There are three kinds of electric grain mills: stone burr mills, steel burr mills, and micronizing or impact mills.
Stone burr mills grind finer flour, produce less heat at finer settings, and wear better than steel burr mills. They can produce a wide range of textures from fine flour to cracked grain. With stones, you are limited to grinding dry materials of 12 percent moisture or less. Wet or oily materials, such as soybeans and peanuts, tend to coat the stones, making them useless. Stones can be cleaned by running through a handful of popcorn at a wide setting. Stone burrs must never be washed.
The steel burr plates are more versatile. Some can grind not only grain but also shells, roots, bark, dried bones, spices, and animal feed. If the mill gets gummed up, the burr plates can be washed and then dried in an oven.
Micronizing mills produce a finer flour than many stone mills. There is no glazing, overheating, or gumming because of the nature of the stainless-steel milling heads. They will grind any dry grain or bean but cannot be adjusted for coarser textures or cracked grains.
When looking for a mill, look for low-heat, self-cleaning mills that produce a flour you would be happy making bread out of. Consider whether you want the mill to produce more than bread-making flour (coarse flour, meal, cracked grains, etc.). Consider the ease of cleaning the outer parts of the mill, the size of the flour bin, and the size of the mill itself.
For comparisons of specific mills, go online to Pleasant Hill Grain or Mother Earth News.
Heavy-Duty Mixers
Heavy-duty mixers vary in size, wattage, bowl size, and cost. Wattage varies from 235 watts to 1200 watts. To make 8 pounds of dough, which makes 4 large loaves of bread, a 6-quart bowl and at least 500 watts of power are needed. A 325-watt machine will handle it for a time but will eventually burn out.
When buying a machine, consider how much bread you will make and how often you will make it. Also consider the bowl size, how easily ingredients can be added to the bowl, and ease of clean-up.
Most stand mixers of bread kneading capability also have attachments. Which attachments are available, and their quality, can help decide which machine to purchase.