After I wrote the article about my Zojirushi Bread Machine, I got an email from a reader sharing her inexpensive tip to grind grain. Many of the grain mills cost around $200 and that is simply not in the budget for some families.
Bonnie shared:
I put my grains in my coffee grinder
and then sift them…
and then sift them…Using a coffee grinder to grind wheat is a great and inexpensive way to make delicious homemade bread for cheap! The thing to remember is that you need to sift your flour after you grind the grain in the coffee grinder. Only grind grain in small quantities so you don’t jam your grinder. Usually 3/4 to 1 cup of grain is all a small coffee grinder can handle. Coffee grinders cost under $20 so this is a great way to try out fresh ground wheat before you make a big investment in a grain mill.
tuxgirl says
I’ve heard rumors that coffee grinders can handle some of the oily grains like flax that you can’t grind in the true mills. Does anyone know for sure if that’s true? I have some flax seed, but from what I’ve read, if you don’t grind it, your body won’t get any of the benefits, but I also understand that it’s not something that the wondermill can handle…
TheHappyHousewife says
I use my vita mix for flax seed, so I’m not sure about the coffee grinder. I would not put flax in a grain mill, but it wouldn’t hurt to try it in a coffee mill.
Toni
Kimarie says
I use my coffee grinder for flax seed all the time. It works great!
Amber @ Classic Housewife says
What a great tip! Thanks. =)
dgsandbjsmom says
Oily grains are only to be used in mills that say specifically it can tolerate oily grains.
Lisa says
I don’t drink coffee, but I bought a used coffee grinder for $8 at the goodwill and it works very well for grinding small batches of grains. I usually use it to make cream of _____ cereal formy son (blank being all gluten-free grains except buckwheat & quinoa). Today I wanted to put kamut flour in my cornbread (I just figured out that I’m allergic to wheat and wanted to test kamut), so I ground some in the grinder. It worked great. I didn’t bother to sift it.
I grind flax seeds in the blender. Actually, since I have a oster blender, I put the blade assembly on a pint jar then store the ground flax seed in the jar. I have used a coffee grinder for flax in the past, however, with good results. But when I tried grinding sesame seeds in my blender the oil got inside somehow and it quit working. So I went to the Goodwill and bought another (happily bigger) one.
That’s my experience. I did a video on YouTube a while back of making cream of _____ cereal once. I’m pretty sure it’s on my blog somewhere….
Lisa says
Oh, I forgot to mention, once you tast whole wheat made from freshly ground flour, you won’t want to eat anything else!
Rebecca says
Grinding flax seed in a coffee grinder works great! That’s what I use whenever I need ground flaxseed. A nice addition to whole wheat bread.
Kimarie says
If you don’t have a coffee grinder, you can also use a blender – the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron taught me that 12 years ago. I used to grind brown rice to make my own baby cereal. Then for years, before I got a grain mill, I used my parent’s Vita-Mix to grind all my grains – 2 cups at a time.
5KMom says
Reminds me of when the Ingalls family from the Little House books ground their wheat in their coffee grinder. 🙂
Linda says
What a fabulous idea! I’ve been eyeing the grain mills for a while, but can not afford one. I think I’ll have to try this.
Amanda says
I think I will do this!! Can you tell me why it will be necessary to sift?
TheHappyHousewife says
Because it is a little too grainy. The coffee grinder doesn’t grind as well as a the mill. That being said, you an always try not sifting and see if you like the taste/ consistency.
jennifer says
I have used my coffee mill to grind flax seeds and i do not reccomend it. I now buy the finely milled flax instead of grinding it myself, because the high levels of oils in teh seeds leave a lot of residue on the grinder, which is difficult to wash since it cannot be submerged. I was scrapping it off with a knive and making a mess of it and eventually just decided to live with it and hope that it at least made my coffee a bit healthier
Jessica says
@Jennifer:
I have a coffee grinder that I bought specifically for seeds/grains and only use it for that. That way you don’t have to worry about residue getting in your coffee!
Sabine says
Does anyone have experience with a manual coffee grinder?
I’m trying to get away from electrical appliances and go back to manual.
I’d be interested to read your input. Thank you.
jessica says
i use my coffee grinder to grind flax–just grind up some white rice before and after and it is a great way to clean out the oils and residue from both coffee and flax. i grind a 1/4 up at a time and it works great.
Denice says
An easy way to clean the coffee grinder: half a paper napkin, torn up and a little baking soda. Whirl away any oils, dust and residue then dump out. UNPLUG the grinder and wipe out with the other half of the napkin. : )
Rhonda Mattern says
We used hand grinders when I was growing up. They work great for large quantities. You can adjust the degree of coarseness and fineness on most of them and they only cost about $30.
Briana says
I use my electric coffee grinder for flax seed all the time. Works perfectly. So I decided to try grinding some Kamut with it since I don’t have a grain mill. It burned out my motor 🙁 I transferred the grainy floury mess to my small food processor, which whirle things around but didn’t chop them up much finer. Has anyone found a way to successfully grind whole Kamut grain into flour without a grain mill? Maybe the grain is just too big and hard for the coffee grinder?