LEM 5-Pound Sausage Stuffer - New Purchase!

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   Late last week, I ordered a dedicated sausage stuffer; in particular, I purchased a LEM 5-pound stuffer with metal gears. Here's a link to the one that I ordered:

http://www.amazon.com/LEM-Products-Stainless-Vertical-Sausage/dp/B000SQDTRC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

(Please take a moment to click on the link above and check out this item; doing so helps this forum pay for itself!)

Even better, Amazon's "warehouse" had one that was "returned new with possible package damage" at an incredible discount:

 Like New - A "like new"" item sold on Amazon Warehouse Deals is in perfect condition, but due to the condition of the packaging, it does not meet Amazon.com standards for new product. For customer-returned product, it's possible that the previous customer opened and removed the product from the original packaging. If a returned item comes back in perfect physical condition and through our testing process we determine the working condition is perfect, the item may be deemed "like new." Physical damage to the outer box of a factory-sealed item in our warehouse can also lead to the condition being taken from Amazon.com "new" to Amazon Warehouse Deals "like new."

Because of this, an item that normally costs 155.00 USD was available for 130.00. This one also had free shipping; even better! I figured it was a winning situation all around, as the purchase was 100% guaranteed and protected.

The quality of this brand and model of stuffer is rated as top-shelf; over the weekend, I had time to look over the reviews; out of two-hundred-thirty-something reviews, only two were negative, and after reading those two negative reviews, I'm pretty sure that the problem was with the reviewer, rather than the stuffer. 

I came home from work on Monday to find that the sausage stuffer had arrived one day early - bonus! The box (and only the box) was indeed damaged on a corner - and was packed inside a slightly-larger box - but other than that, there was no other damage and all parts of the stuffer itself were absolutely, 100% fine and in brand-new condition. In my mind, a crushed box corner is more than worth a 25-dollar discount.

This is something of a "luxury purchase" for me; it is a rather expensive item that is a bit out of my "disposable income" budget, and not totally necessary for making sausage. Having said that, it is very useful, and also helps make good sausage better; the reason for this is that it stuffs sausage casings without running the meat through the "worm" of a grinder a second time. Sausage that is stuffed through a grinder is perfectly adequate, but using a stuffer will result in textural improvements, as well as a sausage that is not as "dry." All-in-all, a good purchase for someonw who makes a lot of sausage, especially when you are able to find a good deal.

I am looking forward to giving this a try, first on Hungarian kolbász, then perhaps on Italian sausage or Spanish chorizo. I also have an idea for German bratwurst, as well. Sooner or later, I'll also give some German/Russian farmhouse sausage a try. Heck - I'll be making much more than just those varieties, but I gotta start somewhere!

More as it happens!