Grain Mill Features

Types and Features of Grain Mills If you're looking for a way to grind wheat, barley, rye, and other grains and beans into flour, take a moment to investigate the basic features of grain mills. Whether you want organic flour for the sake of nutrition, fresh-ground flavor, or emergency preparedness, grain mills might be a useful kitchen tool for you. Grain mills fall into two main categories: manual grain mills and electric grain mills. Manual Grain Mills Grain mills involve a pair of grinding burrs, which are two discs with grooves in them. As the grains are rubbed between the burrs, they are ground into smaller and smaller pieces until they assume the fineness of flour. Stone burrs can grind flour more finely than some steel or iron burrs, but they are not as durable and cannot handle nuts or oily materials as well.

Manual grain mills require you to turn a wheel or handle by hand to cause the grinding burrs to move. Although manual mills can grind numerous grains to achieve a variety of fineness and coarseness levels, they typically don't produce flour as finely ground as electric grain mills do. Some manual models have kits or attachments that enable the mill to be connected to a motor or an exercise bike. Manual grain mills are perfect for the authentic, do-it-from-scratch cook who doesn't mind a little elbow grease.

Electric Grain Mills
Electric grain mills, also referred to as impact-chamber grain mills, are proficient fine-flour grinders, but they have a smaller grinding range than their manual counterparts that use burrs. Electric grain mill technology varies from brand to brand, but all designs involve a specialized milling chamber. Some models use surgical-quality stainless steel instead of stones to complete the magical transformation of grain into flour.

Thanks to the innovations discovered and invented by grain grinders over the years, grain mills of today offer much variety to suit your personal grinding style.