Kitchen Aid brand grain mill...and good?

Title pretty much sums it up. I have a Kitchen Aid mix with an assortment of accesories, but not the grain mill (but might be able to find a cheap used one). I was wondering if it any good.

I also have a Starbucks coffee grinder (not a cheap model) and was wondering how well this is for crushing grains?

Thanks,
Matt

no idea about the grain mill; a coffee grinder is no good, though.

I've wondered the same thing. I know that some of the dedicated grain crushers are less expensive, but they're bulky and have low WAF (wife acceptance factor). On the other hand I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer about every day and could probably get away with another attachment without too much trouble. I just wonder if it can crush coarsely enough for mashing.

Anyone ever tried the Kitchenaid attachment for barley crushing?

Chad

ETA: Yes, I did search. There are a couple of threads but they all boil down to "that's too expensive -- buy a real grain mill for less." Which is not particularly helpful, especially since none of the posters had actually used a Kitchenaid grain mill.

From a very old Homebrew Digest thread:

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 90 22:36:39 EST
From: hisata!doug at gatech.edu
Subject: In defense of KitchenAid grain mills


Yes, the KitchenAid grain mill works just fine for crushing grains.
It is easily adjustable, from grinding fine enough to make a powder
to coarse enough to let whole grains pass through unscathed. I've
been using it for several years for my grains, without a problem.
And since you can dump a cup or two of grain into the hopper at a time,
you can monitor the grind and adjust it as needed while still grinding
away. For instance, I usually have to grind a little finer for black
patent than pale malt, since the grains tend to be a bit smaller.

No complaints from me. Like most everything KitchenAid makes, it's
rugged as hell. (Their plastic attachments tend to be a bit wimpier
and sometimes crack after many long years of use.)

Bumpin' and grindin',
Doug

Great, thanks! That's the type of information I've been looking for.

Chad

Extra credit points are avaliable if the grinder is bought for SWMBO as a gift
i'd suggest not using it right away though... give it a week if you can...

I have a KitchenAid mixer and wondered the same thing. You hear a lot of people poo-poo those mills, but I have only heard good things about the crush from people who have actually tried it.

However, a couple of notes: the hopper on those mills is VERY small and it will be a real PITA to run 10 or 12 lbs of grain through it unless you can DIY up something bigger (but be careful not to put too much stress on the grinder/mixer or you could damage your mixer).

Second, those KitchenAid mills aren't cheap. For the same price, you can almost get a proper roller-mill for crushing grains that is, simply put, going to work MUCH better. Or, for much less than the cost of a KitchenAid mill, you can get a Corona-style mill and get a similar crush. That's what I ended up doing and was glad to have saved all that $ for something else in my system.

Not trying to dissuade you from the KitchenAid system, but there are some potentially 'hidden' disadvantages worth considering.

I have a KA mixer as well and two things you may want to consider. You should only do it if you have to 6 QT bowl lift model because you will kill the motor in the smaller ones. I have also read alot of reviews about the mill that say that it is the only bad thing Kitchenaid has ever made. They said that it either broke or did not work well at all. These people were probably making flour and not just cracking but its just something to consider.

The Kitchenaid grain mill attachment looks like $130, new at Target.

The BarleyCrusher is $120, new, at Northern Brewer (or bought direct from the guy who makes them). I've used the BC, I'm buying one for myself shortly. It makes an absolutely perfect crush for brewing, is adjustable, and seems to be robust enough where I shouldn't ever need to worry about having to buy another. Plus, it comes with a hopper and everything else I need.

Unless you've got a bead on a cheap source for Kitchenaid goods, it's hard to see how that's going to be your best option.