I need to get a food mill; any suggestions?

[Deleted]

My tomatoes didn't do so well last year (again) so I followed an old-timer's advice and planted them with a tea bag and some lime.

I don't know if it was the tea bags or just dumb luck but I didn't have any casualties this year - all 25 plants lived to tell about it and are going gangbusters!!

I can't wait to make sauce but I need to get a food mill. I was hoping to get an attachment for my KitchenAid but it doesn't look like they make one.

The only ones I can find are hand-cranked. Doesn't this make your arms want to fall off? Is it hard to crank?

I've found plastic and metal ones, as well as some that suction to the counter and some that clamp. Will the clamp ones ruin my counter? Do you have any preference between the metal and plastic ones? I was thinking the metal would last longer but the plastic would be easier to clean since I could pop the parts in the dishwasher.

/Via, the tomato famer

[bbird]

My arm doesn't get tired with tomato's but it can with apples, but I usually grab a kid or dh to help too. I have a clamp one, and hook it onto the cutting board that slides out under my counter. My counters have a funny lip which makes it impossible to clamp onto. My table in the kitchen works too, and since it is wood and dinged, scratched I don't worry about it.

[Kathy]

I have a stainless steel food mill but I only use that for small batches such as a few apples or a squash or two. My very favorite kitchen strainer is my Victorio Strainer!! Mine is a 1970's model and has more metal than plastic.

As far as getting your arm tired; if your hubby is handy, he can detach the handle and put a step down pulley and attach a small electric motor.

It takes some tweaking to get the gear ratio correct-the first time I tried it with a motor-I shot applesauce across the room.

Update: Look what I found-a Victoria with an optional motor attachment!! ;D

www.kitchenemporium.com/cgi-bin/kitchen/prod/18vw200.html

[Deleted]

Oh wow, thanks to both of you!
Kathy, that's really funny about the applesauce

It looks like they're a little more spendy than I realized but the motor is well worth it. Maybe I could get it as an early birthday present from DH and my parents...

bbird, you mentiond you had the clamp kind and the link Kathy showed is also the clamp kind so it seems like that's the way to go. The house still has the original, TEXTURED, laminated countertops which will be replaced at some point so it's safe for me to try.

Thank you both for your help!

/Via

[Kathy]

Via, once you get your new countertops in place you can still use the clamp style. ;D

Just get two pieces of thin wood; I used 3/8 " plywood- one for the underside and one for the countertop cut about 3" X 3"(the bigger you can use the better) ~ those wood pieces will distrubute the pressure stress & protect your counter from dents, scratches and cracking.

The other option is get a small sturdy table from the Goodwill or a yard sale. Cover it with oil cloth or even a plastic tablecloth stapled to the underside wood and use that for your straining & canning table.