Spice Grinders

Combo appliances and multi-tasking tools are beginning to grow in popularity as a way to save on space and money. There are washer/dryer combos and openers that not only remove bottle caps but also opens tin cans, punch holes in canned milk, and uncorks wine. It is thus not surprising that Waldner Biotech of Austria should come up with the Combi Star Grain Mill.

The Waldner Biotech Combi Star Grain Mill is an ideal kitchen tool for people who appreciate the health benefits of using only newly ground grain for flour and freshly flaked oat groats for porridge or muesli. These eliminate the need for chemical preservatives that are potentially harmful.

Made from solid stone pine with clearly visible wood grains, the Combi Star is an attractive rustic-looking mill. It consists of a box with a spout and a 1-kg capacity rounded hopper sitting on top. One side of the box, the one away from the spout, protrudes forward.

A self-sharpening ceramic and corundum millstone measuring 90 mm in diameter is inside the pine casing. It grinds all kinds of dry grains as well as pulses, oilseeds, and maize at 130 grams per minute when adjusted to the finest setting. The millstone is impervious to wear and it can grind grains to any degree of fineness you wish, from coarse grits to the finest flour. All you need to do is rotate the hopper to choose your desired consistency using a printed scale on its bottom for guidance. Stainless steel rollers, on the other hand, flake cereals at 80 grams a minute. The steel rollers are washable and easy to maintain.

The mill is powered by a 360-watt industrial motor which features an overheat protection mechanism. As any other motor, it generates heat but it is insulated from the milling chamber. This keeps the latter cool thus preserving the nutrients in the grains. The chamber is also self-cleaning.

The Waldner Biotech Combi Star Grain Mill has measurements of 13″ x 7″ x 11″.

Constructed from beautifully finished solid beechwood in a unique hexagonal design, the KoMo PK 1 Grain Mill makes a perfect appliance in any kitchen whether traditional or contemporary in decor and motif. Its measurements of 16″ H x 9.7″ D x 9.4″ W do not make it too bulky to leave on your kitchen counter.

The six-sided cabinet houses corundum/ceramic grinding burrs. These are self-sharpening stones that will continue grinding grains even after years of use. Neither corundum nor ceramics generate heat when grinding, thus your grains are not adversely affected.

Also inside the cabinet is a 360-watt, or 0.5 horsepower, electric motor that powers the 3.35-inch grinders. With this power, it is extremely efficient and reliable, yet it remains very quiet with a minimum of vibration. When set at the finest level, the grain mill is capable of producing 3.5 ounces of flour. These fall out of the mill through a tubular spout that extends from the cabinet making it easy to set a bowl to catch them.

The grinders, backed up by the powerful motor, are capable of grinding different types of grains. They can easily process both hard and soft wheat, barley, oat groats, rye, rice, quinoa, and corn among others. They can also handle dry beans such as pinto, kidney, garbanzo, and red beans.

The hopper sits atop the cabinet. It is also hexagonal but it tapers at the bottom to where it is attached to the cabinet body. It has a lid with a spherical handle that is also made of beechwood. It has a capacity of approximately 10 ounces or 2 pounds. Turning the hopper adjusts the fineness of your grounds, ranging from coarse meal or cracked grain to extra fine flour.

If you already own a Bosch Stand Mixer or any other Bosch machine with model numbers beginning with MUM7 or MEK7, and you are planning on adding a grain mill to your kitchen so you can make your own flour from healthy whole grains, you can save a few dollars by buying a Bosch MUZ7 GM1 Grain Mill Attachment.

This attachment is easily attached to the stand mixer or machine. All it takes is a few twists and turns of the knobs in front of the motor. It is made of rugged plastic that is extremely tough, durable, and resistant to impact.

The grinder consists of a steel cone grinder that can grind all dry grains such as wheat, oats, barley, and rice. These grains must be completely dried otherwise you run the risk of clogging the grinder. Corn, however, is too hard for the mill. In addition to the grains, the MUZ7 is also capable of grinding sesame and flax seeds. Medium fineness is recommended for these oily seeds for best results. Dried mushrooms and herbs can also be processed in the mill attachment.

The texture and consistency of the grounds can be adjusted infinitely from fine for your flour to coarse for grits. Unlike other mills, it is possible to make adjustments even while the motor is already running so that if you are not satisfied with the grounds that are pouring out, you can still change the setting.

The Bosch MUZ7 GM1 Grain Mill Attachment has dimensions of 13.1 x 9.2 x 5, all in inches, and weighs approximately 2.2 lbs. It has a hopper capacity of 1.6 lbs of grain.

The beautifully finished stone pine housing of the Waldner Biotech Family Grain Mill gives it a stylish and elegant look that blends well with most kitchens, particularly traditional kinds with wood cupboards and cabinets.

Equipped with a 360-watt industrial motor, the mill is capable of grinding 170 grams of grain with a fine texture for each minute of operation. These fall from a tubular spout attached to the grinding chamber. The motor, however, is isolated from the grinding or milling chamber by an insulation material in order to prevent heat from affecting the grounds and damaging their vital nutrients. It is housed within the base of the mill that is shaped like a pyramid truncated at the top.

A combination of ceramic and corundum grinding stones sized 100 mm in diameter are spun by the powerful but quiet motor to crush the grains. These can process all dry grains, pulses, oilseeds, and maize. An advantage of these stone grinders over the metal kind is that they do not generate heat. Also, the ceramic and corundum do not wear out and are self-sharpening making them low-maintenance millstones. These are enclosed by a circular casing that sits atop the pyramid. This enclosure or milling chamber is self-cleaning.

The bowl-shaped hopper has a capacity of 1.3 kilograms. Apart from holding your grains, it also houses the adjusting mechanism that regulates the consistency of the grounds. By simply turning it, you can set your desired texture from fine to coarse. An easy-to-read scale is on the part where the hopper joins the milling chamber. This guides you in your selection of the texture. A lid is provided to cover your grains.

Manufactured in Germany, the Jupiter Stone Flour Mill boasts of the vaunted excellence of German engineering. The boast is not entirely empty. The mill is indeed durable, efficient, and versatile.

The Jupiter Stone Flour Mill is actually a close sibling of the Jupiter Steel Flour Mill sharing the same base and motor. Indeed, both steel and stone mills can be installed interchangeably with the same base. The only difference they have is their grinders. While the steel mill features hardened surgical stainless steel burr grinders, the stone mill uses carborundum, an extremely hard compound of silicon and carbon.

Both types have their own advantages and disadvantages. For one thing, while stones may last longer than steel (even stainless steel) grinders, they operate more slowly and are not suited for oily seeds as these could clog the stones. Steel burr grinders can handle oily seeds but will not grind as finely as stones.

If, for whatever reason, you prefer stone grinders, the Jupiter Stone Flour Mill is worth a look. With its all-white premium Lexan plastic housing, it makes a graceful and refined addition to your kitchen regardless of its décor and motif.

The caborundum grinders can process up to 15 pounds of flour at the finest setting per hour without generating heat. This preserves your grains’ nutrients. As a bonus, it does all its grinding quietly.

Although the stone grinders cannot handle oily seeds, it can take on most dry grains such as wheat, rice, corn, spelt, and barley. A knob mounted next to the grinding mechanism enables the adjustment of grounds from coarse to fine.

The stone grinders are easily detachable from the base allowing the installation of other Jupiter attachments such as a flaker mill, fruit press, vegetable shredder, and food processor. In case of a power outage, the supplied wooden base with a hand crank mechanism can be used to run the mill.

Encased in a neat tastefully designed shell of solid beech, Waldner Biotech Silence Grain Mill blends seamlessly with kitchens that feature wood cupboards and cabinets, as well as work tables and chairs.

Including the hopper, the mill stands 360 mm with a footprint of 190 x 190 mm. It does not occupy too much space and neither will it reach up to your hanging cupboards. The bowl-shaped wood hopper sits at the top of the mill and is covered with a lid. It has a capacity of 1.2 kg which the mill can grind at a rate of 130 g per minute when adjusted to a fine setting.

When the mill is powered on, grain from the hopper fall into a milling chamber that is fitted with 90 mm-diameter millstones. These are made out of a combination of ceramic and corundum that do not generate heat which could adversely affect the grains. These millstones are self-sharpening and will remain effective even after extended use. The milling chamber itself is self-cleaning requiring little maintenance.

The millstones are activated by a powerful yet quiet 360W motor. It is rated industrial grade which can be expected to last a lifetime. As all motors exude heat, it is isolated from the rest of the mill by insulation materials.

The Austrian-made Waldner Biotech Silence will grind all kinds of dry grain including wheat, oats, rice, rye, or barley. It can also handle oilseeds such as flax, sunflower, or rape seeds. It can even process bigger grains as maize. By rotating the hopper, the texture of the grounds is adjusted from fine to coarse. An easy-to-read scale at the bottom of the hopper serves as a guide.

Fruit juices are touted to have plenty of health benefits which probably contributed to their increased consumption. Since freshly-squeezed juice is preferred to commercially available versions, a lot of homes now have their own juicers. One brand is the Champion Juicer. The makers of this appliance, recognizing that fresh juice is just one of the healthy foods that we need, produced an attachment –the Champion Juicer Grain Mill Attachment. With a single appliance, therefore, you can have freshly-squeezed juice and freshly-ground flour for better health.

Detaching the juicer from the motor and installing the grain mill involves only a few twists and turns. The juicer/grain mill is run by a heavy-duty 1/3 horsepower motor that can run for hours without overheating. In spite of this power, it does not jump around or vibrate when in use.

The grain mill attachment is fabricated from die-cast aluminum. It has a hopper with a capacity of 2½ cups of grains or beans such as wheat, barley, rye, corn, buckwheat, rice, peppercorns, mung beans, black beans, navy beans, cracked soybeans, and even coffee beans. These can be processed in about 12 to 20 minutes depending on the desired texture.

The grains and beans are ground with sharp blades that shears them into microscopic granules. The blades are designed to generate a minimum of heat thus preserving the nutrients from the grains. Adjustment of grounds texture is accomplished with a simple turn of the knob at the front of the mill.

Ground grain or beans are caught in a 2-cup-capacity flour bag supplied with the mill. You can, of course, use a bowl or a bag of your own for this. When through grinding and you wish to clean the grinding chamber, simply unscrew the front plate and use a steel brush for the cutter blades.

As a precautionary measure, a built-in magnet has been installed in the Champion motor that prevents it from running unless either the juicer or grain mill is properly attached.

Schnitzer has a line of grain mills intended for different situations. There are electric as well as hand-cranked mills. Among the electric mills are those intended for small-, medium-, and large-sized families. For small families, the Schnitzer Clou Electric Grain Mill is most suited.

The Clou is not only small in terms of stature. Its output is also small. Because of these, it is often thought of as an entry level grain mill. It is meant for those who are just beginning to appreciate that fresh grounds are healthier than commercial grounds, and are still learning the art of grinding.

The footprint of the Clou is not big, being only 6.3 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep. It is not tall either, at slightly over one foot in height. This means that it is perfectly suited for small kitchens.

Its output ranges from 70 grams per minute of fine flour to 250 grams of coarse grounds for the same period. With a hopper that has a capacity of 600 grams, one loading can process enough flour to feed a small family. The hopper can either be made of stainless steel, or wood matching the mill’s maple wood housing that is coated with linseed oil.

Within the housing is the grinding chamber that is equipped with adjustable mill stones enabling you to choose any grounds texture from fine flour to coarse grits. This is done through a sliding adjustment lever at the front of the case just above the spout.

The grinding stones are made of corundum that is bound in ceramic. Unlike steel blades, the stones do not generate enough heat to destroy the nutrients in the grains. Further, the 250-watt motor turns the stones slowly, avoiding the generation of friction thus protecting the grains from heat.

The Waldner Biotech Lady Grain Mill is an elegant-looking mill made of Swiss pine wood finished in organic varnish. Its appearance suggests that of an urn or a vase. The body, which stands on a pedestal ring, slightly tapers inward at the bottom and them bulges until it reaches its shoulders where it again curves inward to form the neck. Without the hopper resting on the neck and the spout for the grounds, the Lady Grain Mill can easily be mistaken for a decorative urn or vase.

Inside this beautiful mill is a millstone made of ceramic and corundum with a diameter of 90 mm. This durable and self-sharpening stone is suitable for grinding wheat, oats, barley, rice, corn, and virtually all kinds of grains. It can even handle oily seeds such as flax and sesame seeds as long as these are processed in small amounts and the grinder is adjusted to a medium or coarse setting. You will need to clean the millstone afterwards though. A good way to do this is by grinding dry rice.

Adjustment of the consistency of the grounds is accomplished by turning a screw on the neck of the mill and rotating the hopper. You have a choice of extremely fine flour or coarse grit. When set to fine grounds, the mill can process 120 g a minute. This means that if the hopper if filled to its capacity of 1 kg, all these can be processed in less than 10 minutes.

The motor is a solid 360-watt industrial powerhouse that easily spins the millstones. Heat from it is isolated from the milling chamber with a thermal insulation material thus helping preserve the vitamins, minerals and nutrients of the grains.

The good looks and small footprint, only 19 cm in diameter, of the Lady Grain Mill make it a perfect décor for kitchens of any design. It can be set under cupboards or cabinets as its height is only 33 cm.

The Stand Mixer/Kitchen Machines from Bosch are machines that are designed to be attached to a variety of kitchen tools and equipment in order to provide power for them. The tools could be manufactured by Bosch itself or other kitchen tool producers provided they are compatible with the attachment points of the machine. Among such tools is the Bosch MUZ7 GM2 Grain Mill, which is compatible with Stand Mixer/Kitchen Machines with model numbers starting with MUM 7 or MEK 7.

The Bosch MUZ7 GM2 Grain Mill utilizes grinding stones from natural minerals of excellent quality. For this reason, the grinders remain sharp even after prolonged use. The mill can easily and quickly grind wheat, barley, rye, millet, rice, buckwheat, and most other dry grain. It is not, however, suitable for oily seeds as these could clog the stones.

The consistency of the grounds may be adjusted from coarse to fine through a knob protruding from the grinding bowl. This can be done even when the machine is already in operation. And since the intermediate cover ring is transparent, you can inspect the results of your adjustments.

The grain mill has a capacity of almost two kilograms. It stands approximately 23 cm high, with a diameter of 27 cm including the cover ring.