Grain Mill Purchase: Five Important Facts

In two previous articles I have discussed important issues to consider when making the decision to purchase a grain mill. There are some other important things I did not cover which need to be covered. The first two articles were published in Ezine Articles: Grain Mill Reviews: How to Find a Grain Mill and Grain Mill Purchase: Three Things to Know.

This article deals with things that are also important and are facts that I believe you should know before making a decision to buy a home grain mill.

1. Electric or Manual Grain Mill? That is a hard one to answer. Here are some considerations. Will you be using it very often? If not, you might want to buy a manual grain mill and save some money. I know people who use it infrequently and are satisfied with a manual grain mill. If you are physically unable to use a manual, then you will want to buy an electric. Some people have an electric and a manual grain grinder as a back up. Normally, the manual system is cheaper, but not always. Some of the home manual grinders can be a bit pricey. But, to sum it up, the cheaper prices tend to be manual and the more expensive models are electric.
2. Ease of Cleaning. You will find that almost all of the grain grinders are easy to clean and rarely need much cleaning at all. Usually, the clean up is the dust from the flour. The only time that it becomes a real issue to clean up is if you try to grind oily or wet items. Then, it can become a real nightmare.
3. Noise Level: Companies usually tell you how many decibels of noise they make. I don't know one decibel from 2 so I'll give you my take on it. They all make some noise unless you muffle the sound with something that will take the noise like memory foam under the grinder or something of that nature. The loudest are not shrill, but they do make noise and over time can become annoying.
4. Motor Size: The amount of use is an important factor when checking the motor size. A smaller motor may work fine, even if a bit slower, if you are an infrequent user. But, if you plan to use it often, you should consider a larger motor for both speed and longevity.
5. Warranty: This is always important to me. I expect things I buy to last forever. I know they will not, but I still expect it to happen. What I really do not like is when something only lasts for a short period of time and the warranty has expired. I look for long warranties because I believe the item must be good or the warranty would not be so long.

Ultimately all of these factors should be considered along with others we have discussed in other articles. It is impossible for me to rate one above the other for you because you are the ultimate judge of what is important to you. These are the factors I find extremely important to me. I hope that you can use this to help you make a decision.

Be sure to check out a good grain mill comparison or grain mill review site before making a final decision. It is an extremely important part of the overall decision process.

Whatever you do, I hope you will make a decision to buy one for your good health.

Grain Mills: How to Find A Great Grain Mill

The starting point for making a decision about which grain mill to buy is to visit a good review on the web. There are not many true reviews for grain mills or grain grinders if you prefer, on the web. There are a few that have great information about them but for the most part grain mill reviews are few and far between.

If you are thinking of buying a grain grinder, it is a major expense for you and your family. The typical electric home mill can cost from about $225 to $700. There are some that are more and I don't know of any that are less. There are also hand cranked home grain mills that generally run from about $79 up to about $600. I don't profess to know all of the makes and models that are on the market, but these price ranges are generally accurate.

Price is only one element of the decision process, but I bring it up first because it lets you know that in most cases the up-front investment is not cheap. In the long run, you will save money buying and grinding your own wheat and corn, but in the beginning it can set you back.

What are the major things you should consider when looking for a Grain Mill Review on the web? The following subjects should be covered in the review and are not necessarily listed in their order of importance.

• Electric or hand powered
• Grains it will mill
• Grains it will not mill
• Hopper capacity
• Flour canister capacity
• Ease of cleaning
• Dimensions of the grain mill
• Weight
• Noise level
• Motor Size
• Range of flour coarseness
• Quality of the burr or stones
• Quality of the finish
• Warranty
• Price

Each of these items is very important in making a decision about your purchase of a grain grinder. The emphasis you place on one item over the other will ultimately determine the most important items.

For example, someone on a limited budget will give more consideration to cost than almost anything else. After that hurdle is reached then other items will fall in place. If you are not concerned with price, then your top item may be quality of the finish. Is it a high quality wood finish? If you are concerned about size because of space limitation, then you might look at size first.

There is no firm answer what should be first because it does differ by person. Everything listed should be taken into consideration, because once you make your selection, you will own it for many years and hopefully get the great service you deserve.

When you do a search on the web, I suggest that you search under:

• Grain Mill Comparisons
• Grain Mill Reviews
• Grain Grinder Comparisons
• Grain Grinder Reviews

You will find just a few that really give you the complete lowdown. Be sure to check them out because this is where your search should begin. It may not end at this point, but at least you will be off to a great start in your purchase of a home grain mill.

 At Healthy Kitchen Plus you will find a great opportunity to make a purchase that works well for you.  We have a great selection of grain mills at prices you can afford.  Before you make your purchase, we highly recommend that you do your homework by checking our Grain Mill Comparison Chart to be sure you are getting the grain mill that is right for you.

Three More Days

Summer will be over in 3 more days.  It is hard to believe that fall is almost here.  I'm looking forward to it for a lot of reasons.  First, I like the cool nights, brisk mornings and moderate afternoons.  Second, it is football season which I really do like, especially when I'm watching my team.  Third, I sure do like to eat fall and winter foods...as my daughter calls them...Comfort Foods.  They taste better than most summer foods.  Full bodied and rich in flavor, I'm ready to eat.

It may sound like I eat way too much.  I don't, but food always tasted better when it is colder.  I suspect it probably does for everyone.  My wife also bakes a lot more bread in the fall and winter, and I have to admit, I really love that.

If you don't have a home grain mill or home bread machine, I encourage to begin thinking about it.  Not only do you get much more healthful foods from a home grain mill, the food just tastes better, period.

Join us at Healthy Kitchen Plus to find all of your small kitchen appliance needs.

Fall Is Coming

This morning gave me the first real feel of fall.  It was in the mid 50's and a little damp which made my thoughts turn to a warm house and some good hot home made whole wheat bread.  I could almost taste the crunch of the crust as I took a bite of a slice covered with butter.  It is that time of year!
I sure do like our home grain mill and look forward to the many great meals it will give our family this year!

Whole Wheat Bread: From Ancient Times to Today

In the modern grocery store and health food stores you will find long isles of bakery products.  These stores sometimes have in-store bakeries that also carry specialty breads including whole-wheat bread.  If you check carefully you will not find many that are whole-wheat products.  What is whole wheat?  Simply put it is a product with all the natural goodness of wheat.  Whole wheat contains the endosperm, bran and germ.  Most bread is made from the endosperm that helps make the bread light and fluffy but it is the nutrient poor part of the wheat.  Bakeries are required by law to add back the nutrients that are taken out during the milling process.

For over four thousand years man has been grinding grain.  In early times people ate nothing but whole grain.  Today, whole grain is in the minority, and our nation’s health shows some of the results.  Of course, not all of our health concerns can be attributed to the lack of whole grain in our diets, but much of the health problems relate directly to the empty calories of highly milled grain.

The first grain mills were driven by paddle wheels that were attached to a shaft that turned a millstone.  The millstone was on top of a similar sized stone that was stationary.  This method worked well in areas where water ran swiftly.  There were no gears which helped on maintenance, but it was also a disadvantage because there was no consistency in the speed of the mill.  During the Roman Empire, grain mills began to advance in technology.  Because of the advancement of vertical wheels, the Romans were able to produce 2.4 to 3.2 tons per hour.  That was significant in those times even though today it would be considered very small for our population.  In a 1086 census in England, it was found that there were 5624 water-powered flourmills

In the past centuries, the grain mill was a major part of many countries as well as America.  Many grain mills were needed for the farmers who grew various types of wheat and corn.  The grain mill in Americana was often the meeting place for farmers on the weekend as they had their grains ground to flour and meal.

The classic grain mill was designed to be driven by water with some driven by livestock and others driven with slave labor.  These methods lasted until the end of the eighteenth century when Oliver Evans revolutionized the grain mills of the world.  Evans invented, patented and promoted a fully automated grain mill.

Modern mills turn heavy steel or cast iron flat and serrated rollers to separate bran and germ from the endosperm.  The endosperm is used to make white flour. 

The modern flour mills can produce significant amounts of flour, but in the manufacturing process, the goodness of the whole-grain is frequently lost.  Whole-grain products can be found in the grocery store, but it is difficult to find what you are wanting in terms of texture, flavor and cost.

WonderMill Grain Mill

We have progressed to grain grinders used in homes which can produce virtually the same and better quality flour as the modern gristmills.  Modern family grain mills are easy to use, lightweight, adjustable to a special grind, can produce as much or as little as needed, and have a consistent quality.  The home grain mill of today is truly an engineering marvel.

There are ways to avoid the empty calories of highly milled flour.  You can buy bread and variety products at your local grocery stores and health food stores.  You also have the opportunity to own a home grain mill where you are in control.  When you have a home grain mill, you are assured of having the whole grain goodness you want in every bite.

Wolfgang Grain Mill

At Healthy Kitchen Plus, we help you capture that everyday wholesome goodness that you are looking for in Grain Mills & Grain Grinders that can fit your lifestyle and pocket book.  Please give us a look today and find out why a home grain mill is one of the wonders of the world.