Posted in Bread Baking 101

The other day I was chatting with Marilyn Moll from Urban Homemaker and I was telling her about all of the questions I'm seeing on blogs regarding breadmaking, grain mills, and the such.

So, she generously offered to contribute a weekly column here with information on BreadBaking 101! Here is her first contribution. Feel free to post any questions that you have. I'm sure Marilyn would be happy to answer. Blessings, ~Nancy

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SELECTING A GRAIN MILL

When someone becomes interested in better nutrition for their family through learning to bake whole grain breads, the question I am invariably asked most often is,  "Which grain mill is the best?"  Possibly you, the reader, have also asked that question.

Why Bother?
You also may be wondering what the benefit of milling your own flour might be, and if a grain mill is worth the expense.  Consider that freshly milled whole grain flours are nutritionally superior to commercial whole grain flours.  Not only that, but freshly milled flours taste better and perform much better in whole grain recipes.  Because whole grain flours deteriorate quickly due to oxidation and the onset of rancidity due to natural oils, freshly milled flour is more capable of providing superior nutrition and taste.  

In fact, flour begins to oxidize as soon as it is milled and within 24 hours nearly half the nutrients are oxidized.  Oxidation occurs because every flour particle is now exposed to air which causes the onset of rancidity.   Also, unmilled whole grains will generally store indefinitely, with no negative effect on nutritional value until the hull of the grain is broken by milling or cracking.   Finally consider that home milled flour is more economical per pound than whole grain flour available in food stores.

Which Mill is Best?
If you are convinced, as I and thousands of others are, that home milled flour is the best choice and are ready to purchase a grain mill or replace an ageing grain mill, "the best grain mill" is the mill  which  meets your personal criteria for price, noise level, storage space requirements, warranty, and versatility.   I have found that my favorite grain mill may not appeal to you, based on your criteria.  Keep in mind that electric grain mills are for meant for grinding grains and dry beans only; they are genearally not used for oily seeds or coffee.

I have used all of  the grain mills discussed below and find they are all good quality, produce great flour, and offer years of reliable service.  I have outlined advantages and disadvantages of each of the most popular and reliable electric grain mills that I know of based on my 22 years of experience.   Remember, there is no perfect grain mill, and the best mill is the one that meets your criteria.  If you would like more information about grain mills please contact me at urbanhome@tds.net.

Grain Mill Comparisons
THE KITCHEN MILL - Micronizer
Advantages - Large flour canister- holds 21 cups of flour, strong reliability record, stores very compactly (if storage space is at a premium at your house you will appreciate this), produces high quality, fine flour, mills a wide variety of dry beans and grains, is made in the USA., and comes with a six year warranty with a limited lifetime warranty on the milling heads.  We have sold thousands to satisfied customers over the last 16 years. It is my husband's favorite mill. My first Kitchen Mill lasted 12 years and was used heavily including milling flour for bread baking classes.
Disadvantages: Smaller grain hopper than some mills, Noisier than other mills, does not crack grain.

NUTRIMILL - Micronizer
Advantages - Large flour canister, life-time warranty, one piece construction, large grain hopper, flour canister holds about 20 cups of flour, slightly quieter than The Kitchen Mill but has the same milling device.
Disadvantages - Higher price, does not crack grain, takes a larger amount of storage space, mfg. in Korea.

WONDERMILL - Micronizer
Advantages - Formerly known as the Whisper Mill, slightly quieter than The Kitchen Mill, large hopper capacity, six year warranty, high quality flour, grain feeds well into milling mechanism, produces flour quickly.  My personal favorite grain mill. New models have a  larger, more reliable motor.
Disadvantages - Smaller capacity flour canister (12 cup), does not crack grain, must turn on mill before adding grain so the mill will not jam.

FAMILY GRAIN MILL -  Steel Cone Burr
Advantages - Versatile, can be used with hand base or electric motor base, adjustable from fine to coarse mechanism so this mill will crack grain.  Will fit on the Bosch Universal when ordered with correct configurtion, German made, very quiet while running, takes minimal storage space, very economical.
Disadvantage- flour may not be quite as fine as the mills above, slower production of flour than high speed mills.

Conclusion

When I purchased my first grain mill, I took a VERY deep breath about investing so much money in a kitchen appliance when we had so many other needs and so little disposable income.  Obviously, I have never regretted the expense and I don't think you will either, if you have been led of the Lord to improve the quality of the breads you serve your family.

Some readers may worry or agonize that their husbands and kids will object to healthy whole grains.  Taste buds will  adjust over time.  When my daughter was about 4 or 5, I had run out of bread, so I ran to the store, bought some Roman Meal, and prepared her sandwich for lunch.  After a few bites Laura's response was, "Mommy, this bread tastes funny!"   Your family will adjust to the delicious and nutritious whole grain breads you serve and I know  that as you commit your way to the Lord, He will direct your path.


Marilyn Moll, passionate lover of old-fashioned skills, together with her husband, Duane, and three homeschooled children have been running urbanhomemaker.com, specializing in grain mills, Bosch mixers and products for better health for sixteen years.  Complimentary catalogs are available upon request.  Join my newsletter, From the Heart of The Urban Homemaker, for tips, information, recipes, product specials and more!  Two of her children  are now homeschool high school graduates and are away at college.