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Farm Kitchen:  Electric Grain Mill - Please Help Me Decide  |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 26 2015 : 4:35:37 PM
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Hi girls!
I'm trying to decide which electric grain mill to purchase. I've narrowed it down to the NutriMill or the WonderMill, but I just can't decide. Any thoughts? Is there one better that you'd like to recommend? I'd really appreciate your help! I do have a WonderMill Junior, but I need to get an electric one for every day use. Thanks so much!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Feb 27 2015 : 05:41:17 AM
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Hard decision. I use the Country Living manual one, so I asked some of my friends. One has a Wonder, another has a Nutri and another has a Bosch. They each loved the mill they had. The only complaints were that the friend with the Wonder would like more capacity like the Nutri and that sometimes the Wonder took up too much space.
I hope you can decide. Good luck.
Catherine
Sister #76 (2005)
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt.
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2015 : 8:23:27 PM
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Thanks so much for the insight, Catherine! I am leaning toward the Nutrimill because of the space requirement with the Wondermill, too. Plus the Nutrimill comes with a lifetime guarantee. I just can't physically do my Wondermill Junior for everyday use, but I sure am grateful to have it as a back up and for making nut butters, etc. :) That Country Living mill is an absolute beauty - oh my! You must love it!!! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2015 : 05:50:51 AM
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I am no hope as I still have not used mine.... But my hubby sad after he did the research, the best was the Nutrimill. He bought me mean about three years ago and I STILL have not used it.... Actually it will be four years next month. And it sits on my counter even! I need to look up and see what gluten free flours are allowed to be ground in it!
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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dena91
True Blue Farmgirl
181 Posts
Dena
Pennsylvania
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2015 : 12:35:33 PM
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Hi Nini,
I have the NutriMill and I love it. I grind short and long grain rice and millet - our son needs gluten free bread. I have over filled it 2x with millet (for some reason millet grinds so much more volume than you put in and I often forget that) and had to send it back to the manufacturer. They fixed it for free (but I think the shipping was 50.00!)
Anyway, I do love it. I use it 3 or 4 times a week and have had it for at least 6 years. I believe it has a life time warranty??? I would definitely give a thumbs up vote for it!
Blessings,
Dena
Farmgirl 5620 |
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dena91
True Blue Farmgirl
181 Posts
Dena
Pennsylvania
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2015 : 12:43:00 PM
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One more thought Nini. I keep mine in the garage because it is fairly loud. Maybe if I didn't have 4 boys in the house I wouldn't mind the noise so much, but I find it lovely in the garage! It only takes about 2-3 minutes to grind a batch and I just listen for the high pitch that means it is done.
It does not take up too much space and would fit on a counter if the noise doesn't bother you.
Dena
Farmgirl 5620 |
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2015 : 1:31:53 PM
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Thanks, Dena! I really appreciate your insight!!!
I'm so happy to report that my Nutrimill just arrived a little while ago! I have to wait until tomorrow to give it its first whirl (pun intended!), but I'm all revved up and ready to go! YAY!!!
I'll keep you posted!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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dena91
True Blue Farmgirl
181 Posts
Dena
Pennsylvania
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - Mar 06 2015 : 09:45:03 AM
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Shannon, I pretty much stick to rice and millet (with a portion of tapioca flour - purchased - that I put in the actual bread recipe). You could always check on line or with the manufacturer, but I can imagine that putting in chopped almonds (you'd have to check before you used whole almonds, but they may be just fine) would produce a lovely flour. As far as coconut goes, I've never even purchased it - do they sell it in flakes or chunks??? It may be soft enough to grind just fine. I have a friend who tried to grind sprouted wheat - didn't go so well so avoid anything that has moisture in it.
Nini, So excited for you to try your new grinder! Let me know how it goes :-)
Dena
Farmgirl 5620 |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2015 : 8:49:07 PM
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Thanks, Dena! Well, girls, I used my machine today - LOOOOOOVE it!!! No problems at all. The flour turned out amazing, and the bread is fabulous! The one thing I didn't like is its super short cord. I had to maneuver the mill around and underneath counters a bit to get it to plug in, but it worked. And then, of course, I'm just a bit nervous about the "self-cleaning"feature, because I can't see inside the grinding chamber to be SURE it's clean. They don't really tell you how to know it's done grinding, but shortly after the grain disappears from the top, the machine gives off a higher pitched sound, so I'm assuming that's when it's done? Once that happened, I let it run for an extra five seconds to clean itself out, just as the directions say, but I sure would feel better if I could see inside for myself. Both of those are fairly minor concerns though. Other than them, I love how super easy the machine is to operate, and I just love how quickly and easily and how WELL the wheat ground! From four cups of grain, I got just about 9 cups of flour - perfect to make two loaves. And the bread - oh my gosh! There is no comparison! SO, so good! I know I can grind up a bunch of flour ahead of time and freeze it, but I'm just going to grind as I go soas not to lose any precious nutrients. I can't get over how much more nutritious freshly ground flour is! I never understood how bread could ever be considered the staff of life, until now! Now it all makes sense! I tried two different recipes with the Einkorn. One was a super easy bread. The "dough" was actually more of a batter. That one turned out very thick and heavy. It tasted just fine, but it was too heavy for every day - it was more like a quick bread. I didn't like it so much, but it was tasty. The second recipe definitely created a dough, and my oh my, it's the best bread I've ever made! Perfect for slicing, and perfect for serving in broken hunks with our hearty chicken soup this evening. The guys went nuts over it. I think the only problem is that now I'm probably going to have to make bread for them every day! LOL!
Now all I have to do is figure out how to store the wheat. I don't want to keep all of it in the freezer because I know I'll be using it fairly quickly. I have a huge Montana jar that has a rubbery seal sitting on the counter, and that would be the most convenient storage if I'm going to use it every day. I also have my Ball Jar lid attachment for the FoodSaver, so I can always vacuum-seal some of it in half gallon jars, too. My main concern is that I don't want bugs. I've read that the eggs are microscopic, and that if you freeze the grain it kills anything microscopic that has already hatched, but it doesn't kill the eggs. The last thing I want is to find little moths flying around in my jar, you know? Any thoughts on this? Worst case scenario, I'll keep it in the freezer. My main concern about doing so is that moisture will get in. I don't know. I guess I'll have to do more research!
OH! And one quick question... Is it normal for the flour to be a little bit warm? I've read that these machines aren't supposed to let the flour get warm soas not to kill the nutrients, but mine was a bit warm. I'm hoping that's okay and there isn't a problem with the machine???
Anyhow, thanks so much for your help, girls. I know I've made the right choice for our family, and I'm just so, SO thrilled!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Mar 07 2015 8:53:33 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 08 2015 : 10:17:07 AM
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Oh my gosh - this morning I made French toast with yesterday's homemade bread... DELICIOUS! There's nothing like it!
Have any of you ground flour for pasta-making? I would really like to try that, too!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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dena91
True Blue Farmgirl
181 Posts
Dena
Pennsylvania
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - Mar 08 2015 : 3:57:24 PM
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Nini,
Glad you are enjoying your new 'toy'!
As for storing it, I use it so quickly that I just keep it in the bin of the grinder on my counter. I use to pour it into a baggie and keep it in the frig. After a while I realized I didn't need to do that. I use it all within a day or two and have had no bug problems, thank goodness. Granted, it would probably preserve the nutrients better if I put it in the frig. I tend to grind new flour each time I bake so it turns over pretty quickly.
And, mine gets a little warm too - just all that friction I guess ;-).
Have fun!!!
Dena
Farmgirl 5620 |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2015 : 1:18:51 PM
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Thanks, Dena! I feel so much better, now, about the warmth of the flour! And I'm finding like you - we use our wheat so quickly! I don't recall ever using flour as much as I do now! LOL! Those men of mine just can't keep their hands out of the bread! LOL! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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sonshine4u
Chapter Guru
1205 Posts
April
New Prague
MN
USA
1205 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2015 : 08:53:19 AM
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I love how warm the flour is when it comes out of the mill, it's warm just from the friction of grinding. I don't think you're losing any nutrients from that. As for storing my flour, I use as much as I can for baking with that day and then I bag it up in ziploc bags and put it in the freezer. I keep my wheat berries in 5 gallon buckets with lids that we got from a hardware store that say food grade on them.
I love my nutrimill and have had it for 5 years without problems. Excited you got one too and are having so much fun! :)
Farmgirl Hugs!
~April
River Valley Farmgirls
Chapter Leader
~Playing in the Sonshine~
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sonshine4u
Chapter Guru
1205 Posts
April
New Prague
MN
USA
1205 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2015 : 12:00:26 PM
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I have been making a huge mess today baking bread!
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Farmgirl Hugs!
~April
River Valley Farmgirls
Chapter Leader
~Playing in the Sonshine~
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2015 : 12:31:49 PM
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Mmmmmm! I can almost smell that wholesome goodness, April! You did much better than me - when I made my bread, I was the flour-covered mess! LOL! The second time I made flour, I didn't pay close attention to the bowl - it wasn't in all the way. I turned the machine on, and suddenly there was a cloud of floury snow covering me and the entire kitchen! LOL! Lesson learned - I'll be much more careful next time! What a mess, indeed!
Soo.... What kind of flour are you using? Where do you buy it? Would you mind sharing your recipe? Any tips on cleaning your machine when you're done? I've been washing every part of the bowl and then wiping down the exterior and nooks and crannies of the machine really well. The instructions say you don't have to wash the filter, and the bowl and cup only needs to be wiped out, but I'm leery. What do you think?
GOSH that looks good, April! Your whole home must smell Heavenly!!!
Hugs-
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2015 : 2:01:49 PM
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Oh, duh... I forgot you said you use food grain wheat from the hardware store... Sorry, April! Our hardware store doesn't sell anything like this! But they do sell beer and wine-making supplies! LOL!
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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sonshine4u
Chapter Guru
1205 Posts
April
New Prague
MN
USA
1205 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2015 : 6:15:28 PM
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Nini,
The buckets are food grade, the wheat berries I get from a local MN place (organic wheat). What you didn't see was my apron just covered in flour and my floors and countertops everywhere! I had an oops too with my grinder. I didn't get my lid locked in place all the way and so it didn't get pushed in all the way and voila...it's snowing! Life is more fun covered in flour ... Right?
Farmgirl Hugs!
~April
River Valley Farmgirls
Chapter Leader
~Playing in the Sonshine~
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2015 : 7:04:51 PM
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LOL! I hear that, April! You're absolutely right! ;)
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9625 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2015 : 09:08:05 AM
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I love my Wonder Mill and Bosch mixer. Have had the mill for about 18 years and my Bosch for 16. I love the smell of fresh made bread. Buy my wheat berries in 50 lb bags. Haven't bought any for a long time because we buy so much when we get it and store it in food grade buckets. We purchase ours in PA and it is a couple of hours away so that is why we stock it. I love the hard red wheat. I think it is available online from places like Frontier and King Arthur but probably a lot more expensive than buying locally. So glad you like your mill Nini!
~Denise~
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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Farm Kitchen: Electric Grain Mill - Please Help Me Decide |
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Electric Grain Mill - Please Help Me Decide
