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I was looking for about a year for my first meat grinder in order to process my own deer and elk. I didn't want a cheap $50 one and I didn't want to spend hundreds for a commercial quality version that I would only use once a year. After a lot of online review reading, I settled on the "STX-3000-MF Megaforce". OK, so the name just screams "cheap Chinese junk!", but the reviews were good and it had everything I wanted, so what the heck, let's try it.
First Impressions- I picked up the shipping package off the porch and thought "seems too light". Unpacked it and thought "not a fan of the polished aluminum parts", "the body of the unit seems pretty light", and "hey, at least the grinder plates, auger, and cutting blades are beefy".
Assembly- Piece of cake. If you need to read the instructions or go online to figure out how to put this together, just ship it back and make friends with a butcher.
First Use: Grinding- So I cleaned out my freezers and pulled about 21 lbs of deer, antelope, and elk steaks and cubed meat out and set it to partially thaw overnight. I also got 9 lbs of partially frozen pork belly and 3.5 lbs of pork country style rib meat ready. The pork was cubed into ~1-1.5" cubes. The game meat was a little smaller, but reasonably well trimmed of silver skin and tendons. I mixed up all the chunks and started feeding the machine as fast as it could take it, which was faster than I could feed it by myself. First pass was through the wagon wheel, second pass was through the 5/16" (?) plate (not the beaner plate and not the smallest hole plate). Working by myself, I double ground ~35 lbs of meat in less than 30 minutes. This machine never balked or slowed at all. I mixed up 9 lbs with summer sausage season and cure and then ~5 lb batches of Polish + cure, Bratwurst, Sweet Italian, Hot Italian, and Breakfast, adding a little less than a cup of water to each 5 lb batch. I'd probably go to a 1.5 C next time. I then ground the Summer Sausage and Polish through the smallest plate to get a fine consistency and left all of it in the fridge overnight to "marinate"(?) (not really sure of the correct term here).
Second Use: Stuffing- Next day, I stuffed some large 3 lb casings with the summer sausage and regular hog casings for the rest. This was a bit tedious working alone. I highly recommend getting a partner to help. Also, the key to stuffing the casings was to push the pre-ground meat through the machine as fast as possible. Even on the slow speed setting with the cutting head removed, the auger would "smush" the ground meat into paste if it got held up. This was fine for the summer and Polish sausage, but I wanted a coarser mix for the rest. Eventually, I got into a rhythm where I would load up the vertical tube with the mix, start the machine and push the feed plunger down as fast as I could, stop the machine, twist the case, reload the vertical tube, repeat. This made ~ 1/4 lb links.
Clean up- The polished aluminum parts cleaned up super easy. Spend a little time making sure you get all the crannies inside the grinder head and clean out crevices in the cutting head and all the little holes in the plates carefully. After drying, spray the grinding plates with oil to prevent rust. Leave the cutting head, tube, meat tray, and auger dry. Some reviews complain that you can't put the pieces in the dishwasher. Seriously? How are you so willing to put a fair amount of work into making your own sausage but too lazy to wash half a dozen parts by hand?
Overall- I am pretty impressed with the power and utility. Having never made sausage before, there was a bit of a learning curve, but this machine made most of it pretty simple and easy once I got the hang of it. No idea of the long-term reliability, but I'll only be using it once/year. Noise wasn't too bad. Obviously its going to be loud with that much power, but you don't need to yell to talk to your partner while it is running. Not a huge difference in the 2 speeds. I mostly used the slow speed, since I was working alone. Never tried reverse since the machine ground through everything. The only thing that caused it to strain was trying to grind 1" cubes of solidly frozen elk. These were fresh out of the freezer, not partially frozen. It didn't like them, but it did grind them. I won't do that again and wouldn't recommend it. The result was pretty mealy anyway.
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Product Description
STX International Megaforce "Classic Edition" Heavy Duty Meat Grinder. The Complete Home Grinding Package.
The Heavy Duty STX International Megaforce "Classic Edition" 3 Speed Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer
The Following are the New Improvements and Additions that now make up our "Classic Edition" Megaforce Meat Grinder.
- A High Capacity Meat Tray: This new Polished Food Grade Aluminum Tray now Measures 9.75" L x 7.25" W x 2" D and Easily Holds more than 3 Lbs. of Meat to be ground and/or for stuffing sausage.
- A "Free" Burger-Slider Press with Waxed Transfer Sheets: Make perfect burgers or sliders every time with this Burger-Slider Press. We have even included waxed transfer sheets to allow you to easily move your burger patties to the grill or place in the Freezer.
- 2 "Free" Durable Meat Claws for Shredding, Handling and Carving Meat: Shred your favorite meats in seconds or use the claws to pick up hot foods without burning your hands. Use the Multi-prong Claws to help carve hot foods or stabilize Meat for cutting into pieces or strips for grinding.
- A New Ergonomic Style of Meat Pusher for stuffing your raw meat down into the grinder. Although this grinder will normally just pull the meat down into the auger to be ground if you strip it properly for grinding, you can just use the palm of your hand on the top of this new pusher instead of gripping it with your hands when you need to use it. You can even store your Sausage Tubes inside of this new Meat Pusher.
Now you have the Ultimate Home Grinding Package with the STX Megaforce "Classic Series" Meat Grinder!
STX Megaforce "Classic Edition" Main Unit with its Patented Air Cooled System & High Capacity 3 Lb. Meat Tray
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STX Megaforce 3000 Series Heavy Duty Meat GrinderSTX International and Megaforce: names synonymous for quality, performance, and trusted value. Since its inception in 2009, STX International has averaged yearly sales of over 75,000 of its Award Winning Line of Meat Grinders per year. Tested, Improved, and Accepted for it's Time-Tested Performance and Reliability. |
Air Induction HoodOur STX Megaforce 3000 Series Electric Meat Grinder features our "Patented - Air Induction Cooling System" which can virtually Double the Life of your meat grinder! The main reason most electric meat grinders malfunction or become defective is because the motor overheats and quits working, but with our Patented Cowl Air Induction Cooling System, you will enjoy many more years grinding meat with this grinder. |
"Classic Edition" New Feature - High Capacity 3 Lb. Meat TrayThe Megaforce 3000 Series now features a High Capacity Meat Tray that can Easily hold over 3 lbs. of Meat. This tray is 9.75"L x 7.25"W x 2.00"D. The Feeder Tube Opening measures over 2 inches in diameter for High Volume meat delivery. Combining these features with the AVI(Advanced Variable Intake) Auger and you can easily grind over 180 lbs. of meat in an hour. |
STX Megaforce "Classic Edition" Complete Grinding Head, 3 Stainless Cutting Blades, 3 Sizes of Grinding Plates and Sausage Stuffing Plate.
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Size #12 Grinding HeadUnlike smaller size #5 or #8 grinders, this size #12 grinder features a durable 100% polished cast aluminum grinding head, auger and meat pan. These parts are Not Coated. The auger features AVI Technology (Advanced Variable Intake) and, when combined with the 2 1/8 inch, High Capacity Meat Tray Feeder opening, you are capable of grinding larger portion sizes of meat in much shorter time. These parts should NOT be washed in the dishwasher, but should be washed with a mild detergent (like Dawn Liquid) and hot water, towel dried and stored in a dry place. |
3 Stainless Steel Cutting BladesThe STX Megaforce 3000 Series comes with 3 each Stainless Steel Cutting Blades. These high quality blades can be washed by hand or placed in the dishwasher. These cutting blades are manufactured from 304 Food Grade Stainless Steel and can be washed in the dishwasher or with a liquid dish washing detergent (like Dawn) and towel dried. |
3 Tempered/Hardened Steel Grinding Plates3 Sizes of Grinding Plates come standard with this unit. These Grinding Plates are manufactured from Hardened/Tempered Steel.
These plates should NOT be washed in the dishwasher, but should be washed with a mild liquid dish washing detergent and hot water, towel dried and stored in a dry place. |
Sausage Specialty Grinding PlateAlong with the 3 Standard Grinding Plates, you get the Sausage Stuffing Plate. This Tempered/Hardened Steel Plate is used in the Sausage Stuffing process and is an absolute MUST for the Complete Home Meat Grinding and Sausage Stuffing Package. This plates should NOT be washed in the dishwasher, but should be washed with a mild liquid dish washing detergent and hot water, towel dried and stored in a dry place. |
STX Megaforce "Classic Edition" Sausage Stuffing Tubes, Kubbe (Kibbe) Maker Attachment & Ergonomic Meat Pusher with Storage for Sausage Tubes
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3 Sizes Sausage Tubes and Stuffing AdapterA Set of 3 Sizes of Sausage Stuffing Tubes along with the Adapter are also included with this grinder (shown in the 1st photo above). The Diameter of the Sausage Stuffing Tubes are 3/4 Inch, 5/8 Inch and 1/2 Inch and come with an adapter for stuffing with any of the 3 size |
Kubbe/Kibbe AttachmentA Kubbe (also know as Kibbe) Attachment also comes with this grinder. For those of you who are not familiar with Kubbes, they are Traditional Middle Eastern Dish comprised of a cylinder-like shell made from meat which lamb and bulghar wheat. The center is then stuffed with a spiced minced lamb filling and the ends are sealed to form the Kubbe which is then Deep-Fried. |
New Style Ergonomic Meat Pusher with Storage for Sausage TubesWe have designed a New Ergonomic Style of Meat Pusher for stuffing your raw meat down into the grinder. Although this grinder will normally just pull the meat down into the auger to be ground if you strip it properly for grinding, you can just use the palm of your hand on the top of this pusher instead of gripping it with your hands when you need to use it. |
Parts Packed in OneIn the above photo you can see that the top of the Meat Pusher opens up and you can store your Sausage Tube Set inside of it. If you do store the Sausage Tubes inside this pusher, we suggest that you dry them thoroughly before storing them so condensation does not build up inside the pusher. |
STX Megaforce "Classic Edition" New "Free" Additions: 2 Meat Claws and a Burger-Slider Patty Maker Press
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"Classic Edition" Addition - Meat ClawsThese Meat Claws are great for Shredding Cooked Meat, but we found that they are Great To Use to hold down a Piece of Meat to cut it into strips or cubes to be ground in this grinder. These Multi-Prong Claws also give you the solid grip that you need for transferring or cutting your favorite hot or slippery foods. And when you want to shred pork or other meats, no problem. These claws can get the job done. |
"Classic Edition" Addition - Burger-Slider Make PressThe Complete Home Meat Grinding Package would not be complete without this Perfect Burger/Slider Press. Now you can be prepared for any big burger occasion in a snap. Have perfect burgers or sliders ready in your freezer using the waxed transfer sheets that also come with the Platinum Burger Press. |
"Classic Edition" Addition - Burger-Slider Make PressThe STX Megaforce "Classic Edition" Complete Home Meat Grinding Package includes a Burger/Slider Press and Waxed Transfer Sheets. The natural addition to our Platinum Edition Collection of STX International Meat Grinders. |
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This Item  STX INTERNATIONAL STX International Megaforce 3000 Powerful Air Cooled 5-In-1 Electric Meat Grinder • Sausage Stuffer (3 Sizes) • Kubbe Maker • Patty Press • 2 Meat Claws • 3 Stainless Steel Blades • 4 Grinding Plates | ![ALTRA LIFE Meat Grinder, Sausage Stuffer, [2800W Max] Electric Meat Mincer with Stainless Steel Blades & 3 Grinding Plates,Sausage Maker & Kubbe Kit for Home Kitchen & Commercial Using (MG090-S)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hakOvS5jL._AC_.jpg) |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $99.99 | $85.99 | $199.99 | $99.95 | $75.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to assemble | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Durability | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | — | ALTRA-LIFE STORE | CHEFFANO STORE | HomePlus Store | Amazon.com | aoerkang |
| capacity | 5 pounds | 180 pounds | 180 pounds | 2 liters | 3 pounds | 3 pounds |
| material | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Plastic | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| specific uses | — | Grinding | Meat Grinder | Meat Grinder | — | Grinding, Mixing |
| weight | 12 pounds | — | — | — | 8.5 pounds | 6 pounds |
Reviews with images
So quick, easy and strong
Did 5 pounds of chicken breast in about a minute or 2. No gumming up, just beautiful ground chicken breast. So much cheaper than buying already ground. Everything was super easy to clean. Do NOT put it in the dishwasher. It's super easy to handwash. I am so glad I bought this and look forward to many more grindings :)
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Top reviews from other countries
Don
Great mid-range tool
Reviewed in Canada on November 14, 2023Size: Meat Grinder OnlyVerified Purchase
