Need info on Little Ark wheat grinder

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Does anyone use a Little Ark wheat grinder? What has been your experience with it? I'm thinking of purchasing one because it's economical (cannot afford the style I really want).

Thanks!

-- Montana Lady (Need@info.com), January 26, 1999

Answers

I do.

For the price I would recomend it. The grind is fine enough for baking, equal to store bought I believe. Of course you must sift the flour so don't forget the sifter! (I did) It's a bear to turn and must be solidly mounted. Frankly, after grinding a few pounds, I decided I will motorize it. Seems easy enough to do, I just haven't gotten that far yet.

Buy both the stone and iron grinding plates with it. Each has it's use. The iron will do about 80% of what you want, save the stone for really fine flour needs.

I am having fun playing with rice and bean flours. Pinto bean flour is spicy and makes a great addition to tortillas. It also makes a nice way to thicken soups, but go light. Rice flour seems to give our pancakes a nice crispness to the edges. My kids like them. Course, my kids would eat a dishrag if you soaked enough syrup into it.

Tell the truth, grinding by hand is so much work that Pancakes or bread would be a once a week treat if that was the only way to get flour. There's a darn good reason every town had a mill back in dem dere olden days. Lets pray we don't fall so far back that hand ground flour is the only way!

Short/near term.........A $20 K-mart blender will make flour too, and much easier than a hand grinder. Just do a little at a time though, too much and it won't work. About a cup of wheat at a time. I feed the grits to my chickens so nothing goes to waste.

I can't compare the little ark to other modern grinders. Haven't tried the others.......

-- Art Welling (artw@lancnews.infi.net), January 26, 1999.


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