From: dadams@cray.com (David Adams)
Subject: Re: Flour Mill
Reply-To: dadams@cray.com
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 25 Aug 92 14:19:02 CDT


Since this is the first time that the subject of Mills has come up 
on the Newsgroup (as opposed to the mailing list) I thought I would
put in my plug for my favorite mill.


I am really in love with the new technology expressed in the K-TEC
Kitchen mill.  Here is an article that was posted long ago in
the mailing list, and before that in rec.food.cooking:

I should note that the used hand grinder I mention below is akin to 
the one mentioned by Chris Teegarden I believe. (I too get the
catalog from "Back to Basics".)


---
--David C. Adams  Statistician  Cray Research Inc.  dadams@cray.com
___________________________________________________________________
       member--Minnesotans for Global Warming.



Date: Tue, 24 Sep 91 11:15:26 CDT
From: jbyrd@hermes.chpc.utexas.edu

To: dadams (David Adams)
Subject: Re: Home Grain Mills


In article <1991Sep23.170013.17311@hemlock.cray.com> you write:
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> Some months ago I posted a request for information about home
|> grain grinders or mills.  I finally found one that I like, so
|> I thought I would share information about it.
|> 
|> 
|> I decided to buy the Kitchen Mill from K-TEC  (Kitchen Technologies).
|> 
|> I got it for $199.00  They also sell used stone grinders.  Aparently
|> they take trade-ins.  They sold me a used hand grinder for $25.  This 
|> was a discounted price they gave me for buying the other.  I wanted the
|> hand grinder for the rare ocassion when I might be without power.
|> 
|> K-TEC is the company responsible for the development and patenting
|> of a new non stone based small grain mill.  The basic idea is 
|> that they designed a stainless steel milling chamber that works
|> like a small jet engine.  Interlacing steel teeth revolve at 28,000
|> rpm.  Grain is funneled into this *jet engine* and as the grain
|> hits the steel blades or teeth the beads of grain shatter.  Only 
|> drawback, it sounds like a small jet engine.
|> 
|> I wanted to quote from their brochure, but first let me emphasize that
|> I am not a K-TEC employee, and in no way am I connected with K-TEC, 
|> other than being an over zealous customer.  (I figure that if I 
|> convince someone else that I found a good deal, then maybe I have
|> really found a good deal.)
|> 
|> "It's the first high speed stoneless flour mill small enough to 
|> easily store, big enough to do the job.
|> 
|> "It's a better way to make flour.  Instead of stones, the Kitchen Mill
|> uses a computer balanced Micronetic Chamber to Mill grain into flour.  
|> This type chamber is used in the pharmaceutical industry to create exact 
|> uniform particles for medicnes....
|> 
|> "The trouble with stones:
|> Stone mills often gum up, crack, chip or glaze.  They can leave grit in
|> your flour.  Stone mills are generally hard to clean, and can harbor
|> bacteria which contaminates flour....
|> 
|> "The milling chamber consists of two stainless steel parts with concentric
|> rows of stainless steel teeth.  These teeth spin within each other at high
|> speed.  Grain enters in the center of the chamber and by centrifugal force
|> hits the several rows of milling teeth.  These teeth burst the grain into
|> the best flour you've ever used in baking....
|> 
|> "None of the moving metal parts actually touch so there is no excessive heat.  
|> Since the mill has no rubbing surfaces to wear out, cause friction, or get
|> hot, the flour stays cooler.  This means the valuable nutrients are not
|> destroyed...
|> 
|> "The Kitchen Mill comes with a full 5 year limited warranty and Life Time
|> warranty on the milling chamber."
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> K-TEC has a toll free number  1-800-748-5400.
|> 
|> 
|> --
|> David C. Adams                       E-mail: dadams@cray.com
|> Statistical Analyst                          uunet!cray!daadams
|> Cray Research, Inc.                  Phone:  (612) 683-5332   
|>                                      FAX:    (612) 683-5599

David,

I didn't see your original post or I probably would have replied at
that time.  For the last 9 years I've been milling my own wheat in
a machine made by "Magic Mill" (out of Salt Lake City).  It sounds 
like about the same technology as you've described for your Kitchen 
Mill, so mine ALSO sounds like a jet engine.  I used it commercially 
in a baking business I ran from home a few years back, so I'm sure
it's well made; I have never had a problem with it.  It costs about 
twice as much, though, as your Kitchen Mill (closer to $400, maybe 
more now), and I've never liked the ergonomics of mine very much.  
Besides being noisy, it's messy and hard to clean - lots of little 
holes that clog up with flour, requiring special brushes (which I
kept losing) to clean out.  It also, I think, didn't have a large
enough capacity.  In order to mill the wheat for 6 to 7 loaves of
bread (the capacity of my Bosch mixer), I had to mill half the wheat,
dump the flour, then mill the other half of the wheat.  

Anyway, my point is it does sound like you got a good deal on yours,
and I hope you enjoy using it.  If mine ever poops out on me, I'll
probably go check out the Kitchen Mill.

Jan Byrd

From: hardin@dino.cad.mcc.com (John Hardin)
Subject: Re: Wheat grinder info wanted
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 91 16:46:01 CST

In-reply-to: dadams@cherry10.cray.com's message of 5 Dec 91 19:39:18 GMT

David Adams writes:
+>  
+>  In article <990170@hpdtczb.dtc.hp.com>, gw@hpdtczb.dtc.hp.com (Gordon Wilson) writes:
+>  > I'm looking for a wheat grinder; something to turn wheat into flour. A
+>  > >Mormon (LDS) friend gave me some wheat and I need to grind it.
+>  > >
+>  > >I have a Champion juice maker, and I rang them up they make a grinder
+>  > >attachment (specifically for grinding hard kernel stuff) for the juicer. 
+>  > >Has anyone used one of these? My juicer is about 10 years old and still 
+>  > >going strong; so I know their stuff is well made.
+>  > >
+>  > >...thanks...rich cower, cower@csli.stanford.edu
+>  > 
+>  +>  I would guess that the Champion would create coarse grain flour.
+>  > There are of course all the stone wheel type grinders, which are based
+>  > on the historical methods.  There is a new technology that makes
+>  > a very find flour using intertwining blades, kind of looks like a 
+>  > turbine (and sounds like it too).  There are two manufacturers,
+>  > magic mill, and <i forget>.  I got one for my mom at a closeout
+>  > for about $200.
+>  > gordon
+>  > gw@hpdtc.dtc.hp.com
+>  
+>  
+>  The other manufacturer is K-TEC.
+>  
+>   K-TEC has a toll free number  1-800-748-5400.

I would second this recommendation for K-TEC.  I just recently bought
their grain mill, and am VERY pleased with it.  They claim to be the
originators of the "micronizers" - also used by Magic Mill.  K-TEC
also warrants the milling of ALL hard grains (e.g., corn, beans,
etc.).  Their unit carries a lifetime warranty on the micronizers and
the lexan bowl (which I prefer to Magic Mill's stainless steel bowl
because you can see the level of milled grain withOUT having to stop
the mill and open it up - it's lighter, too).  The rest of the mill
carries a 5 year warranty.  They were just recently selling it for a
special price of $199 (normally $249).

(Note:  I have NO affiliation with K-TEC other than as a satisfied customer.)

-jwh
--
John W. Hardin		    phone:  (512)338-3535
MCC			    email:  hardin@mcc.com
3500 W. Balcones Center Dr  fax:    (512)338-3897
Austin, TX  78759-6509	    uucp:   ...!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cadillac!hardin



Now just a couple more notes:  (David Adams back to the podium again.)

I have used my K-TEC Kitchen mill frequently for milling whole wheat and whole
rye.  I never buy whole grain flour; I mill it.  I have wheat and rye in storage.
Hard wheat will store for a long time.  It is very cheap to buy this way.
I paid about $10 for 100 lbs of hard red winter wheat.  (I should have bought
hard spring wheat--but hard winter wheat does well too.)  We have used
nearly 150 lbs during the last year.  

I used to think the mill was hard to clean, until I decided to take it outside
and buff it with a paper towel, not caring where the dust flew.  It really isn't
that though to clean, but I offer 2 tips:

	1)	Wait for an hour or two before cleaning.  This will alow
		static electricity to disipate so that flour will not cling
		so bad.

	2)	Take the mill out side and brush it off.  Use long narrow brushes
		to clean out the air trap.  I don't have a brush.  I use
		a thin strip of paper towel which I manipulate with a pencil.

I mill everything I want:  wheat, rye, corn, beans.