Grain Mill Comparison Charts

Although this is a dehydrating site, I think that it’s important to address other things that may affect what and how we dehydrate. Many of us are preppers, so we think about long-term storage. Although it’s a little off topic, there have been enough questions here to make me realize that we need good information on grain mills.  

(I took this pic from the internet.

Will replace it with one of my own as soon as I have time to photograph my machine.)

I can’t comment on other grain mills because I’ve never used them. As you may know, I have the Country Living Grain Mill.  It is considered one of the best hand-crank mills on the market.

• It has a huge flywheel instead of a crank handle. That means it takes significantly less energy to turn it and grind the grain. Being that I am disabled, this was an important consideration for me.  
• Although you can buy bean and corn augers, I was grinding my cornmeal and bean meals long before I was aware of those attachments. I have ground from coarse to talcum powder fineness with it.  
• The flywheel has an added feature with a groove in it so you can attach a belt.  This can be run by a small motor or even attached for bicycle power!   
• The Country Living mill is very heavy.  I noticed many of the smaller mills have a screw clamp attachment for securing them on your counter. Not sure how those screw-on bases will stay in place with some of those really hard grains. Unless you use pretty small quantities.   My mill is bolted onto a kitchen island. I have several kitchen islands.
• One I bought at an auction, and two were floor models with marked down prices.  On one island I have my grain mill, hand-crank meat grinder, and hand crank apple/potato slicer/corer thingie. <she rolls her eyes>  The attachments are all stored inside that island along with an assortment of grains and beans that grind.  The rest of my grains are in five-gallon buckets in a locked shed.  

I realize it is one of the more expensive machines, but personally, I think it is well worth the investment.  

• Here are some links you might find helpful:   http://www.grainmillcomparison.com/2009/03/grind-test-chart.html
• I especially like this one because it asks whether or not the mill is easy enough for a woman or child to grind the grain.
• It also tells you how long it takes to grind both one cup and 10 cups of grain. Also has good info on warranties. 
• BTW, Country Living has a lifetime warranty and is mfg. in the U.S.  

The following charts cover many, many more mill brands.  

http://pgward.org/ep/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wheatgrindercompare.pdf

http://www.nutritionlifestyles.com/grainmillcomparison.htm   

http://www.lehmans.com/store/article/1349?Args=/

http://thewholetruth.org/Res_WM_Comp.asp

http://www.healthykitchenplus.com/grain-mill-comparison-chart