Coffee grinder for grains? Wheat from ebay OK?

[3inclothdiapers]

I have a couple of questions- I'm doing LOTS of reading up on grinding my own grains, but at this point cannot afford a mill. I know my parents grind up flaxseed with a coffee grinder. Would this work for wheat too? I guess the main problem would be the tiny quantities involved; it would take forever to get enough flour, right?

Also, while I haven't finished researching this thoroughly, I did happen to notice that grains are available on ebay. My nearest health food store is around an hour away and with the price of gas and 3 preschoolers to take with me, I just can't justify that trip too often! Has anyone had any luck with grain sellers on ebay? What's a good price? I saw that someone had wheat for $1/lb plus shipping. Is that okay? It was that Montana wheat. I think they even said they would mill it for you. Would buying premilled wheat like that be a good option? How much better is it health-wise than just buying the whole wheat flour you can get at the regular grocery store?

Sorry for all the questions, just wondering this stuff. Dh thinks I'm a little crazy; better get more info before I talk his ear off about this again...

TIA

[lactationlady]

I have ordered grains from networkguyinphx on eBay. The grains were good quality and he shipped quickly.

I have a friend who tried to use a coffee grinder to grind her grains and she never could get her bread to turn out. You can probably get a hand-crank mill on eBay for $15-20.

[3inclothdiapers]

Thanks. I think that's the ebay seller I remember seeing.

[xenabyte]

I'd invest in a 15-20 hand crank grinder, before burning out a coffee mill.

I have a 'Whisper Mill' that is electric, that I love, and is worth the investment, if you are going to be doing lots of grinding of wheat....They have amazing customer service too, and will fix or replace it, if it ever breaks...

Wheat has amazing keeping properties, when it's in the whole kernal (berry) form. Kept in a airtight pail, you could probably still sprout that grain after 10 to 50 years. It's amazing stuff...

However, once you grind any grain, but especially the 'wheat' type grains, the oils are exposed to air and start to oxidize and will eventually turn rancid (very very bad for you). If it is refrigerated or frozen, in an airtight package, after grinding, this will help preserve it.

Ground wheat or seeds should always be used in cooking, baking or eaten quite soon after grinding, if kept at room temperature, until used.

Most of the whole wheat flours in the stores, are already turning rancid, and the flavor will not be ANYTHING like using fresh ground wheat flour in a baked good...it's totally different! Some of the flours have been treated to help preserve the flavors, but then you have that to deal with...

Montana Wheat sells excellent grain products and that is where I buy my grains in bulk. So if you can find a reputable dealer willing to ship at a decent price, it's worth it. The 'prarie gold' wheat is excellent for baking breads, as it has a high protein content. The wheat is delicate in flavor and I've not had any problems.

I have a 'Good Eats with Wheat' thread you might want to look up, as there are a few recipes, like blender pancakes, where you can grind your wheat in a blender (with liquid) and that is another way to have fast, cheap access to cooking with wheat. There is even a recipe where you can blend up small amounts of grains in the blender with liquids and then adding 'bench flour' to make a baked product.

Good Luck,

Heather (Xenabyte)

[kathirynne]

Originally Posted by 3inclothdiapers

My parents grind up flaxseed with a coffee grinder. Would this work for wheat too?

Coffee is roasted (ie dried out) before it is ground in a coffee grinder. There is too much moisture in the wheat for it to grind properly in a coffee grinder. (It would just sort of "squish".) You could try it, though. Ma Ingalls made bread out of "coffee grinder ground" wheat in The Long Winter.

BTW, the Montana wheat is really, really good. (And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Montanan. )

[aranya]

My dh broke our coffee grinder (MR Coffee) while trying to grind kamut (a kind of wheat) in it. We then ordered a cast iron grain mill from ebay for $30.
After using it a few times one of the burrs crumbled.
We have used really good grain mills, both stone and cast iron, belonging to friends but they are more expensive.
I've done a lot of research on grain mills and have come to the conclusion that its is worth ones while to invest in a good mill that will keep for a lifetime or at least several years. You may be able to find one in an antique store or yard sale esp if you live in the midwest or new england.
Lehmans has a good selection of grain mills, with a questionnaire to help you decide which one to get.

http://www.lehmans.com/

We're saving up for a really good mill but will have to wait at least 2-3 years.

[xenabyte]

Originally Posted by kathirynne

Ma Ingalls made bread out of "coffee grinder ground" wheat in The Long Winter.

Ma Ingalls rocks hehe...

I imagine her 'old fashioned' coffee mill was a hand crank version. You can occasionally find one of these old things at flea markets or antiques auctions.

They are basically a large wooden box with a funnel looking top part that you fill with your beans (or wheat) and it feeds it into a set of metal 'burrs' that ground the beans and fed them into a lower wooden compartment (box) that you could open drawer style and scoop out what you needed. They are very cool and I'd LOVE to find one, for historical reasons, if nothing else. They are highly sought after collectors items.

Heather

[Gale Force]

We've got an antique grain mill on our back porch. It's a bit rusty but I think all of its parts are there. I was just looking at it this morning and cleaning it up in my mind. But I've still planning on getting an attachment for my Kitchenaid.