Hand Wheat Grinder..

[Rand]

I am looking for a hand grinder, but would like some input from others that have personal experience. What kind do you recommend? There are some expensive ones out there, but I wonder if they are worth it. Any advice will be appreciated.

[jennvan40]

I have the super basic model that sells for like $60 on most website, I can't even remember the name. So far it has worked for me but I haven't used it very much. My sister in law who uses it more said the adjuster piece broke on hers but my brother fixed it and its been fine.

[thomasusa]

I bought one of the cheap $49 grinders years ago.
I even tried it out once. It helped my sleep at night.

But then I thought, if I was buying a tool to make sure my family would do well, why not buy the best tool I could find?

I finally bought one of these Country Living grinders:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Country-Living-Manual-Hand-Grain-Mill-Hopper-Lid-/251193842955?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item3a7c51dd0b

It wasn't cheap but people have used them daily for decades.

Someday I'll connect the pulley to a stationary bike.:l0 (44):

[Motherlode]

I could not recommend in good faith the cheap $60 "Back to Basics" type hand grinders. They will NOT hold up in the long term and they require a lot of work for a small amount of flour. (This is the sad voice of experience speaking here.) The impressive Country Living Grain Mill is considered by many to be the Cadillac of hand mills and is in the $400 range. For those looking for a more affordable option and wanting a high end, top performing hand mill in the $200 range, my vote is for the Wonder Jr. Deluxe. This super versatile mill comes with interchangeable stone and steel milling heads and a lot of other great features. Here's a little youtube video that tells all about this awesome mill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__7EzkhZLE&list=UL

[acorn]

Another vote for the Country Living mill. I think you will find it far easier to operate (meaning you will actually use it) than any of the alternatives, and it will last you for the rest of your life and probably your children's and grandchildren's lives. Even my young son and my elderly mother can operate it without difficulty. Yes, they cost a bit more, but they are worth every penny. If you look around, you can get better prices. The company itself often has "scratch and dent" sales that lower the price quite a bit for what is nothing more than cosmetic damage.

[Aldon]

The small hand crank cheapies allow one to feel they have it covered but are wayyyyyyyyy too slow.

We have the Golden Grain Mill/grinder. Have had for almost 20 years. Works great but they now run 600 and from the video, the wonder Junior seems an excellent choice if I were buying a mill today.

[Rand]

and excellent counsel and insights. This advice has helped me justify the expense of a "good" hand grinder. I can't shake the feeling that we need to be able to operate without modern convenience, at least for a time. This is a good tool to have. I really appreciate all of your great input!

[waif69]

We bought the Back to Basics grinder and agree with Aldon and Motherlode in that while it works, it is a lot of work for little results. We bought it as a backup grinder, however it was also the first grinder we bought. It was planned for use when we have no choice, thus are willing to hand crank for a very long time, perhaps hours. So far we have only used it to create enough flour to make a few pieces of flatbread. I have considered hooking up my power drill to it and seeing what happens, but we have accepted that we eat too much carbs as it is and don't want to make our diet even worse.

[prairiemom]

We've gone both the cheap route and the Country Living route. Another vote hands down for Country Living. Not only will the cheaper one break down and is super, super hard to grind, but you can never get a fine enough flour for light, fluffy bread. I know, everyone will tell you you can get it fine enough. It simply isn't true. Do a blind "feel" test: grind the flour the finest you can get. Close your eyes (or have someone blindfold your) and rub a bit of your ground flour between your fingers. Now rub a bit of commercial flour between your fingers. Can you tell the difference? Fine flour makes all the difference in the world if you ever want to make a whole-wheat loaf that the family will actually like to eat.

If you get the CL grinder, be sure to get the Extension Bar--it makes turning a breeze.

[NoGreaterLove]

http://www.retsel.com/little-ark.html

This is the best I have found. I love it.

[HeatherC]

The Wonder Junior Deluxe is the one I am saving up for. I like that it can grind so many things other than grains. Plus I think my dh will get a kick out of using a power drill to operate it. Anything to get him on board, haha!

[NRA]

After reading this thread, I'm sold on the Wonder Jr. Deluxe.

[acorn]

Keep in mind that the purpose of a hand-operated grain mill is to BE ABLE TO use it successfully when you have NO electricity of any kind. That means day in, day out, grinding enough grain for several loaves of bread per day (remember, you and your family will need to eat more to do everything manually). If you get tired of HAND-grinding after just a cup or two of flour or the flour has to be ground twice to get it to a suitable fineness, then you have the wrong mill.

[HeatherC]

If I baked several loaves of bread per day I'd have to give most of it away before it went rotten. Small family. I could see us going through one loaf or the equivalent in other bread-like items (rolls, pizza dough, etc) a day easily, though, and probably two if we were having to, as you say, do everything manually. I have no idea how hard it's going to be to have to grind that much by hand; but if I ever have to live that way I expect to become very strong and hardy like our pioneer forebears. Modern conveniences have made so many of us so soft. *sigh* I think I should get used to doing it by hand. Call it part of my fitness routine. Who needs to lift weights when you are wresting with a wheat grinder every day! That makes me wonder how hard it used to be before all these fancy grinders were invented. Gosh we are spoiled.

[LEVE]

There is one little item to think about with hand-stone wheat grinders. Choose them well, the stone does wear out and the worn stone does go into the wheat, mostly unnoticed. However this stone can wreck havoc on the enamel of your teeth. You may be in for a little dental work in the future... :(

[iggy]

I will be using the flour I grind not only for bread, but also for pasta, pie crusts, cookies, cakes, as thickening for sauces, soups. No way am I going to store dry pasta for long term storage.

What I need now is a pasta making machine. Saw one on craigslist, but the owner was from eastern Oregon and I live on the central Oregon coast - should have emailed and asked if they will mail it.

I also need a sieve/strainer that is large, and fine enough to sift the bran out of the whole grain flour. What I have now can only do one cup at a time.

[acorn]

What I need now is a pasta making machine.
This is the pasta machine I am eyeing:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/pasta-machines-tools


I also need a sieve/strainer that is large, and fine enough to sift the bran out of the whole grain flour.
Why do you need/want to sift out the bran? If you get a good grinder, the bran will be ground up as well, and it's good for you.

[iggy]

Why do you need/want to sift out the bran? If you get a good grinder, the bran will be ground up as well, and it's good for you.

Because the bran is not ground up as fine as the grain. I have a Wonder Mill. It is set on the bread not the pastry (cake, etc.). Flour ground that fine and then used for bread, just does not make as good bread.

I bought this mill because it can grind all of this:
Acini Di Pepe Pasta, Adzuki Beans, Baby Lima Beans, Barley, Black Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Black Peppercorns, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Bulgar Wheat, Chickpeas (aka Garbanzos), Durum Wheat, Great Northern White Beans, Green Lentils, Hard Red Wheat, Hard White Wheat, Kamut Wheat, Kidney Beans, Millet, Mung Beans, Navy Beans, Oat Groats, Pearled Barley, Pinto Beans, Popcorn Kernels, Psyllium Seed, Red Lentils, Rye, Red Beans, Soft White Wheat, Sorghum, Soybeans, Spelt, Split Peas, White Hominy Corn, White Rice, Whole Peas, Wild Rice, Yellow Field Corn, & Yellow Lentils. Also with an inexpensive small seed adapter http://www.thewondermill.com/index.php/module/statics/action/view_listing/page/42 you can grind Chia, Quinoa, Tapioca Pearls, Amaranth, Teff, Coarse Salt, etc..

To make light, fluffy bread using only the wheat that I grind, without using excessive vital gluten, yeast and/or dough enhancer. You separate the bran. Measure your flour including the bran. Then separate it. You add the bran at the end- before you let the dough rest and rise.

You get all of goodness of the bran, but for some reason the bread is lighter and rises beautifully. It is still a bit heavier than when you use enriched, bleached white flour or even enriched, un-bleached flour. I still add some Vital Gluten to my bread.

[CurtisG]

Thanks Iggy, I went to the Wondermill website and there is a whole section on making gluten free flours.
My wife is now interested in a wondermill (or similar) since it can make flour cheaply from rice, beans, seeds, etc.
Gluten free flours from Bobs Red Mill and others is very $$ and not easy to find.
Edit: looks like the wonder Junior Deluxe mills everything that the Electric mill does with a few exceptions like Chia. The junior isnt alot cheaper than the electric....but it will work "off grid".

[acorn]

Flour ground that fine and then used for bread, just does not make as good bread.
I guess my family doesn't care for the "light fluffy" bread that you're talking about. We like for our bread to have substance, but even with the bran, it's never heavy if you make it properly.


I bought this mill because it can grind all of this:
FWIW, the Country Living mill can grind all of that, as well.

[HeatherC]

I love a good hearty slice of handmade whole wheat bread, toasted with honey butter on it, yummy! My dh will probably like it, he keeps saying he isn't picky, but my dd prefers her bread soft and fluffy. I'm not sure it will be easy to win them over to whole wheat. At least there is white wheat, which I didn't even know existed until a couple of years ago! I haven't ever tried to make homemade bread since I was a wee lass helping my mom back in the late 70's/early 80's. (Then she got a bread making machine.) I am afraid that the first loaf of homemade bread I make from my own hand-ground wheat flour will turn out to be a brick. LOL I know I will need to practice. Let's hope my mistakes are edible. hahaha

[Rand]

I guess my family doesn't care for the "light fluffy" bread that you're talking about. We like for our bread to have substance, but even with the bran, it's never heavy if you make it properly.


FWIW, the Country Living mill can grind all of that, as well.

Acorn, do you have more experience with the Country Living Mill. I am leaning that way. If you can give me a nudge, I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance. Rand

[acorn]

I'm not sure it will be easy to win them over to whole wheat.
I thought the same thing of my family, but they loved it right off the bat. I did use white wheat, then started mixing white and red wheat. Red wheat by itself has too much "bite" for our tastes.


I am afraid that the first loaf of homemade bread I make from my own hand-ground wheat flour will turn out to be a brick. LOL I know I will need to practice. Let's hope my mistakes are edible. hahaha
It may take some experimenting. It's best to start with a recipe that you are already familiar with and learn how to adjust it for home-ground wheat. If you do run into trouble, just post and perhaps some of us can help you troubleshoot. I have a pretty good handle on how to correct the most common bread-making problems.

If you have a bread maker, I suggest using the dough setting and let the bread maker do the mixing, kneading, and first rise. Then shape it by hand, let it rise the second time, and bake it in your oven. Not off-grid, of course, but it will help you get the "kinks" out of your recipe so that if the grid does go down, you won't be struggling with your recipe, too.

[acorn]

Acorn, do you have more experience with the Country Living Mill.
I do. What would you like to know?

[Rand]

I do. What would you like to know?

Is it worth the money? Is it easy enough to grind that a ten year old could use it? Does it use steel or stone to grind the wheat? Is it easy to clean? And it grinds the flour to the pastry flour fineness on one pass? Thanks for suffering my questions. Rand

[HeatherC]

Acorn, thank you. I know people here will help, this place is awesome.

I don't have a bread maker but I do have a Bosch (which was a hand-me-down from a generous relative). Lucky me, it can do the kneading for me. Did you know the Amish people make a hand-crank Bosch? If the grid goes down that would be nice to have!

[acorn]

Is it worth the money?
Absolutely! They are built to last for generations. Sometimes they have mills with minor cosmetic imperfections that they sell at a discount. Definitely shop around for price.


Is it easy enough to grind that a ten year old could use it?Both my 10yo son and my tiny, 82yo mother have used it with no problem at all.


Does it use steel or stone to grind the wheat?High-carbon steel. I wouldn't have a stone grinder myself, due to the bits of stone wearing down your teeth after a while. Here's more on the grinder:

http://www.countrylivinggrainmills.com/grain-mill.html


Is it easy to clean?Very! Much of it is dishwasher safe (the parts that will fit, anyway).


And it grinds the flour to the pastry flour fineness on one pass?Yes! And it's adjustable.


Thanks for suffering my questions. RandNo problem! Glad I can help! If I can answer more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. In addition, I suggest browsing through their Web site for further information.

I also recommend the corn and bean auger, as well as an extra set of "keys" (the keys are easy to lose).

[Rand]

Absolutely! They are built to last for generations. Sometimes they have mills with minor cosmetic imperfections that they sell at a discount. Definitely shop around for price.

Both my 10yo son and my tiny, 82yo mother have used it with no problem at all.

High-carbon steel. I wouldn't have a stone grinder myself, due to the bits of stone wearing down your teeth after a while. Here's more on the grinder:

http://www.countrylivinggrainmills.com/grain-mill.html

Very! Much of it is dishwasher safe (the parts that will fit, anyway).

Yes! And it's adjustable.

No problem! Glad I can help! If I can answer more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. In addition, I suggest browsing through their Web site for further information.

I also recommend the corn and bean auger, as well as an extra set of "keys" (the keys are easy to lose).

I have looked on the website, but the voice of one objective user is more valuable than 10 facts listed on the manufacturers web site. Thank for the advice and experience. Rand

[prairiemom]

Let me add my vote for the Country Living Mill. Acorn is right--the grinding is amazingly easy. I've tried a few other hand-mills and this is the easiest by far, especially if you get the extension bar. The ext bar will cut the effort in half.

I was drawn to it because it can be modified for electric and "pedal power" as well. And because it really is something that will last for decades. And it's made in the US.

I agree with Acorn on the steel burrs, as well. Normally stone burrs are easier to grind than steel, but they wear down (and that ends up in your food) and they can't be used with oily seed--i.e. nuts. That's why the CL mill will grind virtually anything you want to put into it.

My only complaint about the CL mill is the flour bin--it's TOO SMALL. It was "free" when we bought the mill, but I wouldn't recommend buying it if it's not free. I just put a cake pan under to catch the flour, rather than have to stop and empty that tiny little bin.

[thomasusa]

...if you get the extension bar. The ext bar will cut the effort in half...

Slight correction:
The extension bar gives you more leverage allowing less pressure applied to the bar to make it rotate.
The total energy required is the same because the distance the handle must travel is greater with the bar installed.
(just me being picky.)

As I said before, I have a Country Living grinder (with the bar.)
My $49 grinder I purchased 30 years ago is held in reserve for when neighbors come and want to borrow my grinder for their wheat.

[acorn]

My only complaint about the CL mill is the flour bin--it's TOO SMALL. It was "free" when we bought the mill, but I wouldn't recommend buying it if it's not free.
I never got the flour bin. It didn't come with mine. I use a rectangular plastic container, arranged with the long sides parallel the edge of the grinder cone.

A general caveat about home-ground grain of any kind--any that you don't use that day needs to be frozen, or it will go rancid. Unground grain will keep for years (some say centuries) if kept cool, dry and away from pests.

[prairiemom]

Slight correction:
The extension bar gives you more leverage allowing less pressure applied to the bar to make it rotate.
The total energy required is the same because the distance the handle must travel is greater with the bar installed.
(just me being picky.)

OK, yes. Same energy required, but not less strength. :blushing:

[thomasusa]

“Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world.”
~ Archimedes

[arbilad]

I have a Family Living grain mill. They are good, but not quite as good as the Country Living. They are less expensive, though, and you can get different attachments, such as a meat grinder. The meat grinder attachment can do double duty and make peanut butter.
You can also have a hand cranking base or a motorized base, so you could conceivably get both bases and only use the hand cranking base when the power goes out.