Natural Europe › Grain mills › Choosing a grain mill
Buying guide
How to choose a grain mill
The right mill depends on three things: what you mill, how much you mill, and how much noise and counter space you will put up with. Here is how to decide, without the marketing.
The three kinds of home mill
| Type | How it works | Good at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone mill (corundum-ceramic or natural stone) | Two flat stones, one turning; the gap sets fineness | Fine bread flour to coarse meal; quiet; long-lived | Oily seeds; very wet grain |
| Steel-burr mill | Toothed steel plates or cones | Cracked grain, oily-ish grains, hand mills | The very finest pastry flour |
| Impact mill (micronizer) | Fast-spinning steel fins shatter grain | Very fine flour, fast | No coarse setting; loud |
Almost every European household mill on our comparison is a stone mill. That reflects the German and Austrian whole-food tradition, where one machine has to do bread flour, semolina-style grits and porridge oats.
Hand or electric?
A hand mill is cheap, silent and works off-grid, but milling 500 g of fine flour by hand is a real workout: expect to crank for a long time. Hand mills are great for cracked grain and occasional use. If you will bake every week, buy an electric mill; some makers, KoMo among them, also sell an electric drive for their hand mills.
Match the motor to your baking
Most 250–360 W stone mills produce about 100 g of fine wheat flour a minute, according to their makers. That is five minutes for a 500 g loaf, which suits nearly everyone. A 550–750 W mill roughly halves the time, which matters only if you mill several kilos at once, often grind hard corn, or bake for a big household.
Quick maths: weekly flour in grams ÷ 100 = minutes of milling per week on a typical 360 W mill. Use the flour calculator to get the grain weight for a real recipe.
Hopper, stones and housing
- Hopper: pick one that holds your usual bake (850–1,400 g is typical) so you don't stand by the mill to refill it.
- Stone diameter: larger stones (85–105 mm) have more reserve and run cooler under load than 70–75 mm stones.
- Housing: solid wood looks lovely and lasts; plywood and bio-composites are lighter and cheaper. It doesn't change the flour.
- Spout clearance: check that your bowl fits under the outlet; makers list it as "Unterstellhöhe".
Noise and space
KoMo quotes about 70 dB for its 360 W mills on fine spelt, roughly the level of a vacuum cleaner in the next room. Impact mills are considerably louder. Plan a spot where the mill can stay out; a mill you have to dig out of a cupboard gets used less.
Warranty and parts
Warranties are long in this category: KoMo lists 12 years on many models, hawos 10 years on the Oktini, and Mockmill 6 years for private use (all per the makers, checked November 2026). Just as important is whether stones, hoppers and switches are sold as spare parts, which they are for all the major European makers.
Buying a used mill
- Run a handful of grain: the motor should start smoothly and the flour should come out cool and even.
- Check the adjustment moves freely across the full range.
- Look for cracks in the hopper and chips in the stones. Glazing can be cleaned; chips cannot.
- Ask whether it was ever used for oily seeds or wet grain.
Once you know you want an electric mill, the electric grain mill guide covers stone-burr versus impact, motor watts and output. If you are choosing among Wolfgang Mock’s designs, compare a KoMo household mill with a Mockmill 100 or 200, then use the comparison table for hoppers, stones and warranties.
Frequently asked questions
Is a stone mill better than an impact mill?
Neither is better for everything. Stone and burr mills give adjustable texture from cracked grain to fine flour and run quieter. Impact (micronizer) mills are fast and make very fine flour but cannot do coarse meal and are loud. For bread and porridge most home bakers prefer a stone mill.
How much should a good electric grain mill cost?
We do not track prices, because they vary by country and retailer. Check the maker's own shop for the reference price and compare like-for-like models (motor, stone size, hopper and warranty).
Does milling heat the flour and destroy nutrients?
Any mill warms flour a little. Household stone mills running on a fine setting produce flour that feels warm but not hot. If flour comes out hot, the stones are set too tight or glazed. Open the setting slightly or clean the stones.
Can I mill gluten-free grains in the same mill?
Yes, but cross-contact is unavoidable in a shared mill. Bakers with coeliac disease generally keep a dedicated mill or a separate millstone set for gluten-free grains. Some makers sell exchangeable milling units for this.