Pluckers, scalders, knives and tables for a calm processing day.
Photo: Hannes Grobe, CC BY-SA 4.0
Harvest & Kitchen
Processing your own animals is serious, respectful work, and the right setup makes it cleaner, safer and kinder. Think steady equipment, sharp knives, plenty of clean water and a work surface at the right height.
Our picks
Gear we're weighing for this shelf, from good value to buy-once quality. Nothing here is linked yet: a pick earns a link only once we've used it or finished researching it with sources we can show you.
LEM Products
LEM's classic smoky jerky blend, an inexpensive add-on.
Price as listed at LEM Products, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
LEM Products
Makes flat jerky or snack sticks from ground meat (3/4 lb per load).
Price as listed at LEM Products, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Lehman's
Hand-crank stainless grinder; no power needed.
Price and rating as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
LEM Products
LEM's entry electric grinder: 500 W, 4 to 5 lb a minute, per the maker.
Price as listed at LEM Products, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
LEM Products
Gear-driven stainless stuffer, right-sized for home batches.
Price as listed at LEM Products, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
LEM Products
Belt-driven slicer, ultra-thin to 0.625"; two blades included, jerky and bacon.
Price as listed at LEM Products, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Hatching Time (Cimuka)
1500 W drum plucker with 126 natural-rubber fingers.
Price and rating as listed at Hatching Time, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
LEM Products
LEM's flagship Big Bite grinder, up to 7 lb a minute per the maker: a buy-once grinder.
Price as listed at LEM Products, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
What we look for
From the Journal
Manual or electric, what head sizes like #8 and #22 mean, how much power you need, and the cold, clean habits that matter more than the machine.
Read the post: Grinding at home: choosing your first meat grinderWhy chicken wire keeps hens in but not predators out, what mesh size to use where, and how to stop diggers, climbers and reachers, drawn from Extension guidance.
Read the post: Hardware cloth vs. chicken wire: predator-proofing a coop
