Experienced housewives know how useful a flour grinder can be at home. Household grain mill allows you to quickly replenish food stocks, ideal for crushing all kinds of cereals, dried food ingredients, grinding spices.
Manual grain mill
Today, the consumer has a choice of manual and electrical appliances. The first are extremely convenient in transportation. For example, a manual grain mill can become indispensable in a country house, during a vacation, anywhere where access to the power grid is limited.
If the owners need regular replenishment of flour supplies, it is worth considering such an option as an overall, stationary household mill. The operation of such devices is extremely simple. The only thing to keep in mind is the size of the millstones. The larger the latter, the easier it is to turn the handle of the device during the grinding process.
Electric mill
If there is a need to grind impressive volumes of grain, it is more convenient to use an electrical device at home. Most of the devices in this category have systems for adjusting the speed of rotation of the millstones and make it possible to determine the coarseness of the grind.
In general, electric grain mills have one obvious advantage over manual type devices - no need to expend their own strength. In addition, the operation of such devices provides significant time savings.
Millstone material
A home grain mill may have millstones made of granite, corundum ceramic or bas alt rock. Devices with granite rotating elements are in particular demand among housewives. The presence of the latter makes the units environmentally friendly. At the same time, natural granite is the strongest, extremely hard rock, which ensures a long service life of the millstones.
Case
Budget grade grain mills are made from plastic and metal. Plastic models, due to the low resistance of the material to mechanical stress, are not very reliable. Although resistant to damage, metal is not an environmentally friendly solution.
The ideal option is a home grain mill with a wooden case. The wood that is used in the manufacture of devices in this category is treated with natural oils and wax. Applicationsuch impregnation provides the material with protection from external influences. At the same time, the wooden grain mill requires absolutely no maintenance.
Performance
Individual household grain mills have different performance, which is expressed in the ability to process a certain amount of cereals within a minute. The indicator directly depends on the power of the installed motor (electrical devices). In the case of hand mills, productivity is affected by the nature of the grain that can be ground, as well as the material used to make the burrs.
To meet the needs of a small family for fresh flour, mills capable of processing about 125 g of cereal per minute are suitable. If the device is planned to be used in a small bakery, then devices with a capacity of 220 g / min or more deserve attention.
Grind size
The fineness of grinding cereals for making flour is determined by the generally accepted industrial standard DIN 10 765, according to which about 80% of the grinding must be sifted through a sieve. Some household mills exceed this requirement by grinding the grain much finer.
Issue price
How much can a household grain mill cost? The cheapest are devices whose body is made of veneer or plastic. Devices made from environmentally friendly,a solid array of linden, beech or pine cost about 200 USD. e.
Today, there are also combined mills for grinding grain on the market with integrated grain conditioners, which become indispensable if you need to make muesli yourself. The price of such models starts from 500 USD. e.
The most valued home mills for grinding grain with stone millstones. The latter have a low abrasion capacity, do not require careful care and maintenance and are therefore considered to be practically eternal.
Do-it-yourself grain mill
A great idea for making a homemade cereal processor is to use an old washing machine as the basis. Such a unit is able to function on the principle of a coffee grinder, grinding cereals in significant volumes.
What does it take to make a do-it-yourself grain mill? This does not require special knowledge in the field of turning or skills related to welding. In addition to the old top-loading washing machine, you will have to find the following:
- optional electric motor;
- a few thin steel plates (required for making knives);
- fasteners in the form of bolts and nuts;
- tin cans;
- hammer, drill with a set of drills, chisel, locksmith keys.
Each washing machine has a separate trigger mechanism, differs in different dimensions of the drum. Therefore, for the manufacture of grain crushers, it is importantunderstand the basic principle of operation of such a homemade device.
Progress of work
The degree of grinding of cereals will depend on the size of the sieve meshes, and the performance will depend on the power of the motor and the sharpness of the rotating knives.
The cutting elements in the form of steel plates are firmly screwed to the central sleeve of the washing machine, which is connected to the shaft of the electric motor. To protect the engine from debris, small seeds and dirt, a tin can is placed on top of the cutting knives.
The shafts of the base and additional motors mounted on the top of the housing must rotate in opposite directions. It is recommended to place them at an angle of approximately 25o in relation to each other. Only in this case, you can count on the maximum yield of crushed cereals.
To be able to adjust the supply of raw materials, it is enough to make a hole in the body of the washing machine, equipping it with a damper, which will be pushed back manually. To prevent scattering of the finished product at the outlet, a special sleeve must be provided in the design. It can be made in the form of a plastic, metal or rubber gutter.
In addition to saving money on the purchase, a homemade grinder will provide other benefits. Since the main functional elements of the device are electric motors, the maintenance of the unit only needs to periodically check their performance.
Homemade grain mills are easy to redesign to meet changing needs. For example, such devices can be adapted for crushing vegetables and fruits, grinding potatoes.
