A guide on how and why you should mill your own flour using a grain mill. After we have answered the most commonly asked questions on flour milling, grain mill, storage, etc scroll down below to see the video on how easy it is to make your own flour at home.
Why are Grains Important?
Recently grains have become a controversial food group. Some experts say grains are a part of a healthy diet, an important source of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, some experts think grains are a problem because the way we consume modern grain doesn't really yield the true benefits of the grains.
Consuming whole grains is the best form of consuming grains. However, making flour from grains is another way to consume grains but the modern milling process strips the grain off its nutrients. Thus the reputation that grains are not good for you. However, we have found a middle ground to enjoy the goodness of some good-for-you-grains without refining our flours? We have started milling our own flour at home.
Why should you mill your own flour?
There are three main reasons, we mill our own flour at home. Flour milling could sound elaborate but honestly, it's not and it's addictive, cos once you start using homemade flour you will not like the store bought flour.
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Nutrition
Nutrition is a big one here because whole grain kernels contain a lot of power. Did you know that most of your fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are in the bran and germ? When you mill your own flour at home, you don't strip of the natural goodness from the flour unlike the store bought processed flour. Flour processing and modern milling remove 80-90% of the useful nutrients. However, when you grind your whole grains at home, you are also grinding the bran and germ into the flour and making sure it's free of bleaching agents and additives. When the flour is milled and it sits on the shelf it loses its nutrient value within the first 24 hours. Hence home milled flour is healthier than any store-bought flour.
2. Saves Money
When you walk down the flour aisles, specialty grains are so expensive. It's so much more economical to buy specialty grains in bulk and make your flours than pay the more than double marked up price.
3. Tastes Great
When the grain is split into flour, the oils go rancid very quickly which makes the food taste not so good. Freshly milled flour will not go rancid very quickly. The germ that contains the oil is also ground into the flour unlike the flour that has been sitting on the shelf for long and is free of the germ. When you mill you grains at home, you can control the texture. You can create super-fine flour or coarse flour at temperatures that preserve nutrients, ensuring that you will always have the perfect flour for your food. What you will love the most is that the flour is so much lighter and fluffier.
What do we use to mill our own flour? The WonderMill Grain Mill
Although there are a number of Grain Mills available in the market, we have love our WonderMill Grain Mill. Here is why?
- WonderMill Grain Mill is super easy to use and just fill the hopper and there comes your flour.
- Its compact size makes it so easy and convenient to keep it on the counter and just leave it there.
- Its is easy to clean and wash.
- WonderMill Grain Mill doesn't have a whole lot of accessories or small parts. It already comes with a canister to collect the flour.
- Our research indicates that WonderMill Grain Mill is the quietest and fastest gain mill available.
- WonderMill's Grain Mill has the #1 Rated Electrical Motor in the World from LG Electronics and is the world's #1 rated flour mill.
- It's BPA free.
- Milling heads are made of surgical stainless steel.
- Every WonderMill Grain Mill comes with a lifetime warranty.
What can this Mill grind?
We love the versatality of this grain. It can grind, Wheats and Grains, Rices & Pastas, Beans & Peas, Corns & Popcorn, Nuts & Seeds, Spices & Salts, Gluten-Free Flours and more. You can review the entire list here. So far we have tried milling whole wheat, corn, roasted quinoa, sorghum, millet, white rice, yellow mung. We can't wait to mill brown rice, soy, amaranth, beans & peas, chickpeas, spices, buckwheat and a whole variety of gluten-free options.
We have shared a video towards the bottom of the post showing some of the grains we milled at home.
How to store grains?
The shelf life of grains is definitely longer than the shelf life of flours. If stored in airtight containers, the dry pantry shelf life of intact grains can be up to 6 months when stored in a cool place. Make sure they are away from oxygen, moisture & light. Of course if you have the space to freeze the whole grains, that's a great idea as freezings helps kill the critters and eggs if any. Later you can transfer them in storage bags.
How to Store Flour and How Long Will it Last?
It's best to use the home milled flour within 24 hours to get the most of the nutrients. Only grind as much flour as you need. If you do need to make a larger batch, you can store it at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate it for up to 7 days. Beyond that, you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Although sprouted grains last longer, its best to follow the same rules to store sprouted grains.
How Does the WonderMill Grain Mill Work?
The thing with any home grain mill is that you have to use dry grain to make your own flour. If you are skeptical about rinsing and washing the grain then make sure you dry out the grains completely in the dehydrator or a few days of sunlight before adding it to the hopper. You can also get pre-washed grains like Quinoa. Also, make sure you clean the debris and rocks before you add the grains to the mill as they can clog the mill. Don't forget to see how easy it is to mill your own grains at home in the video towards the bottom of the post.
Where to Buy Grains?
- If you are looking to experiment in small portions, Ad Thrive Grain Market, Honeyville & Amazon are great places to begin with.
- Even the local Whole Foods and Harris Teeter & Indian & Medeterenian Grocery stores carry grains.
- However, we have heard that Einkorn.com is a great place to buy grains in bulk, which I want to start doing now.
- For organic and non-GMO varieties Azure Standard is a great option.
How to Mill your Own Flour using the WonderMill Grain Mill?
The WonderMill Grain Mill makes it so easy to mill your own flour that all you need to do is just pour the grains into the hopper and select the texture that you would like. Switch on the button and your flour is ready. See it for yourself.
Where to buy WonderMill Grain Mill?
Have we convinced you enough that milling your flour is good-f0r-you? So now if you are looking to purchase the WonderMill Grain Mill, here you go.
- If you are in the US or Canada, click here.
- If you are in India, click here.
- If you are in the UK or Central Europe, click here.
Stay tuned!!!
Make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we unleash the power of The WonderMill Grain Mill. We have a lot of recipes lined up using home milled flour. If you know of someone who might benefit from this post, please share it with them.
Aaditi says
Hi, can you pl. suggest which kind of wheat berries are good for Indian rotis?I have grain mill but not finding the correct type of wheat berries which is close to our Indian wheat flour.
Soniya Saluja says
Get the ones from the Indian store. They are typically hard wheat berries and not soft
Fitoru Keto says
Great post! I'm going to try this one this weekend. Thank you so much for posting!
Dave Cook says
Does it get close to fine flower grins like store or is it heavier
Anvita says
Dave,
The flour is pretty fine, you can adjust the consistency you need for bread or if you need a coarse flour
Nina says
Grains a very healthy. I have never made my own flour, but this post makes me want to try one day!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Nina,
I wasn't seriously milling until I had the WonderMill Grain Mill. Ever since I mill twice a week at least. Sometimes I just like to mill flour and share it with my friends :)
Holley ThePrimalDesire says
I'd love to try it out! And watching that video is totally mesmerizing
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Holley,
Go for it. I have been hooked onto it. You won't even realize when you get addicted to the mill.
Jana says
Well, I learned something new today! I would love to check out the wondermill. I bet you can taste a major difference!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Jana,
Not only was the taste different, but the color was different too. I wish I had not thrown away my store-bought flour. That ways I could keep the two side by side to compare.
Kim Lee (@KimsCravings) says
Such awesome information! I would love to try making my own flour!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Kim,
Given that you bake so much, you should totally try the WonderMill Grain Mill. Baked foods taste so much better and lighter with freshly milled flour.
No Compass Necessary says
This is a fantastic idea - I would love to make my own gluten-free flour blend!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Excatly!!! you won't have to pay markups on specialty flour blends.
Claire Justine says
What a great idea. I had never thought of this before. My Daughter has to eat gluten free so it would be worth us having a look into this more :)
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Claire,
This is a great addition for anyone living gluten-free. You will stop paying highly marked up prices on specialty flours and best part is you can make your own flour blends. stay tuned as we will be posting more recipes using some of the gluten-free flours we milled.
Jennifer L says
Wow thank you for sharing the benefits of milling our own flour. I think we take it for granted that what we're buying at the store is packed with nutrients which isn't always the case. I'd love to check out the wondermill and try doing my own flour at home.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Jennifer,
Wondermill grain Mill is revolutionizing my kitchen. I am so hooked onto it. I can tell the difference between the color of freshly milled flours versus packaged flours. The taste and texture is so much different. Plus I am in control of whats going into my flours. This mill is an awesome contribution to clean eating for sure.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Jennifer, freshly milled flour is any day better than the storebought. There is no doubt about it at all. You definitely wont be disappointed with the WonderMill, it's a great addition to my kitchen.
tenzendude says
I learned something new today. I too was one of those avoiding grains due to the negative hype but this is a great solution.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Too bad, grains have a negative hype. As long as grains don;t interfere with your body and they are being consumed the right way, grain are an important part of our diet.
Christina Pilat says
?????? Yes to this post! Grains are so important but the way we eat them is crazy! I would love to mill my own! My friend works at a bakery and they do that and it’s so awesome.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Christina, Nothing beats freshly milled flour. boaked foods turn out to be so much better in texture and flavor. Grains are important for sure. As long as they don't interfere with your body it's a good idea to consume them.
Mommy Sigrid says
Wow! This is interesting. I have never thought about making my own flour. Considering the health benefits and the savings, it may be worth the try. Will check more about this option. Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Sure thing, stay tuned, we will be sharing lots of recipes using the flours we make. Make sure you are following us on Facebook and Instagram too for all the scoop.
sabrina barbante says
I recently started milling soy grains because, being a vegetarian, I didn't want to doubt about the ingredients of the soy hamburgers and similars so I decided to make them by myself. This turned out to be a great idea.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Sabrina,
I can totally relate to you. I love the fact that we can control the quality of the grains we buy and what goes into the making of the flour and how to use it while it's nutrient-dense. It's a win-win.
jeannine says
I love to milled and get my own unique tasted mix blends . i love to experiments difference mixtures and bake it ..
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Tell me about it. I am yet to make my own blends but for me, milling is now therapeutic, if you know what I mean.
Elizabeth O says
I'd love to mill my own flour, how cool is the grain mill, it looks like an awesome gadget to have in your kitchen!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Elizabeth, it's been revolutionizing my kitchen for sure. It's addictive.
Sreekar Harinatha says
Wow. Frankly speaking I’ve never really thought about milling my own flour. But this is such a great idea and you can be sure whats going in the flour!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Exactly Sreekar!
You can control what goes into your flour plus its nutrient dense. I am been hooked onto this honestly.
Rhian Westbury says
I've never really thought about milling my own flour. I didn't even know before this how you'd go about it x
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Rhian,
I don't blame you. You would imagine that there is nothing wrong with the store bought flour but little does one realize the shelf life of the flour takes away the nutrition thus milling your own flour is a better idea. The WonderMill Grain Mill, makes life really easy. I mill how much flour I need for like 3-4 days and then repeat for the second batch. When I am not using the mill. it quietly sits on my counter without occupying too much space.
Monidipa Dutta says
It would be great to mill your own flour, it has so many benefits. The Wonder Mill looks like its very easy to use, I would definitely try my hands on this.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Go for it Monidipa. We are hooked onto it. Experimenting and enjoying so many flours. It's like a whole new world.
Brittany says
This is something I definitely want to get. My parents have a grain mill and it's so neat to have!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Brittany,
We have been hooked onto milling. Back home in India people still go to the public mill with their flours and get their stone ground flour. This takes me back to my roots and yes the benefits and ease tops it all.
Preeti says
Does it make fine flour? For Indian cooking, especially rotis, milk be more useful if it make fine flour.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Preeti,
Yes you can control the texture you want. Wondermill Grain Mill has three settings, coarse, pastry and fine. I experimented with all three settings and liked the results. I am really happy with the three textures I got. I made rotis, parathas, bhakris and chillas from the flours and loved it. Infact now my flour has nutrition too unlike the store-bought flour. Yay!!!
camila says
wow id love to mill my own flour! can't get any better than that
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Yup Camilla, it can't get better than this. I love that it's easy and my family isn't missing the nutrition. I am hooked onto this.
Anvita.
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
I love this! Such a healthy idea and you can save so much money, and make your own flour blends. The possibilities are endless!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Cynthia,
That is so true. It's so much healthier and frugal to make your own flour at home. I would have thought it would be an elaborate process but this mill just completely changed my mind. It's easy peasy and I now make fresh flour everytime I want to use it. How good is that.