage got made. I do know that you do not want the blade in the machine while making the sausage. Regrinding the meat turned it to mash and clogged the machine.

What this machine will do - grind veggies, meat and soft bones. What it won't do - grind fibrous or fatty meat. I tried grinding beef kidney. It absolutely could not be done. There are times when chicken fat will clog it. Beef with a lot of fat will clog it.

This machine is under lubricated or incorrectly lubricated for harsh jobs such as sinewy or fatty grinds or bone grinds. It contains all metal gears except one plastic gear. The machine overheats. I noticed about a month after getting it that grease was coming out of it. The reason is obviously that the gears got hot and melted the grease, which poured out of the gear housing. I did not take the machine apart at that time, but should have. Eventually, in the middle of a grind, after about 40 lbs, the machine overheated to the point that the plastic gear melted and destroyed the motor. After realigning the gears, and relubricating them, the machine will run in reverse, but will not run forward. It will not grind.

I did not purchase my grinder from Northern Tool, so when I called about warranty information, I was blown off, since they couldn't find an account for me. I contacted the seller from whom I purchased the product and was simply told to contact the manufacturer listed in the owner's manual. The only company listed is Northern Tool, so we come full circle. I do not know who the actual manufacturer is, so getting a warranty replacement is next to impossible. Long story short, we have no warranty coverage.

If I had known then what I know now, I'd have spent double the money and gotten a Tasin. At the very least, I might be able to get warranty coverage. But, at this point, after wasting $100 on a machine which I assumed had a warranty, I choose not to go with any of the machines in this weight class. It makes me regret not getting the proper type of machine in the first place. We are replacing this with a refurbished 1 HP all stainless housing, blades, and plates, and all metal gears housed in lubricant, which has a full one year warranty and specifically covers soft bone grinding. We'll be spending $400, but the peace of mind is worth it.

I would recommend this product to a friend, without hesitation. BUT, I would not recommend it for someone grinding fatty or sinewy meats, and I would not recommend it as a long term machine for massive raw feeding. I would recommend it for sausage making, for hamburger, and for general household use, or even for someone who is just feeding a small dog or a cat. I would recommend it as a short term solution to someone who needs a grinder for high volume raw feeding, but doesn't have the money to spend on a higher quality machine. And finally, I would recommend that if you want any type of warranty coverage, you get this machine only from Northern Tool, as the warranty seems to be more of a seller warranty than a true manufacturer's warranty.

I had not used a meat grinder before. I purchased this one after reading a lot of on-line reviews and then helping a friend use her grinder (same model) to process meat for dog food. This is so much faster than chopping meat by hand and there is no waste, plus I don't have to throw out the bones and then go back and supplement the meat with bone meal. Much better for my dogs and my budget. I can process two weeks of dog food in well under two hours, and that is from gathering supplies and equipment through grinding, packing and complete kitchen clean-up. I spend much more time on clean-up and on packaging the daily portions than I do on the actual grinding. This grinder has shown no problems with my preferred mix which includes whole fryers, skin off, with bones and organs. I did try a double-grind (first the coarse plate then the fine plate) the first time and quickly discovered that this was a lot of unnecessary work. Since then I just put on the medium plate and push everything through that. My dogs are toy breeds and the medium grind is fine, even for my tiny Toy Poodle. They are unable to eat the BARF Diet staple chicken necks, but they are thriving on the ground blend.

I have not seen the metal of my grinder discolor as other mention. As soon as I unpacked the grinder, I washed the machine oil off the grinding pieces in hot water with Dawn and promptly coated the blade and plates in vegetable oil. After use, I clean and dry all pieces as soon as I'm done, coat the blade and plates in more vegetable oil and store them in a lidded plastic bowl. Do be careful when washing and drying even the chute, as the machining for the screw-on cap is very sharp and can cut you. Keep a piece of plastic wrap over the control buttons when you are grinding and you'll avoid getting drippings down into the motor. Be sure you have tray or bowl that fits easily under the grinder chute. All these things will make for easy clean-up and maintenance, which cuts way down on the work involved.

I haven't used yet, but needed to research how to support auger, since instructions say to remove blade and plates for sausage, manual is wrong, found the following in a review at manufact. web page, from someone who uses it only for sausage, need to keep blade in too, not just plate, other reviewer likely used plate without blade which would make it hard to push sausage through plate:
.
.The only improvement that could possibly be made is not with the product, but with the instruction manual. The manual instructs you to remove the grinder plate and cutter when installing the stuffing tube for stuffing sausage. This will not work as the grinder plate also serves as the front bearing surface for the auger. When removed, the auger is not supported at the front and will work its way out from the motor housing connection socket. (no big deal as it comes out for cleaning anyway, but you can't stuff sauges in this configuration). So, I put the grinder plate and blade back in, then put on the stuffing tube and "wala", it worked like a charm.