[Part 4 of 4]

There are over a dozen hand mills on the market, ranging from around $40 to almost $600. They vary in speed, durability, versatility, ease of use, and fineness of grind. With so many options, choosing a mill can feel like a daunting task. Each mill has its strengths and weaknesses; the key to selecting one is choosing the one that best meets your individual needs. Here are some guidelines to help you determine this:

Grind one or two pounds at a time-Choose #16-395 for low cost, #27-BBGG or #35-710 for turning ease and fine-grind or Our Best Mill (#C17A/B) for fine grind, long-term durability, quality workmanship, and versatility.
Note: Our lower cost mills are well suited for periodically grinding flour for several loaves of bread. If you have a family and/or plan to grind more than a few pounds at a time, you may be happier with the Country Living (#23CM), the Diamant (#525), the Quaker City (#85-404), or an electric mill (#71-550).

High volume mills-#85-404, #232, #2360, #23CM and #525 are our largest, most durable and fastest hand mills. #85-404 produces a medium-fine flour for home making and is extremely fast. #232 produces a medium flour, but #2360 can only grind coarse, making it best suited for cracking grain (animal feed, cereal, etc.). #525 and #23CM can also make extremely fine flour, and they turn much easier and more smoothly.

Electric-Electric mills are fast, convenient, easy to clean, and produce the finest flour. Best of all, they work effortlessly.

Commercial Mill-The Meadow Mills mill is big and fast enough for commercial applications or community settings.

Specialty Mills-Our Roller Mills make cracked grain for cereal, granola or oat flakes. Our Poppy Seed mill is designed to crush poppy seeds for specialty breads and muffins.

When trying to choose a grain mill, it's helpful if you spend some time thinking about the following questions:

• What materials would you like to grind (dry grains, seeds, nuts, beans, etc.)?
  
• How many people will be eating the foods that you grind?
  
• When grinding dry grains, is it important that the mill produces flour that is as fine store-bought (best for many kinds of baking)?