Some of My Experience

Hand grain mills are kind of a fascination of mine. I have several hand grain mills myself, good and bad ones. I have the following hand grain mills: Back-To-Basics (and the Victorio, which is the same thing), Retsel Uni-Ark, Sunshine Nugget, Lehman’s Best, Family Living, Country Living, and both the New and Old Wonder Junior Deluxe. I use all of these hand grain mills to see how they work and perform so I can learn the positives and negatives of each mill. My father in-law also has the Diamant hand grain mill (a $1,299 hand grain mill), which I hope to use a bit some time soon and I have plans to acquire a few other hand grain mills in the next year to experiment with. With all the experience I have had using these hand grain mills the one I recommend the most is the NEW WonderMill Wonder Junior Deluxe hand grain mill, it has some huge improvements that make it the best choice.

Is Hand Milling Easy?

Before I start to tell you the great things about the NEW Wonder Junior Deluxe, I want to make clear that hand grain milling is a little bit of a chore no matter what hand mill you have. Some hand grain mills are easier than others and some take forever longer than others but none of them crank as smooth as butter, unless you are grinding butter. Remember that you are grinding hard grains into fine flour, it is hard to make that a super easy process to do with out electricity.

How Easy Is The Wonder Junior?

I would say that the Wonder Junior Deluxe is as easy to turn as the Retsel Uni-Ark, much easier than the Lehman’s and Sunshine Nugget hand grain mills, and just slightly harder to turn than the Country Living grain mill. Here is what makes the Wonder Junior Deluxe easier than these other hand grain mills: OUTPUT POWER! The New Wonder Junior Deluxe can output a 1/2 cup more flour per minute than even the Country Living grain mill can, and even more flour output when compared to some of the other hand grain mills. So for the same amount of work or less I am done milling faster, that equals much easier to me.

Another item that makes the Wonder Junior Deluxe easier is the included table clamp mount, even the old Wonder Junior Deluxe came with this nice mount. The Wonder Junior’s mount is very wide and has 2 clamps so that you will have less wobbling or chance of the grain mill coming loose. I also like that the 2 knobs are far enough apart that you can turn them with out rubbing your knuckles the one next to it. Many mills do not even come with a mount, they just bolt through your table.

The flour guide is also a great addition to the New Wonder Junior Deluxe. Many of grain mills of this style (even the old Wonder Junior) spray flour out of all sides of the circular milling burrs requiring you to have a bread pan or wide bowl to catch all the flour, and even then you’ll have a little bit of flour dust to clean up. The new flour guide catches all the flour coming out and guides it to a small width, perfect for my 2 cup capacity measuring cup or any other container. Even the Country Living is not that clean of a grain mill without its special flour bin, that is sold separately, I always have to clean up after it.

WonderMill is Always Improving

One thing I see about the WonderMill Company is that they are continuously making improvements to both of their hand and electric grain mills to make them better and easier for us to use. This can really be seen in this New Wonder Junior Deluxe with its flour guide, cleaning brush, and new aggressive grain auger. A dealer, that I know well, tells me that they have more plans for the future of their grain mills. As I look at the other hand grain mills available, I don’t see any improvements over the years except in the available colors or something like that. It is comforting to put your trust in a company that actively seeks to improve their product instead of being satisfied with their current status quo.

Will It Hold Up? You Bet

The Wonder Junior Deluxe may not be as heavy duty as the Country Living grain mill but the Country Living is a bit over kill in my opinion, though some you may like overkill. The Wonder Junior Deluxe is built to last and take all the strain and use you give it. When compared to the Uni-Ank, Sunshine Nugget, or Lehman’s hand grain mills, the Wonder Junior stands out in thickness, quality, and strength. I have complete confidence that this mill will last me a lifetime.

I Mill More Than Just Grains

One thing I like about the mid-priced hand grain mills is that they are designed to do more than just mill dry grains and such. Mid-priced hand grain mills can usually grind nuts, spices, oily grains, softer grains, seeds, and similar items to these; The New Wonder Junior Deluxe does all these items better than any grain mill I have used, and it has been fun to try different items in some of my experiments. One item that I do not recommend trying to mill is dried carrots or other dried vegetables, dried carrots seem to turn into a hard substance and will require some hard scrubbing to get off the milling burrs. Other than that, I have not found much that doesn’t go though this hand grain mill. Willitgrind.com is a WonderMill website that shows many of the things you can grind with the New Wonder Junior Deluxe, if you are interested in seeing more of what you can grind.

Money Is Always a Factor

I wish I could say it wasn’t true but most of us can’t just blow a chunk of money on a hand grain mill. So why not buy the cheapest grain mill? Well, I would rather do without a grain mill rather than buy a cheap hand grain mill that is not durable or requires too much time to use. Of all the mid-priced hand grain mills out there, the Wonder Junior Deluxe gives you quite a bit more for just a little more cash than the others. After the mid-priced hand grain mills the price tag doubles for not that much added bonus, and for $400 many of us can not afford to make the investment anyway.

Motorizing

Motorizing is probably an area where the Country Living grain mill shines above the rest but only if you have the money to take advantage of it. The Wonder Junior has a motorizing pulley available if you want to figure out how to motorize it yourself but no full motorizing kit. The Country Living grain mill has a full motorizing kit available for about $350 extra. Some would call this an advantage but I don’t get to excited about it because, for the $750 it costs to get a Country Living and its motorizing kit, I could buy a Wonder Junior Deluxe and a good electric grain mill with $200+ in saved cash in my pocket (see my article on this).

UPDATE: WonderMill has come out with a Drill Bit Attachment that allows you to hook your Wonder Junior up to your high powered drill. This attachment costs about $30, not bad when compared to other motorizing options and costs. I have recently bought this attachment and will update this article when I have had plenty of time to test its use.

Am I The Only One

As I have searched the internet, I see many others who recommend the Wonder Junior Deluxe grain mill. From Amazon customers
to professionals like theSurvivalistBlog, theSurvivalMom, Vickilynn Haycraft, James Stevens, and other who are looked up to in there specific fields, they seem to like the Wonder Junior Deluxe as the hand grain mill of choice. I hope you do not get set on the Country Living grain mill just because you think there is no other choice for quality because that would be far from the truth. As with others on the internet, I can really recommend the WonderMill Wonder Junior Deluxe for your consideration for a top quality hand grain mill.

Why Not an Electric Grain Mill?

Some may ask why anyone would want a hand grain mill rather than an electric grain mill. I personally have both and for different purposes. An electric grain mill is nice for normal kitchen use to make bread flours, bean flours, and corn flours fast and with no effort. A hand grain mill gives you a few things: use with no electricity (preppers, survivalists, and green minded people like this feature), coarser grind setting for cereals or cracked grains and such, ability to grind items that will clog or ruin your electric grain mill, and specialty flours like almond flour and nut butters (though nut butters is not an quick process in a hand grain mill). There are many advantages that a hand grain mill gives you that an electric grain mill can’t do but if you just plan on using a grain mill for making bread flours, and electricity is not an issue, then a good electric grain mill is the way to go for you.

Got Questions, Post Them Below

If you have further questions about the Wonder Junior Deluxe hand grain mill, please use the comment reply box below to ask and I will try to check back regularly to answer those questions. As I learn more or think of more to add, I plan on updating the review text.

Purchase: You can purchase a Wonder Junior Deluxe hand grain mill from Kodiak Health Products.

Need Some Grain Mill Recipes? Check out GrainMillRecipes.com for great recipes using any grain mill.

By the Mana Mixers Blog

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME:

I’ve been involved in the kitchen equipment business for over fifteen years and have been using Zojirushi products for just about as long. My uncle lived in Japan for a few years and told me that while he was there he discovered that Zojirushi was the number one kitchen product – the “best” in fact.

I’ve used Zojirushi products such as the Zojirushi NHS-18 ten cup rice cooker/steamer, the Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler (electric multipurpose skillet), and the Zojirushi bread machine. A few years back, I inherited my Grandma’s BBCC-S15 Zojirushi bread machine. Although it produced a non-traditional upright loaf, it was a real rugged and heavy-duty work horse, which I loved. My family eats 100% whole wheat bread on a daily basis and that machine could handle the whole wheat. After learning about the traditional horizontal shaped loaf that the new Zojirushi BB-CEC20 produces, and how it handles 100% whole wheat with ease, I decided it was time to purchase the new machine. I also wanted to try some new features that Grandma’s machine didn’t have.

One of my biggest concerns was whether the new machine had the mixing power of my old BBCC-S15. One of the things I liked about it was that I could throw in the ingredients and mix enough dough for 2 loaves of 100% whole wheat bread. Even though I couldn’t cook it all right then in the machine, I could use the dough for other baking needs (i.e. pizza dough, dough for hand formed bread, rolls, etc.). Some of the other machines I’ve researched say specifically to NOT use 100% whole wheat, let alone knead two batches of dough, because their machines just can’t handle it. So I bit the bullet and here is my review!

As I started researching this new machine, all of the reviews I read stated that this new machine is not much different than its predecessor, the BBCC-X20. Although I do not own a BBCC-X20, the one thing I did like about it was that the BBCC-X20′s price is cheaper than the new machine. However, Zojirushi has discontinued that model. Even though I found a couple of dealers that still sold that model, I didn’t want to buy an outdated model.

PACKAGING:

After getting my machine, the first thing I did was do a quick inspection of the packaging. It was packaged in a sturdy box and upon opening it I found the actual machine inside a plastic bag, protecting it from scratches, and secured by Styrofoam packaging pieces. It was secure and didn’t shake around in the box. I was content.

Not only was the machine packaged and secure on the outside of the machine, but upon opening the bread machine, I found more support packaging inside, holding the bread pan securely inside the machine.

DVD INFORMATION:

The instructional DVD that came with my Zojirushi BB-CEC20 was very helpful. It gave me a quick overview of the machine and control panel and then proceeded to walk through the steps of making bread (including what order to add the ingredients for a better batch of bread), sourdough starter, cake, jam and meatloaf. It was very thorough and even helped me learn how to take care of the machine after use.

INSIDE:

Inside the box I also found an operating and instructions manual (with recipes), a bread maker instruction DVD with the 1-800 toll-free number right on the front, and a measuring cup and spoon. Because I inherited my Grandma’s old Zojirushi, I am not sure if her machine came with additional pieces, but I am confident that her instruction manual was not as detailed as this new one. Or better yet, I’m confident it did not come with a detailed instructional DVD with a toll-free number to call. I decided to test the toll-free number out. I called and asked what the non-stick surface on the pan and the kneading blades is made out of. A friendly customer service representative gave me an informative answer, stating that it is made of PFTE, a type of flouropolymer. I asked her if it would ever wear-out with use and she stated that it could start peeling with extended use, but that it doesn’t have any toxicological effects. She said that if I had any other questions or concerns, I could call back and they would be happy to assist me in anyway. As I get going with some of these recipes and bread cycles, I will not hesitate to call for any reason!

LOOK AND FEEL:

I thought that the machine was a good looking machine. I chose to purchase the white machine, but there is also a black and stainless steel style that I had the option of purchasing. I liked the look of the lid and found that it opened a little bit easier than Grandma’s lid. However, one function that the old machine had that my new one doesn’t is the ability for the lid to completely detach.

The only reason I enjoyed this feature is because it allowed me more ease in removing my food (be it a large loaf of bread, cake, or jelly) from the machine. Again, it’s not a huge deal, but something that would be nice to have on my new machine.

Another thing I noticed was the difference in viewing windows. Although the viewing window on the new machine allows you to see the length of the loaf of bread you are cooking, you have to move your head around to see the width of the loaf. This doesn’t seem to pose a huge problem, but Grandma’s viewing window seemed to capture more of the loaf, while just looking straight on, as it baked in the machine.

The new machine is not as tall as my old one, which is a benefit for me because it actually fits under the lower cabinets in my kitchen. The weight of the newer machine is just about 4 pounds lighter than the older model (15.6 pounds versus 19.8 pounds). But, even with the lighter feel of the new machine, it still feels like a sturdy product that isn’t going to fall apart. My grandma’s machine was dropped at one point, but handled the fall like a champ (see picture below). Although I don’t plan on dropping my new machine to test its durability, from the look and feel of it, it seems like it would handle a fall like Grandma’s old machine.

The aftermath from the fall of Grandma’s machine:

I enjoyed the look of the control panel on the new machine compared to the old machine. The slanted view and raised buttons make it easier to access the different features, and add to the overall sleek look of the machine. Additionally, the buttons/selections on the control panel that the new machine has that Grandma’s machine doesn’t are the sourdough setting and the crust control (for light, medium, or dark). According to Zojirushi, the biggest change on this machine over all the other machines is that some of the cycles have been fine-tuned to give more precise baking. I will keep you informed on what I discover.

I noticed that this machine had two kneading blades in the bottom that kneaded the dough (as opposed to Grandma’s one kneading blade). In addition to the two pins, it did not mix in just one direction. Rather, the two pins rotate in a fashion that seems to knead the bread dough and develop the gluten better than your standard machine. Additionally, the pan is a traditional horizontal bread pan that comes out looking like bread you would bake in your oven.

New Zojirushi BB-CEC20:                                               Old Zojirushi BBCC-S15:

While inspecting the kneading blades, I noticed that they were metal and coated with a non-stick material, just as Grandma’s was.

CLEANING:

One thing that the new machine does not have that Grandma’s old machine does have is a tray in the bottom of the machine to catch crumbs. Having a tray like this would aid in cleanup, but it’s not the end of the world.

THE ULTIMATE TEST:

I decided to get started with the most difficult thing I could think of. As I mentioned before one of the things I was most anxious about testing was the new Zojirushi BB-CEC20′s capacity to adequately handle whole wheat dough (mixing and developing the gluten adequately) and also its ability to mix two batches of whole wheat dough. The reason I call this the ultimate test is because most bread machines discourage you from using 100% whole wheat. Because of the excellent 1 year warranty that comes with the machine, I decided to try this first just in case I somehow damaged the machine!

As I was beginning to start the ultimate test, my husband declared that if I was going to do a fair and honest review, I should purchase a basic bread maker from a department store and do a true comparison. I decided why not?! He ran out to Bed Bath & Beyond for me and purchased the cheapest bread maker he could find – an Oster EXPRESSBAKE model 5838 it was not on sale but was still only $69.95. We decided that we could give it to my younger sister since she’s always wanted one (that is, if the motor didn’t burn out after my ultimate test!).

The Oster brand was packaged fairly decent, although I liked the way Zojirushi BB-CEC20′s packaging protected the sides so the machine wouldn’t shift from side to side. Notice in the picture how the Oster packaging just had a top and bottom Styrofoam piece:

When I pulled the manual out of the box, this is what we were given:

If I’m going to pay $69.95 for a product, I would expect ALL parts of what I pay for to come in decent condition. The state of this instruction manual was discouraging.

As for the inside of the machine, it did have some cardboard packaging supporting the inside of the bread pan, but the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 packaging on the inside still seemed to be more sturdy and supportive (Oster on the left, Zojirushi BB-CEC20 on the right):

Before performing the ultimate test, we decided to take a few other comparison pictures just for kicks. (Oster brand pictures are on the left while the comparison Zojirushi BB-CEC20 pictures are on the right):

The bread pans with blades: Both pans’ blades remove from the pan, as seen in the picture. I was more impressed with the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 blades as they seemed more heavy duty. I also liked the fact that Zojirushi BB-CEC20 has two blades to knead the dough:

The display/control panel:

The pan and drive bearing: The Oster brand on the left has a space between the pan and the drive bearing. However, notice in the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 picture on the right, it shows a sealed rubber gasket to keep crumbs from getting down into the bearing. I’ve been told that this helps extend the life of the bearing.

In the following picture, you’ll notice the Oster bread pan next to the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 pan. As I was taking the Oster pan out of the bread machine it bent significantly. I was able to bend it back, but this was one more reason I was happy I bought the Zojirushi BB-CEC20. Also, the Oster is a squarer pan while the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 is more of a traditionally shaped loaf.

THE ULTIMATE TEST FOR REALS THIS TIME!

Here is my tried and true 100% whole wheat recipe I have used for years in my Grandma’s Zojirushi bread maker. For the ultimate test, I simply doubled the ingredients:

Whole Wheat Bread for the Automatic Bread maker

Measure all ingredients exactly. All the measurements except for the heaping cups of flour are to be level. Add each of the ingredients into the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Machine. Select the white bread setting and push start. The bread will be ready to eat in just 4 hours. From this basic and simple wheat recipe you can create an assortment of delicious breads and rolls by adding nuts, raisins, fruits, etc. Experiment and have fun!

I doubled the ingredients and placed them into both bread pans of the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 and the Oster. I pushed the button for whole wheat and let the machines begin to knead (Oster on the left, Zojirushi on the right):

I noticed as it began to knead, the Oster had a harder time mixing together. Keep in mind, this was a double batch of ingredients, testing how well the machines handled mixing a double batch of dough. I had to help it along with a spatula during the mixing process. The Zojirushi BB-CEC20 needed a little bit of help from the spatula, but not as much as the Oster:

As the kneading process continued, this was what I noticed – the Oster was not nearly as progressed and mixed as the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 was during the same point in the kneading process:

Not only was the Oster brand not as kneaded together, it only mixes the dough in one direction. The Zojirushi on the other hand kneads and pulls the dough from one side and then it switches directions and kneads and pulls in the other direction. Notice in the following picture how the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 is pulling the dough from the left to the right, like a taffy machine. This is definitely what I wanted in a bread maker so that the gluten in my bread would develop appropriately and give me a great texture.

Further along in the kneading process, I noticed that the Zojirushi pan was really clean. The blades had pulled and kneaded the dough so that everything was completely mixed and kneaded together. Compare that to the Oster and you notice that the pan still had chunks of flour stuck to the sides of the pan:

After both machines finished their kneading cycles, I took a picture of the dough in the pans. The Zojirushi BB-CEC20 kneaded the dough so well that there was nothing left on the sides of the pans. It was all in one ball. The Oster left pieces on the sides of the pans:

Next, I took a piece of dough out to test the gluten development. My mother taught me that to test the gluten, you oil your hands and take a golf sized ball and slowly begin to stretch it from side to side until it is just about paper-thin. Dough that has good gluten development will stretch without breaking apart too early. Baked bread that has good gluten development doesn’t contain air pockets and is not doughy. In the picture on the left, you’ll see the Oster whole wheat dough. In the picture on the right, you’ll see the Zojirushi dough. The Zojirushi gluten was definitely more developed. As you’ll notice, the Oster dough’s gluten was definitely not as developed because it would not stretch and it would break apart as you stretched it.

PART 1 RESULTS OF THE ULTIMATE TEST:

Part one of the ultimate test involved mixing and kneading 2 batches of 100% whole wheat bread dough. Both machines mixed and kneaded but the results were varied. As you can notice in the above “gluten test” pictures, you see that the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 obviously kneaded the dough quite a bit better than the Oster. Also, during the kneading process the Zojirushi didn’t seem to labor or get bogged down while the Oster seemed to really work. I took a video of the Oster machine during the kneading process to give you an idea of how hard the machine was working. I started to worry that the motor would burn out. There was an obvious chemical smell coming from the Oster machine. The Zojirushi BB-CEC20, on the other hand did not make any strange noises or smells. This was what I was hoping for.

Because I made a double batch of dough in each machine, I cut the dough in half and put half of it back in the respective machines to finish the rising/baking process (please note that a bread machine is only made to bake one loaf of bread at a time!). With the other half of dough, I made two baguette loaves – one with the Oster dough and one with the Zojirushi dough. These both turned out quite nicely in my baguette pan (Oster loaf on the left, Zojirushi loaf on the right):

PART 2 RESULTS OF THE ULTIMATE TEST:

The second part of my ultimate test involved finding out how well the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 bread maker baked a loaf of whole wheat bread, and then compare that to how well an inexpensive bread maker baked a loaf. What I discovered was that in the end, both machines produced a decent loaf of whole wheat bread. I used the same whole wheat recipe in both machines and both tasted pretty good. If anything, the Oster produced a slightly more doughy taste, but really, you have to be a fairly picky taste-tester to notice that. Here are some pictures of the final results (Oster loaf on the left, Zojirushi loaf on the right):

BASIC WHITE BREAD CYCLE:

I decided after the whole wheat test, I should see how both machines did at a basic white bread, express-bake cycle. The following pictures show the final Oster white bread loaf (still in the pan). You’ll notice in the pictures some flour remnants that did not get kneaded into the rest of the loaf:

When I took the loaf out of the pan, I noticed that there were chunks of flour all around the loaf itself. The chunks scraped off really easily, and did not affect the taste of the bread necessarily, but it wasn’t a loaf I would want to give away to my neighbor! You’ll also notice that the loaf didn’t form very evenly – one side being taller than the other. Obviously, these are only aesthetic issues, but important items to note!

The following pictures are of the final Zojirushi white bread loaf. You’ll notice that it cooked uniformly and there is no flour remains stuck to the sides of the loaf. I would not hesitate to give this loaf away to my neighbor!

The following pictures show the Oster loaf on the left and the Zojirushi loaf on the right. Although both tasted pretty much the same as the same recipe was used in both, the Oster loaf was slightly doughier than the Zojirushi loaf. You can tell by just looking at the pictures below that the Zojirushi loaf (right), when cut in half, has a nicer bread texture, is lighter in color and is not doughy. This is one difference I like because I tend to share my bread and I want it to look nice for my friends!

MOTOR COMPARISONS:

The Oster machine weighed in at 9.2 pounds while the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 weighed 15.6 pounds. The Zojirushi BB-CEC20 definitely felt and appeared more durable in comparison. My husband, being the mechanically-inclined man that he is, suggested we unscrew the bottom of the Oster to see if we could check out the belt and motor. He unscrewed the casing and we discovered that it was motorized by a single-pulley motor. I had to hand it to Oster for putting a geared belt in their machine:

Now, I didn’t want to take apart my nice Zojirushi BB-CEC20 machine to check out the internal mechanisms, so I called Kodiak Health, where I bought my Zojirushi from and asked them about the motor. I told them I was doing a review on the machine and was interested to know. They were very helpful and told me that it was run by a dual-pulley system and even offered to email me some images they had of the transmission, motor and dual-pulley system. They also gave me permission to post them here:

Although the Oster was a 560 watt motor, powered by a geared belt, it was a much thinner belt and not nearly as wide. I was impressed by the durability the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 transmission, the 700 watt motor and belts offered.

CONCLUSION: “You Definitely Get What You Pay For!”

I will be returning the Oster EXPRESSBAKE model 5838 for a refund because whenever it is running there is a strong electrical smell that comes from the vent holes. It is cheaply built and despite the two loaves of bread that it made it was noisy, flimsy and continually stopped and started during the kneading process. I don’t want to risk giving this to my sister. On the other hand I am very pleased with my Zojirushi BB-CEC20. From durability to quietness to bread output, it looks like Zojirushi has done it again with the BB-CEC20. I will be recommending this one to my friends and customers and I look forward to years of good service from it.

FUTURE FOLLOW UP:

I have really enjoyed conducting this review. I have really enjoyed my Zojirushi BB-CEC20 bread maker and I am excited to know how the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 measures up when it comes to the other cycles it offers such as the sourdough, jam, cake and meatloaf settings. I will keep you posted on how the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 stacks up with these other recipes.

Rolled oats are convenient, inexpensive, and versatile, but there is nothing like the taste of fresh rolled oats. To obtain this freshness, you must have an oat roller. There are several rollers or flakers on the market. I have personally tested and sell three of them. The Marga Oat Roller, Norpro Grain Grinder, and the Family Flaker Mill.

Marga Oat Roller

The first oat roller our family purchased was a Marga Oat Roller. It is a very simple machine which is used to roll oats and other grains. This roller clamps on a table or counter and is operated by a hand crank. The mechanism used consists of three roller bars which the grain is forced through. It can be operated on setting 1 for a coarse flour or settings 2 and 3 for flakes. Oat groats flake better than any other grain using this machine. Other grains are harder and tend to crack before they flake. They must be soaked before attempting to roll them. I have enjoyed cracking wheat to get a whole grain cereal similar to Cream of Wheat. I also crack other grains such as rye or buckwheat groats for a similar texture.

Marga Oat Roller Is Trouble-free

This machine operates so easily that a four year old has no trouble turning out a hopper full of oats. During the more than 5 years I have owned this oat roller, I have never had a problem with the machine, nor has it required any maintenance to keep it fully functional. The rollers are made of aluminum that release absolutely no metal residue. The only troubles reported by customers I have sold these to were simple defects in the clamp or hand crank. The company quickly sent out a replacement part with no cost to the customers.

Find Your Setting

This machine is one that I had to play with to find the right setting for me. The oats coming out on setting three are thick, and hearty. They resemble old fashioned oats. We prefer this, as you actually get to chew when you eat them instead of them being mushy. One drawback of the machine is that it does not come apart so oily grains cannot be run through it alone or they will clog the rollers.

Marga Oat Roller Can Mill Flour

While it usually is not marketed as a grain mill, this machine is capable of making a coarse flour. It will never be fine enough to make a light and airy bread, but if no other grinder is available, it will make a coarse meal that can be used. I’ve gotten spoiled by some good quality grain mills, so I don’t use this for grinding flour.

Purchase the Marga Oat Roller / Grain Flaker at KitchenKneads.com

Norpro Grain Grinder

A little over two years ago a company named Norpro came out with a machine they marketed as a grain grinder that is identical in appearance to the Marga Oat Roller. This machine is made in China, whereas the Marga is made in Italy. This roller performs identically to the Marga in all ways, but it does have textured rollers made of hardened surgical steel, instead of the aluminum of the Marga. It has a three year warranty.

Norpro is Versaile

The company says it will grind wheat, rye, barley, soy and other dry seeds or legumes. I have not attempted to grind all of these grains. Since it has only been on the market for a little over two years, its long-term durability is still being tested. To date I, nor any customers of mine, have had any issues with this model.

Purchase the Norpro Oat Roller / Grain Flaker at Amazon.com

Family Flaker Mill

A third grain roller I have used is the Family Flaker Mill. This also operates with a hand crank, but there is a motor base available as well as adaptors to use it with a Bosch Universal Plus and Bosch Compact Mixer, Kitchen Aid stand mixers, Viking mixer, and the Kitchenetics Kitchen Machine. It is very easy to operate by hand, but the motor does cut the time to complete the rolling in half.

Family Flaker Mill Flakes Many Grains

This flaker will flake other grains besides oats without the extra step of soaking. It will easily handle wheat, rye, spelt, kamut, and flax seeds. One great feature is that it is quick and easy to take apart for cleaning. This makes it ideal for those with someone in the house who is gluten intolerant and doesn’t want the gluten from one grain to contaminate a gluten-free grain. Simply roll or flake the gluten containing grain, wash the machine, and then roll or flake the gluten-free grains.

Family Flaker Mill is Trouble-free

The product is made of Lexan with hardened surgical steel rollers. Like the other rollers, I have never had a problem with this roller nor had any customers with complaints. This is only a roller/flaker, not a grain grinder of any kind. It will not make flour, but there is another attachment that can be bought to make flour.

Purchase the Family Flaker Mill / Oat Roller at homestylemercantile.com

The Best Oat Roller For You

When trying to choose which machine is best to purchase, one must decided what you want your machine to do. If you want the ability to grind flour occasionally, the Family Flaker Mill will not work. If having absolutely no metallic residue in your grains is really important, the Marga is the way to go. It is the only one on the market that has aluminum rollers. Cost can also be a factor. The Norpro machine is about half the price of the Marga. The Family Flaker Mill with the hand crank is close to $150, but you can use the hand crank with other attachments. If flaking grains is your primary goal, the Family Flaker Mill can’t be beat. You can add a mixture of grains, flake them, and in minutes have a super nutritious multi-grain hot cereal on a cold morning or a multi-grain muesli on a hot morning.

      – - Review done by Jodi Hein

(check out our Flaking Your Own Grains article)

Baking Bread with the Bosch Universal Plus
or KitchenAid 600 Pro?

Bosch Universal Plus Mixer with Blender

Home bakers around the nation are always looking for that perfect appliance to make their hours in the kitchen a little easier. I can’t seem to make a good loaf of bread without a machine to knead it for me. Purchasing a multi-purpose kitchen machine seems like the perfect way to get the job done, but which is the best? I’ve had a Bosch Universal, Bosch Universal Plus and a KitchenAid 600 Pro. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each mixer and see which is the better buy.
 

KitchenAid 600 Pro Specs

I started out with the KitchenAid 600 Pro mixer. Mine came with two, large 6-quart stainless steel bowls. It also came with a spiral dough hook, stainless steel whip, and a flat beater. The motor is all steel construction with 10 gears and 575 watts. The specifications of this machine say it can handle up to 14 cups of all-purpose flour at a time. This machine comes with a one year warranty.
 

Highlights of the KitchenAid 600 Pro

One feature that I especially liked about the KitchenAid was the stainless steel bowl with the sturdy handle to make pouring easy. I enjoyed the fact that it was extremely easy to clean. I also liked having three separate attachments to use for different types of mixing.
 

Cons of the KitchenAid 600 Pro

Although it was stated that the machine could handle up to 14 cups of all-purpose flour, I found it struggling with only 4 cups of whole wheat flour at times. The motor seemed to get hot to the touch and I needed to turn it off before I felt the dough was kneaded enough. I was never able to make a recipe for 4 loaves of bread and have it kneaded well enough to rise correctly. My bread did not come out with a nice, light, airy rise nor was the texture visually appealing.

It did come with a plastic guard to sit on top of the bowl to keep things from flying out, but I found it hard to add ingredients and rarely used this. The kneading action then caused a lot of flour to fly out of the top of the bowl and caused quite a mess to clean up. For most applications, I never used most of the 10 speeds, in fact, I probably used three of them for 90% of all uses. I’ve had to replace the metal gears that stripped out twice, once while whipping cream and the second time while kneading pizza dough. A friend of mine has owned one of these machines and has had to repeatedly send it in for repairs under warranty until finally the warranty expired and she was left with a worthless machine.
 

Bosch Universal Plus Specs

A couple of years later I was able to get a Bosch Universal mixer. It served its purpose of kneading bread very well for me. I regularly made 6 loaf batches 3 days per week and never had a complaint about the machine. Although I really loved this Bosch mixer, as soon as the new Bosch Universal Plus came on the market I wanted the newer version. This newer mixer has a whopping 800 watt motor. It comes with overload and motor start protection. Included attachments are a dough hook, wire whisks, and 6 ½ quart bowl. The bowl is heavy plastic, but a stainless steel bowl can be purchased. The mixer has four gears and a momentary switch, which is similar to a burst setting on a blender. This machine will handle up to 15 pounds of dough at a time. It does have a cover for the bowl, but the center is removed to make adding ingredients easy and holds both liquid and dry ingredients in the bowl where they belong. The motor/transmission comes with a three year warranty.
 

Pros and Cons of the Bosch Universal Plus

The larger motor of the Bosch mixer allows you to never feel you are overworking your machine. I can easily mix enough dough for 6-8 loaves of whole grain bread and have it turn out perfectly every time. When mixing this much dough, I have never even had to use the 4th gear on the Universal Plus. It just handles it without complaint. The dough hook of this machine turns the dough over on itself in a unique way that gives your bread a very smooth, professional appearance with a light and airy loaf. Near the end of the kneading time, the dough occasionally tries to climb out of the top of the bowl, but when the 2-piece lid is in place, it does great. It seems odd that a machine can make such a difference in the final product, but when a side-by-side comparison was done, the Bosch won, hands down in my kitchen.
 

Changes Made in the Bosch Universal Plus

The older Bosch Universal mixers had a 700 watt motor. This seemed more than adequate even when mixing 12 or more cups of whole wheat flour into bread dough. The old machine was often known to bounce around on the table while kneading, but the newer Universal Plus mixer now comes with suction cups to hold it to your counter or table. This is a huge benefit in that you don’t have to stand over the machine while it kneads to make sure it doesn’t “walk” off of the counter. Other improvements made are that the bowl now has a rim to hold onto while pouring and the center shaft of the bowl is removable for ease of cleaning. I would prefer a handle on the side of the bowl to make tipping it easier, but this bowl is easier than the older one.
 

Final Decision

When making a final decision on which machine to buy, the choice should be made by deciding what the major function of the mixer will be. If the major use is to make a batch of cookies once in while, or mash some potatoes for supper, the KitchenAid is more than adequate. If the goal is to start baking wholesome, whole grain bread for your family, the Bosch Universal Plus is the the best choice, since the Bosch Universal is no longer being made. As the costs are very similar, the Bosch gives you more for your money. It won’t be bogged down by the task of kneading and will always be ready to perform those hardest of kitchen tasks.

      – - Review done by Jodi Hein

The Bosch Universal Mixer is the ultimate professional cooks mixer not only is it capable of mixing one egg white into a mound of fluffy meringue , it can make 12 pounds of 100% whole wheat bread dough at one time.

The Bosch Universal mixer uses a double ball bearing 700 watt motor which provides beyond the call of duty power for the heaviest of bread and cookie dough’s and provides enough power to the blender to make peanut butter, cashew butter and more.

The Bosch Universal Mixer is simple to setup and a dream to use. It has three speed settings, plus a pulse mode that keeps the motor going for as long as you hold the knob . Because of the perfect design of the Bosch Universal mixer dough hook , it can develop the gluten in 6 large loaves of bread in just 8 minutes. This is perfect for bread dough. Simple get the dough to the point that it has cleaned the sides of the bowl and then set your timer and allow the mixer to knead you the perfect bread dough. 8 minutes later your dough is ready to go.

The Bosch Universal Mixer is the perfect size the unit doesn’t take up any more counter space than a Kitchen Aid mixer and is relatively Quite. The Bosch Universal Mixer is easy to clean and durable.

Included in the package is the motor base, plastic mixing bowl, splash ring and cover, stainless steel dough hook, French whisks and an instruction book with recipes. The Bosch Universal Blender is also amazing . We use it to blend drinks make salsa ,crack grains and much more.

We make a lot of bread , rolls and dough so that was the first thing I tested on the Bosch Universal Mixer and I have to say it does a fantastic job. In fact the bread I choose to make was 100% whole wheat made from fresh ground flour. Not only did the Bosch Universal mixer knead the dough it did it without straining and it did a wonderful job of developing the gluten in the dough. The finished bread was some of the lightest and tastiest wheat bread I have had in a long time.

The next thing I tested where the New Cookie Paddles with a five year warranty, these cookie Paddles did a wonderful job of whipping egg and whipped cream, the whipped cream whipped up quickly too. One word of warning watch it when your whipping cream or you could quickly end up with butter. These cookie paddles really performed on a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies. These are truly a cookie makers dream.

I am sure you maybe wondering why the two different kinds of whisks. The French whisks look like your standard whipping whisks and are designed for lighter things like egg whites, whipping cream, etc. The cookie paddles are made of a single loop of duralon nylon and are designed for heavier things like cookie dough, butter cream icing, etc. It is important to use the appropriate whisks for the appropriate job not only for doing a good job of mixing but to prevent damage to the whisks. The French whisks aren’t designed for the heavier things like the cookie whisks are. Nor would they do the same great job mixing say cookie dough as the cookie paddles do.

When I tested the Blender on the Bosch Universal Mixer I found that it works like a dream. I crushed ice, I made milk shakes, smoothies, peanut butter and even whole fruit juice (you use the entire piece of fruit, minus seeds, pits, skin, etc.) and the Bosch Universal Mixer blender container handled all of these perfectly and made wonderfully smooth drinks and beverages.

If you have one of the consumer grade blenders from Sears, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. then you don’t have any idea of what a real blender is. Those other ones are toys compared to the blender on this mixer. If you have ever heard of Vita-Mix or seen one of those high end Waring blenders used in bars or juice bars then you have some idea of what I am talking about.

The Bosch Universal Mixer can make 12 pounds of bread dough. If you don’t need to make 6 loaves of bread at a time, the Bosch Universal Mixer can mix 1-2 loaves just as nicely as 6 large loaves However, if you have a large family or need to make large batches of cookies or breads or anything else, the Bosch Universal Mixer is the one for you. As for which one I like better the Bosch Universal or the Kitchen Aid I have to give my vote to the Bosch Universal Mixer. It has better speed control and it has a much more modern look to it . It is a shame Kitchen Aid isn’t keeping up with the times they are outdated and Kitchen Aids are just cheaply made mixers that don’t hold up well any more. Also, the Bosch Universal Mixer has an awesome 3 year warranty on its power unit and a 1 year warranty on everything else except the french whips.

A good stand mixer is every kitchen-advocate’s best friend. The tedious and sometimes vigorous mixing that has to be done by hand in the the absence of a mixer can be, well, just plain hard and time-consuming. Moreover, Bosch makes a great mixer, teeming to the bream with quality parts. With other mixers, you may find the exact opposite is true due to cheap parts that will break in no time.

As for accessories, the Bosch Universal Mixer has a number of wonderful options for it including a very nice stainless steel mixing bowl. And one of the best food processors and slicer shredders on the market.

In my business (Cooking and Baking) you have to rely on the best equipment available, we put our machines under stresses that the home cook will never do. I have come to depend on my Bosch Universal Mixer and so have our customers who enjoy the foods we prepare with it.

– - by Chef Aaron Davis – Head Chef at Fin Springs Inn (Jackson Hole, Idaho area)