Choosing a grain mill for your home pantry
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Quick answer
A grain mill turns stored whole grains into fresh flour. For preparedness that matters: the Whole Grains Council says intact grains keep about 6 months in the pantry and up to a year in the freezer, while whole grain flour lasts only 1 to 3 months in the pantry. Impact mills like the NutriMill Classic make big batches fast. Stone mills like the Mockmill 100 are compact countertop mills. A hand-crank mill like the Wonder Junior Deluxe works with no power at all. None of the electric mills here are made for oily nuts.
Why store grain instead of flour
The Whole Grains Council explains that whole grain flour spoils faster than intact grain because its protective bran layer has been broken up, so oxygen reaches all parts of the grain. Its storage guidance:
| Form | Pantry | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Intact grains (berries, groats) | About 6 months | Up to 1 year |
| Whole grain flours and meals | 1 to 3 months | 2 to 6 months |
It says heat, air and moisture are the enemies of whole grains, so use airtight containers. Storing berries and milling as you go keeps flour fresh and stretches your pantry.
Three kinds of home grain mill
| Type | Example | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric impact | NutriMill Classic | Fast, big batches, handles legumes | No nuts |
| Electric stone | Mockmill 100 | Compact, fine to coarse with corundum stones | Smaller batches |
| Hand crank | Wonder Junior Deluxe | No electricity needed; steel burrs for oily foods | Your arm is the motor |
Electric impact mills
NutriMill describes its Classic as having a stainless steel micronic milling chamber driven by a 1,200 watt motor. It lists:
- Up to 20 cups of flour at a time.
- A 12 cup grain hopper.
- A 400% texture adjustment range from fine to coarse.
It says the mill keeps flour around 118 degrees F. It handles non-oily grains and legumes, including gluten-free grains, but cannot grind nuts because their oils can clog it. NutriMill warns that a mill used for wheat, rye, barley, spelt or Kamut can carry traces of gluten into other grains. Celiac households should keep a dedicated gluten-free mill. The Classic carries a 5 year warranty plus a limited lifetime warranty on the motor and milling heads.
Electric stone mills
Mockmill lists the Mockmill 100 at about 100 grams of soft wheat per minute. It runs a 360 W motor on 110 V and uses corundum ceramic grinding stones, variable from very fine to coarse. The hopper holds 1,100 grams of wheat, and the mill weighs about 13 pounds. It carries a six year warranty for non-commercial use, and Mockmill says it is made for home use, not commercial quantities.
NutriMill also makes a stone model, the Harvest, with corundum stones and a 450 watt motor rated up to 128 grams per minute. Stone mills suit a kitchen counter and smaller daily batches.
Hand mills for when the power is out
An electric mill does nothing in a long outage unless you have a generator or power station. A hand-crank mill is the true off-grid option. WonderMill says the Wonder Junior Basic comes with stone milling heads, and the Deluxe adds stainless steel burrs. It says the steel burrs let you mill oily foods and items with high moisture content, like seeds and nuts, which the stone heads are not for.
A sensible setup is an electric mill for everyday baking and a hand mill as the backup.
What to look for when you buy
Electric impact grain mill (example: NutriMill Classic)
Best for: Big-batch baking from stored wheat, rice, corn and legumes
NutriMill lists a 1,200 watt motor, up to 20 cups of flour at a time, a 12 cup hopper and a 400% texture range. Warranty is 5 years, plus lifetime on the motor and milling heads.
Watch out: It cannot grind nuts. Celiac households need a dedicated mill.
See options on Amazon (opens Amazon in a new tab)Electric stone grain mill (example: Mockmill 100)
Best for: Daily fresh flour from a compact countertop mill
Mockmill lists about 100 grams per minute, corundum ceramic stones, a 1,100 gram hopper, 13 pounds and a six year non-commercial warranty.
Watch out: At about 100 grams per minute, big batches take a while.
See options on Amazon (opens Amazon in a new tab)Hand-crank grain mill with stone and steel burrs (example: Wonder Junior Deluxe)
Best for: Milling with no electricity, and grinding nuts and seeds
WonderMill says the Deluxe adds stainless steel burrs to the stone heads, and the steel burrs handle oily foods and items with high moisture content.
Watch out: Hand milling takes time and effort. Clamp it to a sturdy table.
See options on Amazon (opens Amazon in a new tab)Airtight food-grade buckets for wheat berries
Best for: Storing the grain your mill will use
The Whole Grains Council says airtight containers keep intact grains about 6 months in the pantry, and that heat, air and moisture are the enemies of whole grains.
Watch out: Keep buckets somewhere cool and dry, and rotate the oldest grain first.
See options on Amazon (opens Amazon in a new tab)Questions people ask
- Is it worth buying a grain mill for food storage?
- If you bake, yes. Intact grains keep about 6 months in the pantry or up to a year frozen, per the Whole Grains Council. Whole grain flour lasts 1 to 3 months in the pantry.
- How do you mill your own flour at home?
- Store whole grain berries airtight, pour what you need into the mill's hopper, set the texture, and mill just before baking. Fresh flour keeps 1 to 3 months in the pantry, per the Whole Grains Council, so mill in small batches.
- Stone or impact grain mill?
- The NutriMill Classic makes up to 20 cups of flour at a time from a 12 cup hopper. Stone mills like the Mockmill 100, at about 100 grams per minute, are compact and suit daily batches.
- Can a grain mill grind nuts?
- Not the NutriMill Classic, which NutriMill says nuts can clog. WonderMill says the stainless steel burrs on the Wonder Junior Deluxe hand mill can mill oily foods like nuts and seeds.
- Can I mill grain without electricity?
- Yes, with a hand-crank mill like the Wonder Junior Deluxe, or by running an electric mill from a generator or power station.
Sources
- NutriMill Classic Grain Mill, NutriMill
- Comparing the NutriMill Harvest and NutriMill Classic, NutriMill
- Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill, Mockmill
- Wonder Junior Deluxe vs. Wonder Junior Basic, WonderMill Company
- Storing Whole Grains, Whole Grains Council