Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Setting up the meat grinder on your Kitchenaid mixer is easy. The attachment is very robust and sturdy. There are not a lot of moving parts to worry about, and cleaning is easy - just pull out the grinder, remove the large inside screw, and remove the plates and wash. Why 2 stars? Well, I tested the attachment by running it dry, which should not hurt the grinder (the grinding plate and blade are flat). After running for about 45 seconds I said, "Wow, this is cool." Turned off the machine and began to remove the plate and blade. "Wait! What is that black stuff collecting under the plate?!" It looked like dirt. "Perhaps I should not be running it dry," I thought. So I put some oil on the blade and plate. I ran the machine for a few minutes and noticed a build up of a dirty oil under and on the plate. The small dirt or metal smudge from the center bolt was mixing with the oil. I cleaned the whole thing and still got the same results. Will be returning the grinder unit to the store. I don't want dirt in my food. (Note: I imagine that this problem is not visible if you are putting food through the grinder because the dirt/shavings are taken away in the food.) Still love the mixer, though (5 stars) Feb. 2010 Update: I bought another grinder with the hope that it will not have this problem. Unfortunately it does. Anyway, I decided to keep this grinder because I came up with a quick fix to the problem. I take a cap from a marker (an ordinary felt marker) and press the open end of the marker over the center of the plate where the spinning center bolt protrudes. The open end of the marker catches all the dirt that falls from the spinning protruding bolt, and from what I've seen, none of it gets into the beef. Make sure you wash the cap before using. I wash and reuse the same cap from a discarded marker. See comments for a link with photos.