Grain Mills & Grain Grinders FAQ

• Grain Mills & Grain Grinders
• Grain Mill Whole Grain Recipes
• Grain Mill Review / Grain Mill Comparison 

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Please write to us with your questions and comments.  We will try to answer you as quickly as possible and will post the question and answers we receive for others to read.  These comments are for general information.

 

How do I crack wheat?

The WonderMill Junior works well for cracking wheat.  There are other inexpensive grain mills that will do a great job cracking wheat.  The more coarse the grind, the easier it is to do.

 What do I do when I have wet wheat?  It really glazed my stone grain grinder.

It isn’t an easy task, but you can put the wheat on trays and toast them in the oven.  It should work at 125 to 150 degrees for about 25 minutes.  I have heard of some people using a dehydrator to dry the berries.

 What kind of grain grinder should I buy?

This really gets down to the needs of your family.  Rather than answer you without knowing your needs, I’ll just tell you the things that may help you make your decision.

 The electric stone mills are really good for most families.  They don’t grind as fine as the impact mills and the grain must be completely dry or the grain will glaze and it creates a mess.  Our family likes coarse grind in many things, so we don’t often look for a real fine grind.  If you like a coarse grind, then the mills with burrs will work well plus it can handle the wet wheat along with oily beans and nuts. 

As you can see, none of them will do it all.  You may be able to buy attachments that will make any that you buy better, but none are perfect for all types of grains.

The impact grain mills are loud, period.  They work well, but I have never heard a quiet one.  They are also sensitive to small rocks that occasionally get mixed in with the wheat.  When that happens, you can damage your mill and it is not covered by your warranty.

One final thought.  A manual grain mill does work well, but it is slow and requires a lot of work.  If that doesn’t bother you, then you might want to consider one at least for a backup.

 Why should I buy a grain mill?

Good health is the easy answer.  There is a mountain of evidence that tells us that whole grains are great for our health.  I have put a link to the information we have on our site about it.  When you get past the health reasons, you find that freshly baked breads just plain taste better than the finely milled flour loaf bread you find in the store. 

 I can’t afford a grain mill.  What can I do?

There are several things to consider.  I’ll list them and not necessarily in the order of importance.

1. Buy good whole grain bread at your supermarket (if they sell it) or a whole foods store.  It may not be as good as the bread you make, but it will be much better than regular milled flour.
2. Look for used grain mills on the web or in the paper.  You might be surprised to find one that you can afford.
3. Check with your health food store.  Some will grind it for you for free if you buy your grain there.  They might charge a small fee, but it is still worth it.
4. Check with your friends and see if they will buy the mill and split the expense.  Be sure this is a good friend though, because you can have problems down the road that take all the good taste benefits away.
5. See if there is a buying club in your area where people actively work together to save money and have great products.  You might even start it yourself.

 Is it expensive to buy the wheat?

No.  If you buy it in 50 pound tubs, it isn’t expensive. 

 Grain mills are expensive.  Is it worth it?

Our cost is about 60 cents per loaf of one pound great-tasting, high fiber whole-wheat bread.  And you can’t beat the taste.  At 3 loaves per week, we save about $6.00 a week or over $300 a year.  The math works, but more important is the health and taste.  You can’t beat that.

 I’m ready to buy a mill, but I don’t know which one to buy.

First, I would talk to my friends and neighbors to find out if any of them use a grain mill.  If you know someone that has one, you can get a first hand answer and maybe even a sample of their bread.  Perhaps they don’t make it to your taste or grind, but you will at least get some idea of what it would be like.

After you have done your homework, then  consider what kind of use you will give your grain mill.

1. Will it be small amounts?  If so, perhaps a small manual grain mill is right for you.  If you are making 2 or 3 cups at a time, then the manual could work if you are able to handle it.
2. Do you like fine, medium or coarse grind?  Many of us have been “brain washed” into liking fine grain because that is what the bread companies have been selling us for many years.  If you want to stick with fine, then that will drive you to the impact mills that will grind exceedingly fine.  If you like a little coarseness to heavy coarseness, then perhaps a stone mill will work best for you.
3. Know what you can afford.  Only you know the answer to this question, but be sure you know before you make a decision.  Nothing tastes good when you stomach is knotted because you owe too much money.

 

• Grain Mills & Grain Grinders
• Grain Mill Whole Grain Recipes
• Grain Mill Review / Comparison Chart