Salami-Making Equipment: What You Need and Why It Matters

By the site editors. Fact-checked against the sources listed on this page. Last updated November 2, 2026.

You don't need a pro kitchen to make salami. You do need the right tools, and a few of them are about safety, not convenience. University of Georgia Extension says "The three most important pieces of equipment, regardless of the amount of sausage you plan to make, are an accurate thermometer, a calibrated scale, and a meat grinder" (UGA Extension B1437). Here's the full list, and why each piece earns its spot. The short version lives in the equipment table in How to make salami at home.

The core gear on this page. Illustration, not a photo. Not to scale.

A scale you can trust with cure

Cure goes in at a tiny fraction of the meat weight, so this is the tool that matters most for safety. UGA says the small quantities of nitrate or nitrite "are difficult to weigh on most available scales," so "it is strongly recommended that a commercial premixed cure be used when nitrate or nitrite is called for in the recipe" (UGA Extension B1437). It also suggests "A scale that can be calibrated in either ounces or grams before each use" (UGA Extension B1437). Our How to Make list calls for a digital scale that reads 0.1 g (0.01 oz). Work out your amounts with the cure calculator, and read up on Curing salts.

Meat grinder and plates

The grinder sets your salami's texture. UGA says "A coarse grind is made with a plate with 1/4-, 3/8- or 1/2-inch holes; the fine grind is produced by 1/8 or 3/16-inch holes" (UGA Extension B1437). UConn Extension gives the same split (UConn Extension: Home Sausage Making).

Keep it sharp. UGA says "It is important to keep the knife blades sharp because dull equipment produces excessive heat and makes a smeared product," and "The key to doing a good job grinding is to use sharp blades and plates that match" (UGA Extension B1437). UConn adds that dull equipment "can render or melt the fat and produce a smeary product" (UConn Extension).

Sausage stuffer

You can stuff off a horn on the grinder, but UGA calls the leftover air "a sausage-making no-no." It says "a separate sausage stuffer can be used to put the mixed ground meat directly into the casing with minimal air pockets and less risk of pathogenic bacteria" (UGA Extension B1437). Got air pockets anyway? UGA says they "can be removed by piercing the casing with a sterile needle," and to "Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and assembling the stuffer" (UGA Extension B1437).

Casings

Natural hog or beef casings, or fibrous casings, per our How to Make list. How to choose and prep them, and how casing choice changes drying, are in Salami casings.

Thermometer and hygrometer

Cold meat is safer meat. UGA says "An accurate thermometer is necessary for ensuring that raw meat does not get warmer than 40 °F during processing" (UGA Extension B1437). Once your links are hanging, you also need to know the chamber's temperature and humidity. BCCDC says "All drying rooms must be equipped and monitor air flow, temperature, and humidity" (BCCDC 3.13). BCCDC's sample log sheets include a "CALIBRATION LOG" for the scale and thermometers (BCCDC 3.13, Appendix 1). How to check a hygrometer with a salt test is in Curing chamber.

pH testing

This part's serious. Fermentation has to drop the pH fast enough, and you can't see or taste that. AMI's guidance says "To assure that the pH decreases normally, pH readings must be taken from each lot" (AMI Foundation GMP, via UW-Madison). Use a calibrated pH meter. Skip paper strips: MPI says "Indicator strips have generally proved to be unsuitable for measuring the pH of fermenting products" (MPI UCFM guidance). The targets and the time limit are in pH and water activity and Fermenting salami.

A curing chamber

Salami ferments and then dries for weeks, in conditions you have to hold steady. The common home setup is a converted fridge or wine cooler with temperature and humidity controllers plus a small fan, per our How to Make list. Targets, airflow and monitoring are in Curing chamber, and the drying stage is in Drying salami.

Gloves, sanitizer and a log

Clean gear is equipment too. UGA says "The most critical step in sausage making is to be sure your equipment and work area are clean and sanitized before you start," and that "the food preparation area and equipment must always be cleaned and sanitized before and after processing sausages" (UGA Extension B1437). Its plant hygiene guidance says "Plant personnel should wash hands before putting on a new pair of gloves," and gloves "must be changed at every break, when torn, after touching garbage" (UGA Extension B1437). That's written for plants, but our call is that it's a good habit at home too.

Last, keep a log. BCCDC's control points include "Weight loss and pH of sausage is measured and recorded in a log" (BCCDC 3.13). Our drying tracker covers the weight side.

Gear doesn't make it safe

Good tools help you hit the targets. They don't replace them. FSIS says "Fermentation and drying alone are not particularly effective as lethality treatments" (FSIS-GD-2023-0002, archived). Follow a tested recipe and the full process in How to make salami at home. When in doubt, throw it out.

CellarCure is for general education, not professional food-safety advice. See our full disclaimer.