>Can you recommend a wheat grinder? I have a houseful of 11 people and would
>like to start making our own bread. Also, what are best sources of wheat
>berries? (quality and price) Thanks. Mrs. Beisner
I assume you want an electric grinder, since it would take a lot of time
(and effort) to grind wheat by hand for 11 people. I ordered my electric
mill the day my son was born. He's 28 now, and they're both still going
strong. Unfortunately, the manufacturer (Lee Engineering) went out of
business a while ago. I've sort of been keeping track of what's on the
market, just in case mine goes kaput. One source I found is:
http://www.living-foods.com/marketplace/mills.html
The King Arthur catalog and Walnut Acres catalog also usually have mills
for sale, too. It seems that many people who recommend the Whisper Mill
are, it just so happens, distributors of that mill. I personally prefer a
grinding stone to metal burrs or plates. It's also important that the
flour doesn't heat too much during grinding.
I've tried many kinds of wheat over the years, but my all-time favorite is
Arrowhead Mills hard, red winter wheat berries. It has a sweet smell and
flavor that I haven't found in any other brand, and it's organic. I order
50-lb bags through a health-food store. The wheat isn't very expensive,
but the postage can double the price if you have it shipped a long distance.
Another nice wheat is from Wheat Montana:
http://www.wheatmontana.com/index.asp
I bought it once from Whole Foods Market when I ran out of Arrowhead. It
was very tasty, and made the tallest loaves of bread I've ever made.
As an aside -- although I use hard wheat which is supposed to be for bread,
I find the flour also makes wonderful pancakes if care is taken not to stir
too much and activate the gluten. I make all kinds of muffins and
coffeecakes with half whole-wheat and half white all-purpose flour.
All in all, I just have to say: DO get a mill. You'll be so glad that you
did. You'll probably save money, and the flour will be so good, and so
fresh, you won't believe it. Everyone you bake for will be happy!
-Mary B.