We’ve had quite a few questions over the last few weeks as we’ve had our grain order come in and distributed – we’ve found a few new converts to the world of wheat grinding and a few questions have been brought up that I’ve found myself answering repeatedly – so I’m posting much of that information here so that I and you can reference it. First on the agenda is Electric Grain Mills. If you’re new to wheat grinding in general, there are a few decisions you need to make before you jump into the grinder market – as with anything, you get what you pay for.
As far as grinders go, there are many different kinds on the market. We carry 12 of the most preferred, and they can range in price anywhere from about $70 up to $400 (you can spend more than that if you like, but obviously most folks don’t)
The big decision to make is if you want a manual or hand powered one, or an electric. Most home bakers prefer an electric one – they’re a bit more expensive, but they grind wheat very quickly and with no effort – cranking a hand grinder can be a real exertion. Here are some details on the most popular electric ones – this is some information I typed up for someone else that I am going to copy and paste – if you want the same kind of info on a manual mill, just let me know and I’ll be happy to send you the info! As manual mills go, the Country Living mill is the best one available for a reasonable price ($395). We own one of the Family Grain Mills and It’s treated us very well – one of the big advantages to the manual mills is the ability to coarse crack grains for things like cornbread or cereal. Anyhow, here’s the information on the four most popular electric mills:
Arguably the best mill on the market today is the Nutrimill. It’s quiet, it has the largest variety of texture settings for your flourIn many ways, it has become the defacto standard if you do any real grinding. It’s on the more expensive side, but its value is unbeatable. It’s also one of the quietest mills available.
The Nutrimill Grain Mill
The Nutrimill took the spot of the WhisperMill, which dominated the market for many years. It’s company was sold and it is now marketed as the WonderMill. It’s still an excellent choice, and we own one (although ours is still from the WhisperMill days). It’s a little louder than the Nutrimill but it does an excellent job. It used to be slightly less expensive than the Nutrimill, although just last week we received notice that the minimum allowable resale price has gone up and now matches the Nutrimill.
The WonderMill Grain Mill
If you’re looking for economy without sacrificing quality, the K-Tek is the way to go. It’s louder than the others, but it has a hardcore following and people say you can grind rocks in it (obviously don’t actually grind rocks – stone bread is nowhere near as good as stone soup). It also doesn’t have the same capacity as the Nutrimill, but if you’re only doing a few loaves a month then it will be just fine. It’s very well made and does a great job.
The K-Tec Grain Mill
The Vitamill is the least expensive and it does do a good job – it’s made by the same folks that make the Nutrimill, and it’s the smaller cousin to it. Similar to the K Tek, it doesn’t handle the same capacity as the Nutrimill and its flexibility in grinding is more limited.
The Vitalmill Grain Mill
Personally, we’re very happy with the WonderMill, but when it finally dies (it’s been going strong for 6 years now) We will replace it with a Nutrimill. The K Tek has a following that is very devout – I’ve never used one other than to demo it, but I’ve never heard anything bad about them, and we’ve sold quite a few.
Up Next – The Manual Grinders