Choosing a Hand-Cranked Grain Mill
I just spent two hours researching and choosing a hand-cranked grain mill. In the end I went with the Wonder Junior Deluxe Hand Grain / Flour Mill by Wondermill, pictured here.
But before making my decision I agonized over several models, including a bunch of cast-iron ones that looked heavy-duty but were “coated” with aluminum; some cheap aluminum models that were easy on the pocket book; the ever-popular “Our Best Grain Mill” by Lehman’s and the outrageously expensive, but top-of-the-line Country Living Mill.
I was looking at several factors when making my decision on which hand-powered grain mill to buy. Some of the more important ones were:
- How much does it cost?
- What is the grinding mechanism made from?
- Is it easy to turn the handle (proper leverage)?
- How does it attach to the table?
- How big is the hopper?
- Does it grind flour and meal equally well?
- What is the casing made out of?
I was looking for something inexpensive, but would pay more for a solid grain mill that met all the other requirements than a cheap one made from inferior materials. Cast iron grain mills were inexpensive, but I noticed they were all coated with one thing or another, which would undoubtedly end up in your food. Not only that, but reviews from users told stories of rust and premature wear. I guess you get what you pay for.
I wanted something with either a steel or stone grinding mechanism. The one I ended up buying had both, as one is better for flour and the other is better for things like cornmeal or cream of wheat consistency.
The best grain mill for me would be hand-cranked but would provide proper leverage so as to be easier to turn than other mills. All three of the finalists met this criteria, but many of the cheaper models didn’t – at least according to customer reviews on sites like Amazon.
We want to attach this grain mill to our table, but would like the option of either permanent attachment (screws) or temporary (clamps). Most were either one or the other. The Wonder Jr. is a clamp-on but, unlike the Lehman’s mill, it has two clamps instead of one. If you’ve ever tried to saw a board that was only clamped down with one clamp you’ll know the difference there. Also, the Lehman’s “Best Mill” has cast iron burrs and a plastic hopper, while the Wonder Junior Delux has stainless steel and stone burrs and a metal hopper. The Lehman’s “Our Best Grain Mill” was about $40 cheaper though, and is a pretty good grain mill from what I hear.
The Country Living Grain Mill (eg The BMW of hand-cranked grain mills) is twice the price of the Wonder Junior, which is pretty much why I didn’t buy it. I’m not sure there is anything more to say than – $410. No, that’s not a typo.
A few tips for choosing a hand-cranked grain mill:
Stay away from the cast-iron models that you see for $20-$50 and some change. You’ll get what you pay for, which is a mill that really only grinds corn well; can’t do flour (even if they say it can), and will end up depositing metal fragments in your grain.
Get the dimensions of the hopper and draw it out on a piece of paper so you can get a feel for the actual size. You don’t want to be refilling the hopper every ten cranks.
Make sure you get something versatile that can grind cornmeal as well as it can grind flour and vice versa. Usually this will mean a model that allows you to switch between metal and stone burrs, but a good stainless steel burr will probably deliver a passable product either way.
There you have it. My suggestion is to buy the Wonder Junior Deluxe Hand Grain / Flour Mill by Wondermill for about $210 – $220. It isn’t the cheapest and isn’t the most expensive, but should be all you’ll need for as little as you can get it.
PS: You might also be interested in our post about making your own vegetable oil.
See the video below for a demonstration:
This is interesting, there is nothing on this page that says when this article was published. It could have been last week, it could have been 10 years ago. I’m interested to hear how you go with the mill after a few months as you say. I’ve read reviews of it taking up to 20 minutes for a cup of flour, then somebody else saying it takes a minute for a cup. What have you found? And do you think it will last a lifetime of use?
Hello Unforlorn,
Sorry it took so long but I hope the video I just posted above answers your question about how fast it goes. You could always hook a belt up to the crank shaft on one end and an electric motor on the other if you want to grind faster with power, while still having the ability to hand-grind if the power goes out.
Did you test Family Grain Mill?
Hello Michael, we didn’t but would be happy to hear about your experiences with the Family Grain Mill if you want to share them.
That looks like it just chunks it up.
Are these grinders not intended to grind
the grain into fine flour for making bread
or are the larger broken chunks all that
is needed?
Hello A. Good question. What you see in the video is actually us using the grain mill to “crack” the barley. You can adjust the grinder from really loose (like we have it in the video) for cracked corn, barley, etc… to really tight – which produces a finer substance, such as flour. An in-between would be corn meal.
Hi,
Thanks for the information.
Recently I have been looking into a hand-cranked grain mill and had narrowed it down to the Wonder Junior Deluxe and the Country Living one (a lifetime investment) – however I’m concerned that the powdered coating used on these machines would have health risks.
What is your take in the powdered coating of these devices?
Thanks,
Ari from Australia.
Ari,
I haven’t looked much into the coating, but I would think it would all come off after a few uses. I’ve never noticed any powder residue when using mine.
E.
Thanks for the feedback.
Ari.
I have found that cracking grain is very easy, it is harder to turn the crank the finer you want the flour. I would like to see how this product works grinding on a fine setting like Flour.
Thanks
I’d like to see you make flour, also.
I don’t know anything about the coatings on these, but if it is the same as the powdered coatings on metal bird cages for parrots, it should hold up fine. They put it on in a process that makes it hold up. Nothing is as destructive as a parrot beak, especially the larger parrots like cockatoos and macaws. They “work on” the bars of the cage to find weaknesses and the powdered coatings are there to protect the birds from metal filings. If the powdered coatings can hold up to that kind of abuse, they can probably hold up to a few grains.
Hello all.
I work with powdercoat finishes on a daily basis.
Powdercoat is usually powdered nylon. It will not poison you.
It wouldn’t be my first choice to add to my breakfast cereal, but it wouldn’t cause any it shouldn’t cause any issues when ground into tiny bits.
I would caution anyone against confusing high solids paint with powdercoat. They are similar in appearance, but two totally different finishes.
Hope this helps.
I checked this blog out, because I’m in a quandary as to deciding whether to buy a hand crank or electric mill. I generally understand the pros and cons both ways, but I don’t like the idea of having to hand crank one of these very often. At the same time, I do like the idea of being able to hand crank if necessary.
A Compromise that I’ve been looking at is the Victorio Deluxe Grain Mill and Motor Combo. I can see some things that I don’t like about it, but it’s a lot cheaper than the WonderMill. If I were going to pay that much for a mill, I would tend to go for the Miracle Electric Grain and Flour Mill – ME300. It and the WonderMill are pretty close to the same price and the reviews on it are very good.
Not quite sure why I’m posting this, other than just thinking out loud.
I am looking for a grain mill to grind grain suitable for making beer so I don’t want it to just make flour. Any suggestions?
Dve
I bought one of these and am sending it back, poor workmanship caused it to fail. Looking for some thing better. Hard to crank and slow.
Dec 30th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
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