What Can You Grind in a Grain Mill?
Recommended picks
Whole Grains That Grain Mills Handle Best
Hard red and hard white wheat are the most common candidates, and virtually every grain mill on the market is rated for them. Soft wheat, spelt, kamut and emmer grind just as cleanly because they share the same low-moisture, low-oil profile. Rye and triticale work well too, though rye can grind a bit coarser at the same dial setting because its bran is tougher. Corn is fine in most mills, but dried field corn rather than fresh or frozen kernels. Oats grind into flour or a rough oat meal, depending on how coarse you set the adjustment. A mill like the Nutrimill 760200, rated 4.7 stars across 1,300 reviews and priced around $329, holds up to 20 cups of grain in the hopper, which suits a full batch of mixed grains in one pass.
Ancient Grains and Specialty Grains
Millet, sorghum, teff, amaranth and quinoa all grind without issue because they are small, dry and oil-light. Buckwheat is technically a seed rather than a grain, but its dry, starchy interior responds to a grain mill the same way wheat does. Einkorn is slightly denser than modern wheat, so run it a touch coarser on the first pass, then tighten the burrs for a finer pass if needed. Barley grinds well but produces a slightly gummy flour at fine settings because of its higher beta-glucan content. For high-volume specialty milling, the Cgoldenwall CNA 923D runs at 2,400 W and holds 700 grams per batch, with 792 ratings averaging 4.4 stars at around $134, making it a practical option when you grind a variety of grains regularly.
Legumes, Beans and Lentils
Dried chickpeas, lentils, split peas, black beans and white beans can all go through a grain mill, though they require a slightly coarser opening to start because they are denser than wheat. The resulting legume flour is useful for gluten-free baking, thickening soups or making gram flour for flatbreads. Red lentils and split peas are the easiest because they are already hull-removed and grind to a fine powder quickly. Whole dried black beans take longer and may need two passes to reach baking-fine texture. Always make sure legumes are completely dry before grinding. Any residual moisture causes clumping on the burrs and can lead to uneven flour and difficult cleanup.
Dried Herbs, Spices and Other Dry Foods
Many grain mills with metal or stainless steel burrs handle dried spices, dried chiles and dried herbs reasonably well when the spices are genuinely dry and low in volatile oils. Dried corn kernels can be ground into masa-style flour or coarse meal for polenta. Rice, both white and brown, grinds into rice flour without difficulty. The Lejieyin MODEL-750 runs at 2,000 W with a capacity of around 26 fluid ounces and weighs 8 lb, holding a 4.3-star rating across more than 3,400 reviews at about $90, which makes it a budget-friendly option for experimenting with both grains and dried spices. Dried cayenne, paprika and similar low-oil chiles work well, but grinding in a well-ventilated area is a practical precaution given the fine powder produced.
What a Grain Mill Cannot Grind Safely
Oily seeds such as flaxseed, sesame, hemp and poppy release oils that coat stone burrs and are very difficult to clean. Nuts of any kind are too oily for a grain mill and belong in a food processor or high-speed blender. Coffee beans are dense enough to crack most residential stone burrs and should stay in a dedicated burr coffee grinder. Moist or partially dried grains are a common cause of clogging. Sugar and salt are also poor candidates because their crystalline structure and hygroscopic nature can damage the grinding surfaces over time. Any grain that has been heat-treated or toasted may have enough surface moisture change to cause sticking, so always grind raw, room-temperature dry grains.
Matching the Right Mill to What You Want to Grind
Smaller personal mills with a 300-gram to 700-gram hopper capacity suit home bakers grinding a single type of grain per session. Larger machines with 15-kilogram or 50-kilogram capacity are meant for semi-commercial or farm use where variety per batch is more limited but volume is high. Stone burr mills excel at producing the fine, heat-sensitive flour that bread bakers prize, while metal blade-style mills handle a broader range of foods including legumes and some spices but may run hotter. If you plan to grind legumes alongside grains, check the manufacturer specification for non-grain use before starting. Most quality mills clearly state which materials are approved, and staying within that list protects the burrs and your warranty.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Grinding oily seeds like flax or sesame in a stone burr grain mill, which coats and clogs the burrs.
- Using moist or improperly dried grains, which cause clumping and uneven flour texture.
- Starting at the finest setting for dense legumes like chickpeas instead of opening the burrs wider first.
- Running coffee beans through a grain mill with stone burrs, which can chip or crack the grinding surface.
- Mixing grain types with very different densities in one batch, which produces inconsistent particle size.
- Ignoring the manufacturer's approved-material list and assuming any dry food is fair game.
Frequently asked questions
Can I grind rice in a grain mill?
Yes. Both white rice and brown rice are low in oil and grind into a fine flour without damaging the burrs. Brown rice flour retains the bran and germ, so it has a slightly nuttier flavor than white rice flour. Run it at a medium-fine setting and do a second pass if you need a very smooth texture for baking.
Can a grain mill grind coffee beans?
Grain mills are generally not suitable for coffee beans. The extreme hardness of roasted coffee can chip stone burrs, and the oily surface left by roasted beans is difficult to clean from the grinding chamber. A dedicated burr coffee grinder is built for coffee's specific density and oil content and will produce a far more consistent grind.
Is it safe to grind dried beans in the same mill I use for wheat?
Yes, provided the mill's manufacturer lists legumes as an approved ingredient. Run a small amount of wheat through the mill after grinding beans to clear any residual legume dust before switching back to wheat flour intended for bread. Most metal burr mills handle this transition easily, while some stone burr mills recommend keeping grains and legumes separate.
How fine can a grain mill grind flour?
Most home grain mills can reach a fine enough grind for bread and pastry flour, roughly equivalent to an 80 to 100 mesh sieve, when set at their finest adjustment. Stone burr mills tend to produce a slightly more uniform particle size at fine settings compared to metal blade designs. Very fine 00-style pasta flour may require a second pass through the mill at the finest setting.
Can I grind dried herbs in a grain mill?
Dried herbs with low oil content, such as dried oregano, dried thyme and dried parsley, can go through many grain mills without issue. Herbs with higher volatile oil content, such as dried rosemary or dried lavender, may leave a residue on the burrs that is harder to clear. A quick pass of plain dry white rice through the mill after herbs helps clean the chamber before your next batch of grain.