Why Whole Wheat is Way Better

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I refer to it as a memory now … because it only lasted about three weeks. Yes, we soon realized this hand-grinding plan was too time consuming. We exchanged the first mill for an electric model, The Grain Master Whisper Mill, with which we’ve been quite happy. It is fairly quiet (like a modest vacuum noise) and clean, but most importantly — it’s fast! It grinds in a few minutes what took 30 by hand.

Somewhere after the Grain Master purchase, our bread machine, which had become stationary on the kitchen countertop, broke down. Kneading the dough by hand was not an option due to the time and mess; after some research we bought a KitchenAid mixer. This machine saved even more time by cutting our kneading time down from 27 minutes in the bread machine to five.

So after quite a journey, we have our tools of choice: KitchenAid mixer and Grain Master Whisper Mill. These work well for our two-loaf-per-week Desem operation. We have not tired of this excellent loaf. Our process continues to evolve as does the quality of the bread, and our health with each week’s baking.

I urge you to reference these books in any article about whole-wheat bread, they have been incredibly helpful: The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Bronwen Godfrey. Also The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves & Masonry Ovens by Daniel Wing and Alan Scott, 1999.

Jodi Robison
Wooster, Ohio

Mill That Does Everything

We have the most basic hand Corona mill. It’s a great little mill that grinds anything — corn, oats, acorns, sunflower seeds, flax. We have used some of the higher-quality, more pricey mills, and they do a better job creating fine flour, but they also plug when grinding oily seeds or soft grains like oats. For a first mill that does everything, we would recommend the Corona. Ours was about $50, it’s five years old, and we have never had a problem.

Chris Knapp
Canaan, Maine

A Worthy Investment

I consider myself a junk food junkie and a health food nut all in one package. With such tendencies for food in these categories, I’m always looking for ways to balance my evil habits with providing healthy food for my family. A couple of years ago, we borrowed a small Corona mill. It ground nicely enough, but we had to pour the berries in at a snail’s pace — not practical for everyday use. We have been using a Diamant grain mill for a year and a half, and I am extremely pleased with it. True, it was a major financial investment — a basic model with all-purpose burrs costs $600. When we first got the mill, I had aspirations of “renting it out” to others to grind their own grain, but our lives have been busy so this never happened. It would be a great idea to own a mill in conjunction with others to offset the cost.

The Diamant is designed to be mounted to a table with four bolts, so it stays out all the time. If you don’t mind a 14-inch-high mill in the kitchen, this is a great model. I love looking at the mill on the counter. Its design is kind of old-fashioned with beautiful lines. I appreciate the fact that something designed for practical everyday use is lovely to look at. It is made of cast iron, so it should still be around for my great-grandchildren.

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