GROUND BEEF... does anyone make their own ground beef?!

I don't make my own ground beef--but we make our own ground venison, and VASTLY prefer it! We've ended up with one road-kill deer (young buck that ran out and hit my spouse's car--amazingly, it didn't hurt the car!), and one hunted one, and we've done 10 lbs or so of venison burger. It's lean, flavorful, and hormone free, and we know exactly how it's been handled, as my spouse did our butchering. Let me tell you--venison burgers or sloppy joes on my home-made whole wheat sandwich rolls is tasty!

I generally won't buy ground beef, especially since the industry started "mixing" batches, so that there's no way for real accountibility if an e coli contamination occurs.

Ground beef prices are also higher than a cat's back here--and so is beef in general. I'm keeping my eyes open for a beef brisket under $3.00 a LB (I'd usually spend $1.00 to $1.25 per lb for this!) because I make my own corned beef, but we've pretty well stopped buying beef at all, other than that. If I can find it, I'd much rather buy cheap cuts on sale and make my own than pay a high price for an uncertain product!

I also have two meat grinders--both of them with some age on them. I bought one at a yard sale (this one is from the late 50's--it's a counter-top version with little suction-cup pads that don't hold very well, and two grinding blades). The other one I found at a thrift store, and it's a "clamp to the counter" version--much more like the one my Mom has (and still uses!). It splits in half. It's much older, and has more blades, but there's not a great counter in my kitchen to attach it. I'm hanging onto it, though, because one of these days I'll have a kitchen the way I want it!

I also have a grain mill--very like the meat grinders, but a larger hopper and finer blades. A friend gave me 120 lbs of whole wheat, and I've successfully make whole wheat flour with it. It's a good workout, grinding the wheat! I've used half of it, and really enjoy it. This is also a clamp-on tool, but I've been doing the grinding on a covered table in the basement, as it's a fairly messy process.

There has been a few times when the London Broil was cheaper than the ground beef at our local store, so a couple of years ago, we had bought a lot of it and we decided to try making our own ground beef. It tastes so much fresher, and so great on the grill. Of course, with work and other commitments, we don't always have the time, but once in a while, it is so nice to get some freshly ground beef, specially in the summer, when it goes on the grill. It is also so much leaner and healthier.
My grinder is electric, but it works fine. It's an attachment to my food processor.

Except for the sentimental value, I don't see any reason the old hand grinder is any better than a modern attachment for my kitchenaid. It's easy to clean and sanitize, and more time sensitive--I can keep the meat cold and safe longer if the process takes less time. That's how you prevent contamination. The e-coli is there, but it doesn't grow into a problem unless you give it a chance to thrive in a warm moist meaty environment.

we got into the habit during the Mad Cow concerns, and partially because we could buy chuck roast cheaper than hamburger. we use a Kitchenaid mixer with a meat grinder attatchment, and use the coarse grind. Of course, I also grew up in a household where we butchered our own beef, so making hamburger seems natural to me.

I've actually used my food processor to make ground beef, adding a little bit at a time. I like making it myself because I have better control over how much fat goes into it. It also seems to cook faster for me when I've ground it up myself. What a great friend to give you one of his grinders! Some pieces of kitchen equipment are just made to last forever it seems...

I used to grind my own beef and yes it sure does make you feel much more assured of what's going into your body health wise. I've become lazy through the years and now resort to buying prepackaged ground beef. But I do understand where you're coming from. Your way is Best. Stick with it.

I've been grinding my own beef and sausage meat for decades and it's the best. Yes you know what's in it!
I know a couple of butchers and they think it's best for ppl to grind their own. Hmmm....

I do not have a 1889 model (but that is pretty cool). I have a meat grinding attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. Probably once or twice a year I will find chuck roasts on sale or stew meat on sale and it will be cheaper than the store bought ground beef and I will take it home and grind my own. I like grinding my own because sometimes I will grind to a thicker consistency for chili. Or I have actually ground bacon right into the hamburger for bacon cheeseburgers.

This year I hit the jackpot...I was at Sam'S Club and I was looking to buy some ground beef and the butcher saw me and said "We have a great deal on stew meat...I had a ton of excess"...so I go check it out...he has it marked .89 per pound in like 5 pound packages...a little over $4 per package...I was like wow!...I bought 5 packages...25 pounds...ground up around 20 pounds of it and used a vacuum sealer to store it away in the freezer. I think vacuum sealers are great gadgets especially if you are grinding or storing large quatities of meat.

I also hunt and we butcher our own deer...again the meat grinder comes in handy. It is kind of like anything when you do something yourself it always seems to taste better.