Is it cheaper to mill your own wheat?

Xingfeng contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

Spring of 2020 was a chaotic time. Well, actually, the entire year was quite a mess. But spring, in particular, had me feeling uneasy.

Utah experienced several minor earthquakes. The Covid pandemic led to panic buying, causing many basic items to vanish from store shelves. The stock market also took a hit, contributing to the overall sense of anxiety. It made me concerned about the economy and my family’s financial stability.

Then the stimulus checks arrived.

Like many families, my husband and I utilized the funds to manage our expenses. We paid down some credit card debt, stocked up on essentials, and set aside some money in savings in case my husband lost his job.

Additionally, I used part of this extra cash to purchase a home mill, specifically a Wondermill Grain Grinder, believing it would be a valuable tool for various reasons.

3 Compelling Reasons to Grind Your Own Flour

Before diving deep into the intricacies of grinding wheat, I should clarify that a grain mill isn't suitable for everyone. Mills can be costly, noisy, and may create a mess. Some have a learning curve. Moreover, homemade flours might not achieve the same consistency as store-bought flours. Depending on where you reside, sourcing wheat berries and other grains might prove challenging, potentially leading to higher prices.

Nonetheless, if you're still pondering whether to mill your own flour, here are some benefits to consider.

1. Bulk Grain Storage for Emergencies

During the pandemic's early weeks, flour disappeared from store shelves. Walmart and Smith's worked hard to restock, but panic buyers kept depleting supplies.

Luckily, my local Costco had a few buckets of wheat available. I purchased a 45 lb. bucket of hard white wheat for around $15. With my new mill, I could produce my flour even if stores ran out.

I wasn't obligated to mill all my wheat immediately. I could grind only what I needed for the coming weeks, storing the rest. According to the container's instructions, wheat berries could remain viable for 30 years when stored properly.

This way, I can prepare flour at my convenience and avoid grocery trips during urgent situations. If you prefer being prepared, milling your own flour is a smart choice.

2. Eliminate Preservatives and Additives

Honestly, I'm frugal.

For my everyday baking needs, I generally rely on Great Value's All-Purpose Flour, which is accessible in bulk and often costs around $0.22 per pound. It’s basic, but it does the job and feeds my family.

However, like many store-brand flours, Great Value's offering is both 'enriched' and 'bleached'.

• Enriched - During processing, essential nutrients are lost. Enriched flour means these nutrients are added back in.
• Bleached - Bleached flour may include agents to whiten it, which, although harmless, can alter its flavor and aroma.

While these additives don’t pose significant threats, they can impact taste and aroma. Baking them can improve the smell, but for a superior flavor experience, quality flour is necessary—often at a higher price. Fortunately, by milling your own flour, you can avoid these additives.

Home milling utilizes the entire grain, preserving all nutrients and eliminating bleaching processes, resulting in flavorful flour without the concern of what manufacturers may do to prolong shelf life.

3. Experiment with Diverse Grains

My local Walmart offers a limited selection of flour—primarily all-purpose or whole wheat. Occasionally, bread flour or cake flour appears, but they often come at prices I’m unwilling to pay.

If I want to try my hand at rye bread, I’d need to visit specialty stores. Gluten-free flour, such as rice flour, would be completely unavailable. I could order barley or spelt flour from Amazon, but as I've mentioned, I’m budget-conscious. Specialty flours can be two to three times pricier than basic flours, plus shipping costs further inflate expenses.

In contrast, having a mill allows me to access a broader variety of flours and flavors for baking.

Purchasing rye flour from Amazon might cost $0.37 an ounce, but rye berries only cost $0.14 an ounce, meaning milling my own flour offers significant savings. Similarly, a bag of barley flour may cost about $0.54 per ounce while pearl barley runs about $0.23 per ounce.

With grains priced at about half of their powdered counterparts, I’m free to blend, experiment, and try new bread recipes without exceeding my budget. For flavor enthusiasts, milling your own flour is a fantastic option.

Is it Economical?

I strive to save money in every possible way, and I aim to answer this query thoroughly and honestly.

In short: yes, you can save money.

For a more comprehensive answer, while savings are possible, it might take time to break even, and thoughtful purchasing is crucial.

Consider the following when milling your own flour:

• Mill cost
• Grain cost
• Electrical expenses
• Shipping fees

Don't forget to assess your storage space, baking frequency, and how much time you wish to spend milling flour.

Exploring Mill Options

Let’s examine a few popular mill options available today.

With many mills on the market, explore the choices to find one that fits your needs.

I am an Amazon associate, which means I earn from qualifying purchases through affiliate links. However, my opinions are based solely on personal experience and I provide these recommendations as examples of noteworthy mills.

Manual Grain Grinder

If you seek the most affordable option, generic brand manual grinders are available at Walmart or Amazon. A manual grinder is an effective choice for emergency grinding without electricity. It is compact and can be clamped to a table for easy use.

However, manual grinders typically do not produce fine flour. You may need to grind the wheat several times, leading to a gritty texture in your baked goods. Additionally, utilizing a manual grinder requires significant physical effort; you’ll tire out quickly for just a few cups of flour.

Wheat Grinder Attachment

The next budget-friendly option is a wheat grinder attachment for around $150. Widely available, these attachments attach to KitchenAid mixers, allowing grinding at various fineness settings.

However, this attachment is only usable with a KitchenAid mixer, typically starting at $250 or more. Therefore, if you don't own a KitchenAid, your total purchase could exceed $400, making this the most expensive option overall. Many users advise against attaching it to smaller mixers due to potential motor issues, and it can overheat if making large batches.

Electric Flour Mill

Next is the Wondermill, which I opted for as a beginner baker. Initially, it was available from various retailers, running out of stock when flour shortages arose, but it has since been restocked. It efficiently grinds 12 cups of flour in minutes, with the flour collected in a covered bowl for minimal mess.

Nonetheless, note that this mill provides three flour settings: coarse, bread, and pastry. Also, if the bowl lid isn't securely locked, flour may spill during milling. It handles various grains like rice, wheat, and rye well, but avoid attempting almond flour as oils can clog the system.

Advertisers claim you can store your freshly milled flour in the provided container, but there’s an opening where it connects to the mill. Anyone dealing with household pests will need an alternative storage solution for milled flour.

These are merely a few notable milling options available. Be sure to read reviews beforehand and thoroughly understand each product’s benefits and downsides before making an investment.

Breaking Down the Costs

Now comes the mathematical aspect. I’m not particularly confident with numbers, so correct me if I'm mistaken. However, understanding the financial aspect is crucial before decisively answering whether to mill your own flour.

From the earlier discussion on grains, it appears you can save approximately $0.23 per ounce purchasing rye berries versus rye flour. Buying pearl barley can save you about $0.31 an ounce in a similar fashion.

Let’s convert our focus to wheat flour—the most prevalent and cost-effective flour to mill.

Identifying Wheat Costs

I acquired a 45 lb. bucket of hard white wheat for $15 from Costco. This price translates to around $0.33 per pound or $0.02 per ounce. I recognize prices may vary regionally, but this example serves as a baseline.

Additionally, a cup of wheat berries yields more than just a cup of flour—generally, 1 cup of wheat berries produces about 1.5 cups of flour, which decreases the cost further.

Specifically, a 45 lb. bucket equals roughly 720 ounces. A cup of wheat berries weighs 6.3 ounces, meaning a Costco bucket holds around 114 cups of wheat berries. Since a cup of wheat berries makes approximately a cup and a half of flour, it results in about 171 cups of flour (allowing for a little extra).

Are you interested in learning more about Wheat Flour Machine Price? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

A cup of flour weighs approximately 4.5 ounces, so the bucket would yield around 771 ounces of flour at a total cost of about $15, leading to a price of approximately $0.31 per pound or $0.019 per ounce.

Note that this calculation reflects pure whole wheat flour, not all-purpose flour, which requires sifting to achieve a comparable result. Great Value brand whole wheat flour currently appears elusive, so let’s use the Wheat Montana Bronze Chief Whole Wheat flour as a budget-friendly comparison at $0.05 per ounce.

By milling your own whole wheat flour, you'd save an estimated $0.03 per ounce or $0.49 per pound. Remember that this calculation excludes shipping costs, taxes, or electricity expenses, which are difficult to stipulate accurately at this point.

How Long Until You See Savings?

To illustrate, you have to mill 530 pounds of flour to earn back your investment (assuming the Wondermill cost $260). Using my rough calculations, that means milling around 1,886 cups of flour.

Though bread amounts can differ widely, let’s assume each whole wheat loaf uses about 3.5 cups of flour. You would need to prepare approximately 539 loaves before recouping the cost of the mill.

If you bake just one loaf of whole wheat bread weekly, it would take a decade to break even. Not very encouraging if you’re an occasional baker.

However, I typically bake at least two loaves a week (or more while refining recipes or gifting to friends). Still, I’d have to wait five years before realizing savings on flour, excluding shipping, taxes, and electricity. According to manufacturers, the Wondermill offers a lifetime warranty on the milling heads and a six-year warranty on all other components.

Is Investing in a Mill Worth It?

I realize this post is lengthy, and I completely understand if you don’t wish to read every detail. Here’s a quick overview.

If you mill your own flour, there are numerous pros and cons to consider. The advantages of milling include making flour at your own pace, enjoying superior flavor and nutrition, and experimenting with various grain types. Per ounce, home-milled flour typically outperforms store-bought flour in affordability.

However, it’s crucial to remember that mills can be expensive. Casual bakers on a tight budget should weigh the immediate costs against the time it may take to see tangible savings. In some regions, pricing for pre-milled flour may be lower than purchasing grains online or from specialty shops.

Despite the downsides, I enjoy milling my own flour and believe the investment was worthwhile for me. But please evaluate the pros and cons carefully before making a purchase.

Fresh Ground Flour Frenzy: Big Savings or Budget Buster?