Grain Mills for a Practical Man

Today, we’re going to talk about grain mills, why to get one and why to use one.

Grain Mills & Honesty

But let’s start with a little honesty.

• I’m not a professional baker. In fact, I’m not even much of an amateur baker. But I sure do like a good loaf of crusty bread, and I’ve finally learned how to make one.
• I don’t have all that much experience milling my own grain, not like those good folks you see on some of the other blogs and YouTube channels.
• I’m not trying to sell you something. I just want to let you know where I’ve been with grain mills and what lessons I’ve learned.

Why should you mill your own wheat?

Okay, I’ve told you the truth about me and grain mills. Now, I’m going to tell you the best reason I know for getting one.

I’m a practical man and I’ve learned that when I mill my own wheat, I can make a good loaf of crusty bread. It’s tastier than store-bought and it’s more nutritious – Now, I ask you, is there any better reason than that?

My Three Grain Mills

So, let’s look at my three grain mills (the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). Then we can talk about what lessons I’ve learned since I bought my first grain mill.

Well, you just met the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. In my video below, I will show you how well these grain mills do their job. When you see them in action, you’ll understand why I call them the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Classification of Grain Mills

Now it’s time to give just a bit of technical detail. For my purpose here, there are three types of grain mills made for home use:

1. Steel Burr Grain Mills: They use steel burrs to grind grains, allowing for adjustable coarseness. Steel burr milling is efficient and these mills can handle various types of grains. Sometimes, they can generate heat and that can detract from the quality of the milled wheat.
2. Stone Burr Grain Mills: They use two stones to grind grains, resulting in a fine flour with a traditional texture. These machines usually produce flour superior in quality to flour milled with steel burrs.
3. Impact Grain Mills: They use high-speed blades to grind grains into flour quickly. Typically, they are lightweight and compact. They’re ideal for quick use.

Another huge consideration when researching grain mills is how the mill is powered. The most reliable grain mill I own is my manual grain mill. It doesn’t matter if the electricity is out or you’re boondocking in your RV and you want to make pancakes with fresh flour. That manual grain mill will always give you the flour you need.

There’s a lot to be said for convenience. That’s why I own two electric powered grain mills. Both can produce a cup of flour in just a fraction of the time it takes for my manual grain mill.

Pros & Cons?

I’m not going to give you a long list of pros and cons on each of the three types of grain mills. I’m sure that you’re just as practical as I am and you’re going to do your own research. I recommend that you do just that. Because practical folks learn how to watch out for themselves.

If you watch the video, you will see a live comparison of my three grain mills side-by-side. You’ll see why I have named them as I have. My demo milling 1 cup (125g) of hard white wheat berries with each of the three mills, shows why:

• The Good grain mill produced a cup of flour in just 43 seconds.
• The Bad grain mill produced a cup of flour in 1 minute and 36 seconds.
• The Ugly grain took 3 minutes and 51 seconds to produce a cup of flour.

Now it’s time for you to make up your mind if you want to mill your own grain. If you do, hit the Internet and start your own research. Be honest with yourself on what you really need versus what you would like to have. If you decide to mill your own grain and make your own bread, remember there are three more important points to remember.

Keep it simple, keep it practical, and Happy Baking!