If you already own a KitchenAid stand mixer, you have a powerful motor sitting on your counter that can do more than whip cream and knead dough. A metal grinder attachment lets that motor handle meat, cheese, vegetables, and even stale bread, so you can make fresher burgers, homemade sausage, and custom ground blends without buying a separate appliance. The challenge is that many attachments look nearly identical on a product page. Plate counts, sausage tube sizes, cleaning instructions, and build materials vary more than the photos suggest. This guide walks you through five strong options, explains what each one does well, and shows where each one may fall short, so you can pick the right grinder for your kitchen and cooking habits.
Quick Comparison Table
| Product | Brand | Key Highlights | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| KitchenAid KSMMGA Food Grinder Attachment | KitchenAid | Fine, medium, and coarse plates, two sausage tubes, larger food tray | Brand-name buyers who want full grinding options |
| GVODE Metal Meat Grinder Attachment | GVODE | Metal build, stainless steel tray, three sausage tube sizes | Home cooks focused on sausage making |
| KitchenAid KSMFGA Food Grinder Attachment | KitchenAid | Fine and coarse plates, food pusher, storage case | Simple, everyday grinding |
| Metal Meat Grinder Attachment for KitchenAid Stand Mixers | Atbod | Four grinding plates, two sausage tubes, aluminum and stainless steel build | Cooks who grind a wide mix of ingredients |
| Meat Grinder Attachment for KitchenAid Stand Mixer | 9TH SHOP | Four plates, two cutting blades, three sausage tube sizes, cleaning brush | Sausage makers who want the most tube options |
Our Picks: Best Meat Grinder Attachment For Stand Mixer reviews
KitchenAid KSMMGA Food Grinder: A Full-Featured Option From the Mixer Maker
This KitchenAid model is a metal food grinder that connects to the power hub on a compatible household KitchenAid stand mixer. The mixer’s motor does the work, so you feed ingredients into the tray and let the grinder push them through the plates. The package includes fine, medium, and coarse grinding plates, along with two sausage stuffer tubes. That range matters if you want one attachment to handle everything from finely ground pork for dumplings to a chunkier blend for burgers.
The listing highlights a larger food tray, which makes sense for anyone who processes meat in volume. A bigger tray means you spend less time stopping to refill, and that can make a real difference during holiday cooking or when you are preparing meals for the week. The grinder also comes in its own storage case, which keeps the plates and parts organized. For many people, that tidy storage is a small detail that makes the attachment easier to pull out and use more often.
The listing also recommends chilling the grinder in the refrigerator or freezer before use. Cold metal helps keep fat from smearing during grinding, which can lead to a cleaner texture in the finished product. In everyday cooking, this step is easy to build into your routine, and it is one of the simplest ways to improve results with any metal grinder.
Who is this best for? It suits cooks who want a flexible, brand-backed setup and plan to use the grinder for a range of tasks. It is a good match if you value a complete plate selection and like the idea of buying from the company that built your mixer. Some buyers may find the core package a bit limiting if they want more sausage stuffer options, and the sausage kit and other accessories may need to be considered separately depending on what you plan to make.
Pros:
- Includes fine, medium, and coarse plates for a wide range of textures
- Comes with two sausage stuffer tubes for basic sausage making
- Larger food tray helps reduce the number of batches
- Storage case keeps parts organized and easy to find
Cons:
- Requires a compatible KitchenAid stand mixer, which is sold separately
- Sausage-making options are more limited than some competing sets with three tube sizes
Verdict: This is a dependable, full-featured grinder for home cooks who want a brand-name option with versatile plates. If you value flexibility and organized storage, it is a strong pick. If you mainly want maximum sausage tube variety, you may prefer a different set.
GVODE Metal Meat Grinder: A Sturdy Choice for Sausage Lovers
The GVODE grinder is built for people who want an all-metal attachment that works with a KitchenAid stand mixer. Its listing describes an aluminum body with a stainless steel food tray, grinding plates, and cutters, all made from food-grade materials. The emphasis on metal parts is a clear selling point, since metal feels more solid during use than lighter plastic alternatives and tends to hold up better under repeated grinding.
Sausage making is where this model stands out. It includes three sausage stuffer tube sizes, which gives you more control over casing diameter. That is useful if you make several styles, such as bratwurst, Italian sausage, or chorizo, and want each one to look and cook right. The listing also states that the grinder can process about two pounds of raw meat in one minute. Treat that figure as a manufacturer claim, since your speed will depend on your mixer, your meat temperature, and how fast you feed the tray.
Cleaning requires some attention. The listing says the grinder body is not dishwasher safe and should be washed by hand with warm soapy water below 122°F, then dried thoroughly. Other stainless steel parts are dishwasher safe. In practice, that means you will spend a few minutes washing the main body after each session. Many owners who grind often accept that as a fair trade for solid metal parts, but if you want the fastest cleanup possible, keep the hand-wash rule in mind.
This grinder suits home cooks who make sausage regularly or want a durable, metal-based setup for everyday grinding. It is less ideal for someone who wants a quick dishwasher-friendly cleanup for every component. Compared with the KitchenAid options, it offers more sausage tube variety, but buyers should confirm the plate options and included parts they need for their own recipes.
Pros:
- Metal construction with stainless steel tray, plates, and cutters
- Three sausage stuffer tube sizes for different sausage styles
- Detachable parts make disassembly and cleaning more straightforward
- Clear care instructions that help prevent damage to the metal
Cons:
- The grinder body must be hand washed, which adds time to cleanup
Verdict: The GVODE attachment is a smart choice for sausage enthusiasts who want sturdy metal parts and multiple tube sizes. If you are willing to hand wash the body, you get a durable tool that handles a wide range of meat-grinding projects well.
KitchenAid KSMFGA Food Grinder: A Simple Grinder for Everyday Use
This is the streamlined KitchenAid food grinder. It works with KitchenAid stand mixers through the attachment hub and includes a food tray, a food pusher, a fine grinding plate, and a coarse grinding plate. Those two plates cover the most common needs, from fine ground meat for sauces and fillings to coarser textures for burgers and rustic blends. The attachment also comes in a storage case, which helps keep the parts together when they are not in use.
The listing notes that you can expand the grinder’s capabilities with separately sold accessories, including a sausage stuffer kit and a fruit and vegetable strainer. That makes this model a good starting point if you want a clean, simple base setup and plan to add sausage or produce tools later. It is a practical way to build your kit gradually instead of paying for pieces you may never use.
The trade-off is in the included parts. You get two plates and no sausage tubes in the base package, so if your main goal is making sausage, you will need to buy the separate kit. Some home cooks like this kind of modular setup because it keeps the starting cost focused on what they need. Others prefer a box that includes everything from day one.
Who is it best for? This grinder suits people who mostly grind meat for burgers, meatballs, or casseroles and want a dependable KitchenAid-branded option. It is also a sensible pick for anyone who wants to test whether they will use a grinder regularly before investing in extra accessories. Compared with the other picks on this list, it has fewer included plates and no sausage tubes, so it is simpler but less complete out of the box.
Pros:
- Straightforward setup with a food tray, pusher, and two grinding plates
- Storage case keeps the attachment organized and protected
- Works well as a base kit that can expand with separately sold accessories
- Brand-backed design from the company that makes the stand mixer
Cons:
- Sausage stuffer tubes are not included and must be purchased separately
Verdict: The KSMFGA is a practical, no-frills grinder for everyday meat grinding. It is best for cooks who want a simple, reliable starting point. If sausage making is a priority, choose a set that includes tubes or plan to buy the separate kit.
Atbod Metal Meat Grinder: A Versatile Set for Varied Ingredients
The Atbod grinder is designed to attach to a KitchenAid stand mixer and turn its motor into a grinding station. Its listing describes a high-rigidity aluminum body paired with food-grade stainless steel plates and cutters. It also includes four grinding plates and two sausage stuffer tubes, so you get a solid mix of textures without needing to buy extra plates right away.
What makes this set interesting is how broadly it is marketed. The listing mentions processing firm cheeses, garlic, vegetables, fruit, and stale bread into crumbs or purees, in addition to raw meat. That range suggests it could be useful if you like making homemade breadcrumbs, grating hard cheese, or preparing chunky vegetable mixtures. Keep in mind that the grinder works best with ingredients that suit a grinding action, and very soft or watery produce may not give the results you want.
The listing advises chilling the metal body before grinding to improve texture, which is a sensible step for fatty meats and for keeping the process cleaner. Cleaning follows the same pattern as many metal attachments: use mild dish soap and warm water below 122°F, then rinse and dry right away to prevent oxidation. That quick drying step is worth taking seriously, since metal parts left damp can lose their finish over time.
This grinder suits cooks who want one attachment for a variety of ingredients and enjoy experimenting with different plates. It is a good fit for someone who values the extra plate count and a metal construction. Compared with the KitchenAid base kit, it offers more plates and tubes at the same level of completeness, though buyers who want brand-name assurance may still lean toward a KitchenAid model.
Pros:
- Four grinding plates provide more texture options than many basic sets
- Stainless steel plates and cutters paired with an aluminum body feel sturdy
- Versatile enough for meat, cheese, vegetables, and breadcrumbs
- Includes two sausage stuffer tubes for common sausage projects
Cons:
- Multi-ingredient claims work best with firm foods, so soft produce may require extra care
Verdict: The Atbod set is a strong choice for cooks who want a versatile grinder with multiple plates and a sturdy metal build. It is well suited to anyone who plans to grind more than just meat. If you want the most sausage tube options, look at the next pick instead.
9TH SHOP Meat Grinder Attachment: The Best Option for Sausage Variety
The 9TH SHOP attachment is designed to fit KitchenAid stand mixers and includes four grinding plates in various sizes, two cutting blades, and three sausage stuffer tubes. Those tubes measure 0.45 inch, 0.73 inch, and 1 inch, which gives you the widest sausage size range among the five picks. If you like making sausages in several diameters, this is the set that gives you the most room to experiment.
The aluminum parts are precision machined according to the listing, and the sausage tubes are stainless steel. The attachment also includes a cleaning brush for reaching tight corners and crevices. That small extra matters because grinders collect fat and meat residue in places a sponge cannot reach easily. In everyday use, a brush like this can save time and keep the attachment cleaner between uses.
Cleaning is the main drawback. The listing states that the attachment is not dishwasher safe and recommends warm soapy water below 122°F for hand washing. Like the GVODE model, you should plan on a manual cleanup routine after every grinding session. If you are comfortable with that, the trade-off is worth it for the sausage options and the included brush.
This grinder suits home cooks who make a lot of sausage or want flexibility in how they stuff and shape their meat. It is also a good choice for a gift for someone who already owns a KitchenAid stand mixer and enjoys cooking from scratch. Compared with the other options, it leads on sausage variety and extra cleaning tools, while the Atbod model may appeal more to people who want a broader range of ingredients beyond meat.
Pros:
- Three sausage stuffer tube sizes, including 0.45 inch, 0.73 inch, and 1 inch
- Four grinding plates and two cutting blades for a wide range of tasks
- Includes a cleaning brush for hard-to-reach areas
- Stainless steel sausage tubes add durability to the stuffing setup
Cons:
- Not dishwasher safe, so every session requires hand washing and thorough drying
Verdict: The 9TH SHOP grinder is the top choice for sausage makers who want the most size options in one set. It is a practical, feature-rich attachment as long as you accept the hand-washing routine. If you want the widest sausage variety, this is the one to consider first.
How to Choose the Right Meat Grinder Attachment for Your Stand Mixer
Confirm Compatibility With Your Mixer
Before you compare features, make sure the attachment fits your machine. Stand mixer grinders connect through the power hub on the front of the mixer, and most listings in this category are designed for KitchenAid models. Check the product description for the mixer types it supports, and confirm that your model has the attachment hub. Buying a grinder that does not match your mixer is one of the most common mistakes shoppers make, so take a minute to verify compatibility before adding anything to your cart. If your mixer is an older model, look at the listing details carefully to avoid surprises.
Think About Plate Options and Grind Texture
Plates decide how fine or coarse your ground food turns out. A fine plate works well for smooth sausage filling, pâté, or baby food, while a coarse plate gives you chunkier texture for rustic burgers and taco meat. Medium plates sit in the middle and handle many everyday tasks. If you cook a wide variety of dishes, look for a set with at least three plate sizes. If you mostly grind meat for one recipe, two plates may be enough. The number of plates matters less than whether the sizes match the textures you actually want to make.
Evaluate Sausage Stuffer Tubes
Sausage stuffing is a major reason people buy these attachments, so pay close attention to tube count and size. Some sets include two tubes, while others offer three sizes. Larger tubes suit thick sausages such as summer sausage, while smaller ones work better for links and thinner styles. If sausage is your main goal, choose a set with multiple diameters. If you only make sausage now and then, a basic set with two tubes can still get the job done. Keep in mind that some KitchenAid models sell the sausage kit separately, so confirm what is included before you buy.
Consider Metal Construction and Build Quality
Most grinder attachments in this category use metal parts, often aluminum bodies with stainless steel plates, cutters, or tubes. Metal generally feels sturdier than plastic and holds up better when you push firm meat or cheese through the grinder. It also tends to stay cool more easily when chilled before use. When comparing models, look at which parts are metal, how the components fit together, and whether the plates feel solid when you handle them. A well-built attachment will feel stable during operation, which helps you get consistent results.
Look at the Food Tray and Pusher Design
The food tray and pusher affect how quickly you can work. A larger tray means fewer refills, which is helpful when you are grinding several pounds of meat. The pusher should guide food smoothly into the grinding chamber without letting your fingers get too close to the moving parts. Some models emphasize a bigger tray, while others focus on the basic setup. If you plan to make big batches, favor the larger tray. If you only grind small amounts, a standard tray will likely be enough.
Plan for Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning often decides whether you will use the grinder regularly. Several models in this list require hand washing, especially the grinder body, so set aside time after each session. Look for included cleaning brushes, detachable parts, and clear care instructions. Always dry metal parts thoroughly after washing to protect the finish and prevent rust or oxidation. If you know you dislike hand washing, pay attention to which parts are dishwasher safe, since some components may be safer to clean in the dishwasher than others.
Decide Whether You Need Extra Accessories
Some attachments work as a complete kit, while others are designed to expand with separately sold accessories. Think about what you plan to make over the next year. If you only want to grind meat for burgers, a basic kit may be enough. If you also want to make sausage, press fruit and vegetables, or try other kitchen projects, a more complete set or a modular system may save you money in the long run. Buying the right combination upfront can prevent the frustration of finding out your grinder lacks a key part just when you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a specific KitchenAid model to use these grinder attachments?
Most of these products are designed to connect to KitchenAid stand mixers through the attachment hub. Before buying, check the product listing for compatibility details and confirm that your mixer has the power hub. Some listings specify that they fit all KitchenAid stand mixers, while others describe compatibility in broader terms, so reading the full description is important.
What is the difference between a fine plate and a coarse plate?
A fine plate has smaller holes and produces a smoother, more uniform texture. A coarse plate has larger holes and gives you a chunkier result. Fine plates are useful for sausage filling and sauces, while coarse plates are better for rustic burgers and textured meat dishes. Many cooks keep both on hand so they can switch depending on the recipe.
Can I grind vegetables, cheese, and bread with a meat grinder attachment?
Some of these attachments are marketed for more than meat, including firm cheese, vegetables, fruit, and stale bread. Firm, dry foods generally work best. Very soft or watery produce can be messy and may not grind as cleanly. Cut ingredients into manageable pieces, and chill the grinder before use to get more consistent results.
Why should I chill the grinder before using it?
Chilling the metal grinder helps keep fat from softening too much during grinding, which can lead to a cleaner, more controlled texture. Several listings in this group recommend pre-chilling for best results. Placing the metal parts in the refrigerator or freezer for a short time before grinding is a simple habit that can improve your final product.
Are these grinder attachments dishwasher safe?
It depends on the model and the part. Several listings state that the main grinder body should be hand washed in warm soapy water below 122°F, while some stainless steel parts may be dishwasher safe. Always check the care instructions for your specific attachment, then rinse and dry all metal parts completely after cleaning.
How many sausage tube sizes should I look for?
Two tubes can cover basic sausage projects, but three sizes give you more flexibility. If you make a range of sausages, from thin links to thicker styles like summer sausage, a three-size set is more useful. Think about the types of sausage you enjoy most and choose a set that matches those sizes.
Which grinder is the best overall choice?
The best choice depends on how you cook. The 9TH SHOP attachment is a strong pick for sausage variety, while the Atbod set suits cooks who want to grind a wide mix of ingredients. The KitchenAid KSMMGA offers a full set of plates and brand-name confidence, and the GVODE model appeals to those who want a sturdy metal build for sausage making. The KSMFGA is a good simple starting point for everyday grinding.
Final Recommendation
If you want the most complete all-around option with a trusted brand name, the KitchenAid KSMMGA is a dependable pick. It offers fine, medium, and coarse plates, two sausage tubes, a larger tray, and organized storage. For sausage lovers, the 9TH SHOP attachment stands out because of its three tube sizes and cleaning brush, though you will need to hand wash it after each use. The GVODE model is another strong sausage-focused option with a solid metal build. Choose the Atbod set if you plan to grind more than meat, and pick the KitchenAid KSMFGA if you want a simple base grinder and plan to add accessories over time. Match the attachment to the foods you cook most often, confirm compatibility with your mixer, and you will be well positioned to enjoy fresh, homemade ground foods for years to come.
