I used my KA food mill for the very first time just a couple of days ago, though I've had it a year or two. I was glad I'd purchased the bigger food tray with it as it saved lots of loading time, and highly recommend it. The unit worked just perfectly. Still have some hundred(s) pounds of tomatoes out there! So, may just try tomato juice this year as time is running out and I still have quite a bit of the corn, peppers, squash and plums out there as well as a few pears, lots of almonds and apples to take care of, too! We're expecting a below freezing temps in a couple of nights.

Crystal

I was not aware that a larger tray was available. I will have to look for one now.

KA machines are very expensive. The Villaware/Roma and Squeezo cost much less than the KA machine and strainer. The KA has only the one sized hole type and the Roma has 3 other sized screens for doing seedy berries liek raspberries and also mincing tomatoes for salsa. The Villaware can also be motorized and it makes for a very fast straing process no matter what is run through it, including grapes with big seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food strainer search results

For Christmas one year, I bought my husband the KA stand mixer to make sourdough bread with, because as he has gotten older, the rotator-cuff surgeries he had on both shoulders years ago, really began to slow down his bread-kneading abilities. He had much pain on bread baking days. Later we bought those attachments to go with it. Multi-duty machine for sure!

Crystal

My KA is nearly 30 years old. Last year I ordered the set of 3 attachments for about $100. I have used the grater/slicer and the meat grinder a lot but did not try the strainer/food mill until grapes came in this year. Loved it and the same attachment is working great for tomatoes. If you already have a KA these attachments may be the "best buy". I like have one machine that does most of the work!

I have a question. I have the KA and use grinder quite frequently, but I don't have the strainer attachment. When doing tomatoes do you get enough pulp/meat to make salsa and sauce? Or is it more like juice.

Thanks for your feedback!

Ever see an Oster/Sunbeam Kitchen Center? They have attachments for a blender (glass and stainless steel) that sets onto the motor unit, ice crusher, food processor, ice cream maker, using ice and rock salt, four holed mixer head with high speed beaters and low speed dough hooks, also a meat grinder, juicer, and a disk type slicing device, for grating, chopping, dicing, and crinkle cuts. Even a coffee grinder attachment. Unit is still cheaper than a KA of any type, and has more multifunctions than any other kitchen appliance. I own two since about 1975, and one is brand new still in the box, just in case mine wears out. They don't make these anymore, so is nice to find one once in a while

Here is a link that might be useful: Oster Kitchen Center

This was our first year using our KA fruit & veg strainer attachment. Loved it! It made short work of two bushels of roma tomatoes for sauce.

kaelkriver, it does put out enough pulp/meat for a sauce. Depending on how thick you like your sauce, you may still need to boil it down. We reduced our output by a third for a thick sauce.

One trick passed on by another member was to pass the waste produce on the first pass through the mill again. Worked like a charm.

Bill

To make a thicker sauce from the beginning. Cut the tomatoes in half, and dig out most of the liquid and seeds, then run them through the strainer. This will reduce the time needed to boil it down to get it thicker.

We've had ours 25 years. I use it on tomatoes for spaghetti and bar-b-que sauce, apples for apple sauce and pumpkin for pie filling.

Thanks to those that replied to my question. It sounds like the attachment would be worth my while.

Kathy

Kathy,

Yes, we (my GF and I) think it's great. One caution though. We have an Artisan (lower wattage/power) version of the KA.

If yours is similar, you'll need to give it a rest after half a bushel of tomatoes. A small price to pay for the results.

Bill

I purchsed the KA vegetable strainer in August (birthday present to myself) I LOVE it, I wish I would have had it 5 years ago, my tomatoes were done in no time!
Highly recommended.

scw1950 - Did you say you used your KA food strainer for grapes? There was a post recently about using other manual food strainers for grapes - consensus was that the Squeezo wouldn't work for them and the Roma/Villaware type would if you bought the special grape spiral for it. I hadn't thought of using the KA food strainer. My muscadines are not quite ripe yet so I would love to find out how yours worked out.

Nancy

My KA attachment has a spiral. It worked great. I really want the larger tray but only cause I tend to get in a hurry and be messy ;-) You get pulp along with the juice so it will not work for a clear jelly but I like the texture of the jam.

Anybody use the Kitchen Aid with roasted tomatoes? I asked this question in another post, but thought I'd ask here also. I found roasted tomatoes really made my Victorio slow...it has been very frustrating for the past couple of years. I didn't realize how bad it was until I did a batch of raw tomatoes for ketchup this year, and it went so much faster!! I have a Kitchen Aid mixer, and wonder if I should get the food strainer....I have a coupon right now and Kohl's is offering free shipping, so it would be a great deal. But the coupon is only good through tomorrow (Wed.), so I'm in a little bit of a pressure situation. Help!! Thought I could buy it now and save it as a Christmas gift to myself! Thanks!!

Louster - I don't know about the roasted tomatoes other than the demo video for the KA says to cook all tough fruits first. Although, I suppose yours is having difficulty due to lower moisture content?...What I do know is that Kohl's price is 114 and on Amazon it is 85 (also with free shipping). Don't know what kind of coupon you have but it maybe worth it to check around on prices a little bit before buying!

tannabanna....the $114 price was for the food grinder along with the juicer, unless I'm mistaken, which happens frequently!! I have one of those 30% off coupons, the price of the strainer alone was $60.00, and I wanted to add the larger food tray for $22.00. With the 30% off that takes it down to $55.00, give or take. Now I just need to decide if I want to take a gamble as to whether it will work better or not. Somebody tell me what to do!! The coupon expires tonight, so I guess I won't be torturing myself for too much longer!
What Dave said in that other thread about the lower moisture content made sense, although I was thinking that it may also be an issue of the roasted tomatoes being too soft, and not pushing through the spiral very well. Thought maybe next year I could try putting in a raw one every now and then while I do the roasted ones, and maybe that would help push them through....I don't know.....

Hello all. I inherited KA attachments and also a Squeezo from my Mom who passed. Have used neither yet, but want to make annie's salsa and speed up the cutting. There are no directions with the Squeezo, but I assume that is more for juices. Has any one used the KA attachments for salsa? Which attachment to you use? Thanks!