Quote:
Originally Posted by BettyR
How much grain do you need to mill at a time? Try to be specific (eg - X number of cups OR X number of pounds)
1 pound
Do you want a mill that can both crack grain and mill flour?
yes
Do you want a mill that can make whole wheat pastry flour as well as bread flour?
yes
Do you want a mill that can also handle legumes (for example, soybeans
for soy flour) or will you only mill grain?
Corn and beans as well as grain
Do you have a preference for an electric or a manual mill?
electric
What is the maximum you're willing to pay?
$300.00
What about storage? does the mill need to be stored between uses or do you have space so it can always be out, ready for use?
Space is not a problem; I have a large kitchen with a lot of cabnet and store area; but I don't want something that will be too big for me to handle alone.
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Given your needs and your price point, your best bet is one of the micronizer type electric mills on the market for the home user, such as the Nutrimill (which I own) or the Wondermill (formerly marketed as Whispermill).
You will *not* be able to produce cracked grain in a micronizer mill. If you only occasionally need cracked grain in smaller quantities (1 or two cups), you could use a blender or food processor. Or you could purchase a small, inexpensive manual grain grinder for this purpose.
Micronizer mills are rated to handle legumes as well as grain. The Nutrimill, while rather large, is light weight and easily handled by one person. I assume the same goes for the Wondermill.
The Wondermill has two separate components, the milling mechanism and the flour receptacle, which connects to the milling mechanism with a short tube
In contrast, the Nutrimill is "all in one", with the removable flour bin at the base of the unit. I prefer the Nutrimill over the Wondermill because of the design.
Slightly less expensive micronizer mills on the market for the home miller that are a "all in one" design include the Ultramill Grain Mill (made by Bosch)

and the
BlendTek

I have not researched evaulations for either the Ultramill or the Blendtek.
Less expensive micronizer mills generally have a smaller capacity (not a concern for you, as you only want to mill about 1 pound of grain at a time) and may be significantly louder. A plus is that their physical size is smaller. It is important to check out the warranty for each brand *in detail* before purchase. Also, it is advisable to do a 'net research for reviews and owner opinions.
Here are links to two extensive reviews of micronizer mills (Nutrimill and Wondermill) which you should find helpful.
This one
kernals or berries??????]www.thefreshloaf.com - discussion and evaluation of grain mills is by an individual who is both a home baker and a small scale commercial baker who has used many mills targeted for the home baker and/or small scale bakery.
This one
kernals or berries??????]www.thefreshloaf.com - Nutrimill grain mill - a home baker's perspective is my review of the Nutrimill after owning (and using) it for about 6 months.
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please post back to this thread if you have further questions