Material

iron
wood

Purpose

Meat scraps entered the hopper on top and as the handle was turned, the grinding blades within the machine would chop and compress the meat as it flowed out the small hole on the side of the device. For many presses, there was probably a tube-like attachment to the small hole in which a sausage casing could be affixed.

Creation Date

19th century

Date Details

According to 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles (Franklin 65), mechanical sausage presses or stuffers began to appear around the mid 1800's. There were various forms of such devices but most were identifiable from other mechanical meat grinding machines for the reason that they all contain a small hole (after the grinding process) in which a sausage casing could be filled. Although a specific date for this item could not be ascertained, this device looks similar in form to the "Sausage Meat Cutter" that appeared in the American Home Cook Book in 1854. Other comparable -tabletop sausage presses were also patented in the mid to late 19th century. Those presses that clamped to the table appeared in the late 19th century (300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles, Franklin 65).

Kitchen Artifact ID

K023