Nesco BJX-5, Jerky Works Jumbo Kit, Red

This little gun works great, especially for the price. There is some bleed over on the plunger, easily removed when you refill with a spatula. How people are cracking the tube, no clue. Unless it's damaged from dropping it something, it's not going to crack.

Item as described

My wife and I ordered this Nesco jerky gun because we wanted to make our own jerky from ground meat. We have done so before with friends and family, but they had their own jerky guns and we wanted to get one of our own.Normally, I love Nesco, and their products have not done me wrong in the past, but this jerky gun was (in my opinion) a waste of $20.During our first time using it, we were halfway through our batch of meat and everything was going great. Until we heard a loud pop from the jerky gun, and it stopped working.Upon inspection, the metal piece inside of the trigger, which grabs on to the teeth that are on the plunger and help feed the plunger through the tube, has slipped off to the side and is only holding on to one side of the plungers teeth. This is causing the trigger to no longer push the plunger through the tube, and has rendered the jerky gun unusable.Like I said, I love this brand, but this product is a total waste of $20. We were only able to use it for roughly 30 minutes before the trigger stopped working. Thank goodness for wax paper and a rolling pin... saved our butts after the jerky gun broke.

kids love making jerky with this

I'm trying to eat fewer carbs and sugars, so I'm upping my protein. I also have had a hard time finding things that I can snack on that are healthy, AND store-bought jerky costs an arm and a leg AND comes with TONS of additives. I already had a Nesco dehydrator, so this seemed like a no-brainer, though it should also be noted that you do NOT have to have a dehydrator to use this - you can easily make jerky just using your oven!I originally tried a fancy-pants stainless steel jerky gun that weighed a TON - and promptly broke down. After watching video after video of people using this product I thought, hey - if everyone likes it, that sounds like a good endorsement. There are just a few moving parts, metal and high-grade plastic, it's SUPER easy to use and clean up after, and I've now made two great batches and am loving it! I use either 9/5 fat content or 85/15 - both have their advantages and disadvantages, mainly in flavor and price. I haven't tried making the tube-style, but the larger flat nozzle works just as I want it.This would be a great gift for do-it-yourselfers, and if you are are on food stamps, you can even get EBT-qualified jerky seasoning kits here on Amazon, so it's GREAT for someone on a restricted income like me. It's probably GREAT for hunters, so, yeah - great product, highly recommend!

Have you ever bought something here, and then when the other "suggested products" pop up, you buy one or two of those as well? And right after you hit "Confirm Order," you think to yourself, "Why did I buy that?!?"Well, that's how this purchase felt. I took the Jerky Works kit out of the box and said to myself, "I'm never going to use this." Thankfully, I was wrong. After using it the first time, I was hooked. Now I jerk about 2.5 to 3 lbs. of hamburger every two weeks (I use 93% lean.) My son and I both pack some in our lunches, and we snack on it at home. Even the wife, who claims to "hate jerky," has been caught sneaking a few strips. We don't have to worry about the "shelf life" of the jerky around here, because it never lasts long!The jerky gun is easy to use. I've experienced nothing but silky smooth operation and fantastic results each and every time. I'll admit that having prior experience with a caulk gun was a help, but it's not a hard concept. Simply squeeze off a piece of the desired length, and cut or tear it off. Clean-up is a snap, and I don't use the dishwasher, either. Cleans up easily in soap and water.The only thing even remotely negative that I found was that the trial spice and cure packets, when mixed in the recommended ratio of one twin spice/cure packet per pound of meat, resulted in a salty-tasting jerky. I've gone to using one spice/cure packet per 2 packages of ground beef (2.5 - 3 lbs.), and supplementing the flavoring with some soy sauce, a dash of Worcestershire sause, and a few drops of liquid smoke. I find the result to be much more flavorful, as the the flavors of the beef and other seasonings aren't masked as much by the saltiness. That's the great thing about jerky - there are tons of recipes out there, and it doesn't take long to find a few favorites.Bottom line - if you like jerky but hate paying all that money for it, the Jerky Works kit will pay for itself in short order. It's easy to use, it works as advertised, and it cleans up quick. Along with the dehydrater (Nesco FD-75PR), it's one of the best purchases I've made.