A Grain Mill Buyer’s Guide For Beginners
Looking to buy a grain mill but not sure where to start? This grain mill buyer’s guide for beginners will walk you through your options and details to consider before you buy. Choose the mill that works best for YOU!
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Why should I mill grain?
Freshly milled grains have nutritional benefits that are not found in conventional store-bought flour. Fresh milled flour has the bran and germ (the outer shell of the grain berry) which is sifted out of store-bought flour.
The bran and germ provide fiber as well as B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin E, omega-3s, omega-6, protein, and more! Fresh milled flour is a rich, nutrient dense food that cannot be achieved with any store-bought flours (not even the whole wheat flours).
What is a grain mill?
When you hear someone say “milling grain” what do you think of? Do you imagine a mortar and pestle situation or maybe a hand crank wheat grinder attached to the counter?
While you COULD mill grain this way, we are lucky to live in the day and age of electric grain mills that will mill your grain quickly and efficiently at any level of coarseness you choose.
An electric grain mill is a small machine that quickly grinds wheat berries (a whole grain kernel) into flour used for baking. Freshly milled grains contain the bran and germ, which is the outside shell of the grain berry, and provides high amount of fiber and nutrient density to your bread and other baked goods.
Types of Grain Mills
There are several styles and sizes of grain mills that you could consider. Some mill the flour right into your bowl while others mill the flour into a closed canister that is open and dump when you are done milling.
The main difference between mills are stone ground mills or steel mills. This refers to the time of grinding mechanism inside your mill that grinds up the wheat berries.
Mills with stone mills are often much heavier and more difficult to clean. Stone parts are replaced more often as the stones wear down, but stone mill designs are beautiful for your countertop. The stones also grind the wheat a little more slowly, generating less heat.
Steel mills are lightweight, easier to clean, and less likely to be replaced due to wear and tear. Steel mills are great working machines if you plan to give your mill a lot of use. The steel grinding mechanism works quickly to mill the grain in a short amount of time.
Parts of a Grain Mill
Hopper – The hopper is the part where you pour the grain into the machine. Often it looks like a funnel at the top.
Motor base – The motor base plugs into the wall to run the electric mill and contains the milling heads (stone or steel).
Canister – Some mill designs mill the flour directing into an enclosed canister or container rather than directly into your bowl.
Canister lid – The canister lid keeps the flour dust contained inside until the mill completely shuts off to reduce the mess when milling.
Air filter – Mills with canisters will include a small air filter piece which will keep the the flour dust in, but also allow for air flow while the machine is working.
Details to Consider
Price – Obviously, the price of a mill is important to consider. Mills can range from $100 like the KitchenAid Grain Mill Attachment or $500 for Harvest Grain Mill from NutriMill. If you are just starting out and not sure if you are ready to make the financial commitment, try the attachment to start. Ready to make an investment purchase? Consider the following details to choose the perfect mill for you!
Contained vs. Open – Consider whether you would like a mill that sends flour directly into your bowl or a mill that sends the flour into a canister. While there are beautiful grain mills that mill directly into the bowl, the flour dust will fly while milling. A mill with a canister will keep the flour contained until you open the container.
Size – There are two types of sizes to consider. First, consider the overall size of the mill, especially if you want it to sit on your counter at all times. Make sure you consider the height (if its fitting under upper cabinets). The second size to consider is how many cups of flour a canister can hold if you choose a mill with a canister design. If you plan to mill large batches of flour at a time, you may want a bigger canister. Otherwise, you can dump out the milled flour to reset and continue milling.
Easiest to use – All grain mills are simple to use, but the key is to find a mill that YOU will use! Need something small and out of the way? Choose a KitchenAid attachment. Prefer a mill that can sit on your counter for easy access? Choose the Impact Mill. Above all of the pros and cons, it is important to choose the type of mill that you will actually use.
Where to buy a grain mill?
NutriMill – NutriMill is one of the most popular places to purchase grain mills. They offer many different designs, sizes, milling head types, accessories, and more. They have reasonable prices, and their products are built to last.
Pleasant Hill Grain – Pleasant Hill Grain sells both grain and grain mills. They offer a variety of different grain mill brands including NutriMill.
Bread Beckers – The Bread Beckers Company sells grain mills online and also in-store in Woodstock, GA. If you want to shop mills in person, visit their store and explore the mills, baking appliances, and grains that they have to offer. Join a local co-op to get your grain delivered a few times a year.
Where to buy grain?
Bread Beckers – Bread Beckers has co-op locations set up all of the USA. Find a co-op near you and have your grain delivered to your drop a few times a year.
Azure Standard – Azure Standard is a family owned and operated food distribution company that offers many grain varieties. Sign up for a drop site near you and get your grain delivered once a month. Learn more: Azure Standard for Beginners: What You Need to Know
Pleasant Valley Grain – Order a variety of high quality grains from Pleasant Valley Grain.
Personal Experience
WonderMill Electric Mill – My first experience with milling grain was with the Wondermill. The WonderMill was quick, easy to use, and ground the wheat up finely. The flour filled an enclosed canister. This was a great mill, but it was not a good countertop design, and I found myself making excuses over time why I didn’t want to set it up and use it.
KitchenAid Grain Mill Attachment – After I borrowed the Wondermill for a time from a friend, I decided to purchase the KitchenAid attachment because it was much cheaper, and I thought setting up the attachment to my KitchenAid (which lived on my counter) would be much faster. While the attachment was a good starting point, it was not what I expected.
The grain mill attachment could only hold a small amount of grain, and it was very slow at milling. I found that I couldn’t grind wheat on the finest setting because it would take too long and my mixer would overheat. Therefore, I had to grind the wheat at a courser setting which impacted my recipes. Plus, the flour dust would get all over the floor and counter each time I milled.
Nutrimill Impact Grain Mill – My current mill is the Nutrimil Impact Grain Mill. The Impact mill can grind up to 8 cups of grain berries and the hopper can hold 12 cups of flour. The mill has a slim design with the hopper in the front so it can fit on my counter under the cabinets. It mills quickly and finely. This mill is easy to use and easy to clean. So far, it was been my favorite. Because this design is easy to fit on my counter at all times, I have found that it is easier to use on a daily basis.
If you are new to milling grain and you are looking to purchase your first grain mill, this buyers guide will make it easier for beginners to make a decision that works!
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