Whether you manage a kitchen in a restaurant, a hotel, a or a small market, if you want full control over the quality of the meats you serve your clientèle, you’re going to need to to cure them yourself. In a world full of chemical additives, traditional salami processing is the only way to guarantee genuine meat production without putting the welfare of your customers (or loved ones, for home enthusiasts) at risk. Unfortunately, fewer companies are willing to take the time and effort to produce sausage and similar meats the right way. The good news is that if you’re willing to do the work, there are options out there to make the process as efficient as possible.

We’ll be frank: most of these options come from the same company, a little Italian brand called Stagionello that has quietly been making the best meat curing cabinets on the planet for decades. Today we’ll take a look at their flagship curing cabinet: the Stagionello 200 + 600 kg 100″ STG200600 Meat Curing Cabinet with ClimaTouch and Fumotic and see if it offers enough value to justify its $142,000 price tag. Our thoughts are to buy it if you need to cure up to 2,000 pounds of meat per month and to downgrade to the Stagionello 100 + 300kg STG100300, which is otherwise identical aside from having half the capacity and lower price, if you can get by with less storage room. Our full review is below, and you can buy the Stagionello STG200600 here on Amazon or buy the Stagionello STG100300 here instead.

Which features are common to all Stagionello cabinets, including the STG200600?

The STG200600 is the largest of seven meat curing cabinets manufactured by Italian food preservation masters Stagionello. Designed to cure a range of salumis (including salami) in an average of only 20 days, the fully automated cabinet allows hands-free management of the three essential elements of meat curing: temperature, humidity, and air movement by creating and maintaining a microclimate. Before detailing the specific features of the STG200600, it’s worth reviewing the features common to all Stagionello meat curing cabinets (e.g., not just the STG200600, but also the STG100300, STGTWIF0, STG200TF0, STG100TF0, STGPNTF60, and Stagionello Evo 150).

Designed for use in commercial environments like restaurants, hotels, small farms, organic cooperatives, and meat markets, as well as in research settings, Stagionello cabinets feature ClimaTouch computerized systems to keep your temperature, humidity, and air flow monitored and optimally adjusted through each of the pre-programmed phases: meat salting, stewing, aromatization and smoking, and finally, drying and seasoning. Insulation is provided through non-toxic foam, while the Fumotic system can produce and maintain desired cold smoke and flavor levels.

Each Stagionello uses food-grade, non-porous, easily cleanable AISI 304 stainless steel interiors in addition to locking glass panels, allowing for visual verification of the curing process, as well as showcasing of meats in retail environments. Cabinets are designed to function in environments with ambient temperatures of up to 89.6°F (32°C), and include alarms for alerting you to potential problems in addition to humidity, temperature, evaporation, condenser, and pH probes. The computer system includes five languages (Italian, English, French, German, and Spanish) and a touch screen display; not only will it calculate and adjust pH and other levels to produce quality results throughout the fermentation process, it includes 30 preset recipes  with enough memory to store approximately 100 in total. The computerized system also provides complete access to and control over the cabinet to allow you to step in at any time as well as data logging of system levels for record keeping.

Which meats can you cure with a Stagionello cabinet like the STG200600?

All current Stagionello cabinets are capable of preparing virtually every variety of salami in existence, including Cacciatore (also known as Cacciatora or Cacciatorini), Chorizo, Ciauscolo, Fegatelli, Felino, Finocchiona, Genovese, German salami, Hard, Kulen, Lardo, Napoletano, Milanese, Pepperoni, Saucisson, Soppressata, Spegepolse, Vysocina, and Winter salami. They can also be used with a range of salumis, including but not limited to Proscuitto, Coppa, Bresaola, Cotechino, Guanciale, Lardo, Mortadella, ‘Nduja, and Pancetta.

Pros, Cons, and Key Features of the Stagionello STG200600 Meat Curing Cabinet

Now that we’ve reviewed the features common to all Stagionello cabinets, here’s what’s special about the STG200600. As their flagship model, it has the largest capacity, featuring 200 and 600 kg cabinets for a combined 800 kg, or nearly 1,764 lbs, of curing capacity. It will function properly in ambient temperatures of up to 89.6°F (32°C) with less than 90% ambient relative humidity. Its electrical requirements include 380 volts AC, 8.6 kW at full power, and an amp draw of 12.5 amps. It is designed to run year round while producing salami of the same quality, texture, and flavor as what you’d obtain through traditional curing methods in Italy, where the climate conditions naturally produce the specific temperature and humidity requirements for safe sausage preparation.

The Stagionello STG200600 is undoubtedly a heavy machine, weighing 1,400 pounds shipped, and it stands 101 inches tall, is 100 inches wide, and 69 inches deep. It stands on a set of stainless steel adjustable legs to give it additional stability on uneven floors, and casters are optionally available for additional mobility. Unfortunately, it only includes a 1 year warranty on parts and labor. This is undoubtedly the most significant drawback, given the considerable purchase price of the unit. That said, we have only heard good things about Stagionello’s customer support, and given the degree to which their reputation rests on quality machinery and safe salami production, we’d expect at least two decades of problem free use from the STG200600 before it would need significant repairs. That said, it’s worthy to note that Stagionello recommend preventative maintenance on a biannual basis to ensure trouble-free operation.

What’s the difference between the Stagionello STG200600 and the STG100300?

The only significant differences between the STG200600 and STG100300, aside from their price tags, have to do with their capacities, dimensions, and electrical requirements. First of all, the STG100300 is tens of thousands of dollars cheaper; however, it also halves the capacity of the STG200600, and can only cure 400 kg (882 lbs) of meat at a time. The halved capacity results in a much shallower unit; while the width is unchanged at 100 inches, it is now only 37.4 inches deep instead of 69. The weight also drops to 700 pounds shipped while the electrical requirements in turn drop to 7.12 kW and 10.32 amps at peak draw. Aside from these factors, both machines function in exactly the same ways and work at exactly the same speeds.

Is the STG200600 worth the price?

There’s no denying it: the STG200600 isn’t cheap. But if you’re looking for a fully automated meat curing machine to handle close to 2,000 pounds of sausage at a time, frankly, the Stagionello is a bargain. Depending on the price of your salumi, it can pay for itself in well under a month, and certainly will do so within a season when used at capacity. Our main recommendation would be to consider the smaller but otherwise identical STG100300 if you don’t need the full capacity of the STG200600, as it will not only cost less but take up slightly less space when installed. Both are among the best machines money can buy for safely prepared, professional-grade salami preparation.

You can buy the Stagionello STG200600 800 kg meat curing cabinet here on Amazon. If the price is too dear or if you only need half as much curing capacity, you can buy the Stagionello STG100300 400 kg cabinet here instead.

Canadians , unfortunately Stagionellos are not readily available. We would advise you to have them shipped to a US address and drive them across the border, following all applicable laws and customs regulations as needed.

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