I received this KoMo grain mill for review. Ā As always, all opinions are entirely my own.
The KoMo Classic Grain Mill has changed my life.
Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but in some aspects it really has.
When I first saw the KoMo Classic Grain Mill, admired its aesthetic beauty and saw that it’s made in Germany, I knew I had to investigate. Ā I popped over to Pleasant Hill Grain, KoMo’s exclusive U.S. importer, to check it out and chat with their staff about its features, and then spent some more time reading reviews online. Ā I made the decision to get one.
When I first got it nearly two months ago I thought I’d probably use it once, maybe twice a week. Ā Without exaggerating, I use it at least 4 daysĀ a week, and sometimes that’s more than once per day.
Whether it’s to make some fresh flour for cookies, muffins or bread, to grind some yellow dent corn into polenta or fine cornmeal for dinner that evening, or crack some oat groats to soak overnight for the next morning’s breakfast, I’m continuing to discover more and more ways to put it to work as a daily part of our healthy eating routine.
Using my KoMo grain mill has bumped up my love of baking several more notches and has made experimenting with a wide variety of grains so easy – grains that you simply cannot find in ground or cracked forms in the grocery store. Ā When you have your own grain mill, the sky’s the limit!
My grain mill hasĀ become kind of like a cell phone – once you have one and start using it you can’t imagine life without it.
I don’t even buy flour anymore. Ā I grind everything fresh as I need it. Ā The KoMo produces a half pound of flour in 2 minutes. Ā No set up, no clean up, it’s a cinch. Ā I get my whole grains in bulk from Pleasant Hill GrainĀ (all natural, organic & non-GMO) and just take out however much I need for a couple of weeksĀ at a time and store the rest in the heavy airtight, mylar-lined bucketsĀ they come in.
My pantry wall is lined with food storage containers filled with dozens of different grains, beans and other dried ingredients. Ā This is just a portion of it.
The KoMo Grain Mill is the result of a German-Austrian collaboration by Wolfgang Mock and Peter Koidl. Ā Their aim was to produce top performing grains mills, both commercial and for the home kitchen, that are built to last a lifetime while also making them aesthetically beautiful enough to become a focal point of any kitchen.
Pleasant Hill Grain is KoMo’s exclusive U.S. importer. Ā Purchasing from them means you can be assured that you’re getting a genuine productĀ withĀ KoMo’s warranty while also receiving the excellent customer service that Pleasant Hill Grain is famous for.
Features of the KoMo Classic Grain Mill:
- German-made and top quality craftsmanship
- beautiful in appearance (worthy of leaving out on your counter as a showpiece)
- made from durable beech wood or American walnut
- relatively quietĀ compared to other grain mills
- ultra hard, long-lastingĀ millstone. Ā Stones vs. metal burrs produce a finer grind and heat up less quickly than metal, thus preserving the nutrients
- it’s heavy, 16 pounds, and doesn’t slip or slide while in use
- 360 watt industrial strength motor
- it’s fast: Ā It produces 8-9 ounces of fine flour per minute
- its solid wood hopper holds 2 pounds of grains at a time andĀ can run continuously so you can refill and keep grinding for whatever quantity of flour you need
- easy to use, Ā just plug it in and flipĀ the switch
- it can grind all dry grains, including soft or hard wheat, oat groats (dehulled oats), rice, triticale, kamut, spelt, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, teff, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum and dent (field) corn. Ā It will also grind lentils, dry beans (pinto, red, garbanzo, kidney & more), and dried, non-oily spices. Ā Most grain mills can’t handle garbanzo beans but the KoMo Classic can. Ā *Check out my video below where I demo the KoMo grinding 13 different ingredients.
- easy to adjustĀ the fineness of theĀ grind, everything from cracked grains to the finest flour of any other electric grain mills
- cleanup is minimal (it’s self-cleaning) and full access to the milling stones takes just ten seconds, without tools.
- comes with a 12 year warranty
Really my only disappointment is one that applies to all electric grain mills and that’s that you can’t grind nuts or oily seeds. Ā But again, that’s not unique to the KoMo, that’s true for any electric grain mill. Ā But with the KoMo if you do grind something that has a little moisture or oil in it there’s an easy remedy: Ā Simply run some rice through the mill and it cleans out the millstone.
One other thing that I would mention: Ā You technically shouldn’t grind dried sprouted grains in the KoMo because of the possibility of some moisture left in the grains. Ā But I’ve done it a couple of times so far anyway with success and here’s how: Ā I didn’t let the sprouts grow very long and made sure to completely and thoroughly dry them out in the food dehydrator. Ā Because of the little dried sprout tails it took a little longer to grind the flour and to coax the grains down the hopper, but it worked. Ā And I had two gorgeous batches of organic sprouted whole wheat flour.
Check out this gorgeous line of KoMo grain mills (and there are even more of them than pictured here). Ā I should start collecting each model. Ā (Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Ā But it never hurts to dream.)
If you’re gluten-free you’ll especially appreciate the long-term savings you’ll reap by having your own mill. Ā GF flours are expensive! Ā But with a grain mill you can whip up a pound of brown rice, amaranth, chickpea, oat, millet or buckwheat flour (and many more) for just the price you paid for the bulk grains. Ā In many instances you save 50% of the cost by grinding your own.
The KoMo Classic Grain Mill isn’t cheap but there are two things that are strong selling points for me: Ā 1) It grinds flour more finely than any other electric grain mill on the market plus it’s also able to crack the grains more coarsely than other mills. Ā 2) Ā It has a 12 year warranty. Ā And from everything I’ve read about them, they’re really built to last a lifetime. Ā I hope to have mine for a very long timeĀ and someday when I’m too old and feeble to press the “on” switch I’ll pass it down to one of my kids.
Bottom line: Ā I LOVE my KoMo Classic Grain Mill. Ā It can be purchased at Pleasant Hill Grain or on Amazon.
Check out my video below where I use my KoMo Grain Mill to make Easy Danish Rye Bread:
Be sure to also check our my recipe for German Vollkornbrot (German Whole Grain Bread).
I have one more video for you.
And I’m going to admit to something crazy.
Just for fun, I filmed the KoMo Classic Grain Mill grinding 13 different ingredients, one after the other, to see how it would keep up and how it would perform with various grains and beans.
In the end I had 13 different flours and because I’m crazyĀ (okay we’ll just call it “daring”) and because I didn’t want it all to go to waste, guess what I did with it?
“You didn’t, Kimberly!”
“Yes…I did.”
I threw all 13 flours in one big bowl,Ā added some wet ingredients and fermented it for two days to make a 13-grain/bean batter for insane pancakes and a loaf of crrrrrazy bread!
Yeah, I fully expected it was going to taste pretty bad…but man, it was actually pretty darn decent, especially the pancakes! Ā The wonders of fermentation. Ā Check ’em out:
CRAZY 13-FLOUR PANCAKES AND BREAD!!
In my video below you’ll see all 13 grains/beans that went into these pancakes and bread.
SEE THE KOMO CLASSIC GRAIN MILL IN ACTION!!
I am so excited to know that one of you will be the proud winner of a KoMo Classic Grain Mill! Ā This giveaway is open to both my U.S. and Canadian readers. Ā This giveaway has ended.
Disclosure: Ā I was given a KoMo grain mill to review with no obligationĀ to write a positive review. Ā I love my grain mill and wanted to share my experience with you. Ā No further compensation was given and, as always, all opinions are entirely my own.
Pam Snow says
Having recently discovered how much better I feel by eliminating certain foods from my diet, I would use the grain mill to help me continue experimenting with gluten wheat free dishes.
Jennie says
I would like to make my own flours from beans.
Lydia says
I know it’s a long shot, but to receive this beautiful mill would be a huge blessing! We recently figured out that my daughter is gluten intolerant, and it would be so very helpful to grind our own flours so that I can use the best combo for her. For years, my sister has ground her own wheat flour and I have wanted to do the same, but have wrestled with the budget and purchasing a mill. Now it has become important for my daughter’s health for me to grind, not wheat flour, but other flours. Just know that if I am chosen, the mill will be put to good use!
Laurie says
I have wanted one of these for a long time–I love using freshly-milled grains!
kimberly little says
I have always wanted one of these grain mills but could never afford the price tag. Still, as Kimberly has well stated in her review; the mill is worth every penny. I opted for a cheaper version when I purchased, as this was my only choice. Would love love love to win this one. Most will not feel they can justify the cost of a good mill; however, you will be greatly surprised at how much you will use it and even come to wonder how you ever managed without it.
I’m not sure if this mill will grind regular corn but I’m sure it will grind popcorn which makes a great corn meal.
Losh says
I would eat all the products my mom (who is the baker in the family) would make when I gave her this.
Cary D. Cochran says
I would use it to grind wheat flour and crack grains to add to breads.
lisa says
I am starting to explore gluten free options & being able to grind my own flours using all these different options (I never thought of) would definitely make it more interesting (and cheaper).
Mishel says
I’ve had my eye on a hazelnut dacquoise recipe for a while, but I haven’t made it because of the cost of the hazelnut flour. This would take care of that. And my besan needs. And my rice flour needs. I also prefer to make my own flours when possible, so this would be awesome.
Margit says
Being from Austria I miss my heavy bread sooo much.This mill looks like a dream come true.Can you tell me how much it weighs? I am going to be out of the country for about a year and want to take it with me in a suitcase, if possible.
Ps: love your pantry
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Margit, it weighs 15 pounds 4 ounces. It’s heavy because of the grindstones and solid wood structure.
Eric says
My parents make the best pancakes and breads with their fresh-ground flour. I would make those all the time if I could.
April says
I would use this grain grinder ALL the time <3 I love grinding my own grain, but don't have a good grinder and cannot imagine how much delight it would be to use this beauty!
Jenni says
Iād totally use this to make my own flours.
Rosemary LaVine says
I am 73 years old! and have had some recent amputations which threaten to keep me down more than I would like. I can’t drive anymore so If I need a little something from a store its a real drag. I think this KOMO mill would be a life saver for me. I could store more products that are healthy. and have the capability to grind more healthy choice grains for my health. I can and would love to spend more time baking and cooking foods that are beneficial for me and my Family. I have 21 Great Grandchildren and 18 Grandchildren! I smile when I think of all the little helpers learning to do things in a old new fashion!
Lisa Sarpolis says
I’m not quite sure what I would start with, but I know I would have fun trying different things.