Grinder

[CJ49er]

I am wondering if anyone has some input on a wheat/grain grinder?

I have been browsing the net for a grinder (been mostly looking at hand powered) and the reviews are all over the board. I am hoping someone around here has used one or has some great input.

My main focus at this time would be having a grinder for wheat, but other uses may arise I suppose (coffee, corn, other grain types??) Wouldn't it be great if one grinder worked for it all? I have a coffee bean grinder but from what I have read its a no go for wheat berries:huh:

thanks,
CJ

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[Abiqua]

We have the Family Grain Mill (also called the "Jupiter" grain mill) and am very happy with it. It can be set up with the motor or hand crank and has several attachment heads available for flaking, grinding, meat grinding, etc. The flaker/roller head makes great oatmeal from oat groats.

 

[Otony]

We have a Country Living grain mill that is set up with a hand crank and has a flywheel as well. Conceivably one could lash up a bicycle to the flywheel, but it would take some serious lashing, not something to consider at the last minute.

As far as function, it works a treat. There is a large auger available to grind corn, beans, coffee, etc, but unfortunately no flaker attachment.

The Jupiter mill gets good reviews, as witness above, but we were fortunate enough to get into our brand new mill for less than half price due to the good will of a close friend. With the money saved we bought a flaker and ended up spending less total than what the mill would have cost us alone.

Of course that is the rare exception, but so far we have had no problems with either tool through quite a bit of use, and have the very, very small advantage of not needing to tear the mill apart to change it over for flaking. If we were to start from scratch, I might still consider going this route.......ymmv

 

[Abiqua]

There's no tearing the mill apart to change to flaking with the Family Grain Mill. You just push the lock button over, rotate the head approx 90 degrees and remove. Reverse steps to install new head. Takes about 5 seconds.

 

[mxitman]

As they say you pay for what you get, I started with one of those $50 hand mills and was not happy at all, it flakes off metal and doesn't grind stuff very fine. So I now use it for grinding grains for animal feed.

I saved up and bought a Grainmaker, there made in Montana and it's definitely a item that can be handed down generation after generation. I like that none of it's cast. I had a 1/2hp 120V motor that I had laying around, so I added that with a belt to it when I mounted it in our basement pantry. If power goes out I can grind by hand but I mostly use it with the electric motor.

I'm sure the country living ones are just as nice, but after reading about build quality and how they are made from aluminum and cast materials I chose the the grainmaker...either way you probably can't go wrong.