Grinding hard white wheat in my Komo Fidibus Classic Grain Mill
Last year, I shared a post here titled "Why Grind Your Own Grain?" and briefly discussed the grain mill we were using at the time, as well as the one we were hoping to purchase. Shortly after, we met our savings goal and made the (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime purchase of the Komo Fidibus Classic Grain Mill.
Now that we've used the Komo mill for several months, I wanted to share a brief review and update you regarding our purchase.
We spent quite a bit of time researching mills, and especially gleaned from the brief user reviews and ratings available on Amazon.com. The mill sold by Amazon is called the Wolfgang Tribest Mill; it is the same mill as the Komo Fidibus Classic, but marketed to the U.S. We found that the U.S. price seemed to be slightly higher, and ultimately made the purchase from a company that shipped from Canada via You're the Cure.
What I like most about this mill:
- beautiful in appearance
- made from durable beech wood
- fits on my counter well
- ultra hard, long-lasting millstone
- industrial strength motor
- German-made and top quality craftsmanship
- easy to turn the hopper and change the fineness of the grind
- self-cleaning (this was very important to me in a mill; my last one was fairly difficult to clean)
- ground flour comes out fairly cool, retaining nutrients
- convenient and easy to use --- just flip the switch
What I don't really care for:
- I thought it would be quieter than it is, although it is still quieter than my previous mill
- the mill must be switched on before you add the grain to the hopper, or it will jam
Here's a 30-second video clip of my own mill, if you'd like to see it in action:
For more information on the Komo Mill Manufacturers, they recently released this informative video you might find interesting:
Would I buy this mill again? Absolutely.
You can read other reviews for the mill on Amazon here.
Warmly,
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to Like a Bubbling Brook email updates - it's free!
Follow along on Facebook. NEW! Now you can also join us on Twitter.
[also shared at Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday, Real Food Wednesday, Gratituesday, Domestically Divine, {Titus2}sdays, and the Homestead Barn Hop]
Wow! That mill is just lovely! Much nicer looking than my Nutrimill! I have never heard of this brand- thanks for sharing!
Very pretty!!! Wow, I sure hope it is a once in a lifetime purchase
Why oh why do they make these things so EXPENSIVE??? I would have NEVER been able to afford to buy one. I am still thanking the Lord that Lehman’s agreed to allow me a product review!! Have fun grinding!
Oh, Kendra, I hope it’s once-in-a-lifetime, too. We saved a looooonnnggggg time for it! I think I even sold a few things, lol
I saw these a few years ago. They are very pretty, but I would not trade my Nutrimill for it. I can stop and start it without a hitch. Even if price was not an object… I go for functionality
…and I sewed a pretty cover for mine.
I bought it from Shar’s Kitchen http://www.sharskitchen.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SK&Product_Code=130-7602 I do think the wood one is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
A friend of mine has the Nutrimill, too, and it very pleased with it! It seems to be a great mill.
Jamie, I’m so glad to see you did a review of this mill. I have a Whisper mill and am very happy with it, but eventually my daughter will need a mill of her own. I thought about getting me one of these and giving her mine, but I don’t know many people who have one and thus, how they like it. Sounds like you’re happy. I would love to see one in person so I could see the flour. Does it grind flour really fine?
Dear Amy, I can get the flour very fine, in my opinion… if you were closer I would invite you over for tea and we could run the mill together so you could see it firsthand
I would love that!
Jaime,
Wow, this Mill looks wonderful. I’m going to go read your other post on why grind your own grain. I have heard various reasons for it, but would like to have your intake on it.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Jasmine!
I’m not seeing your mill listed on the Your the Cure website you indicated – only the commercial sized one. Can you help me find the price point you indicated was a discount?
I noticed it’s not there right now, either; maybe it’s out of stock right now? Maybe they would give you more info over the phone, or direct you to another vendor? We paid about 20% less than the Amazon price, if that helps.
April, I did a bit more searching, and found another site that carries it – I haven’t dealt with them, but their price is less than Amazon’s price and shipping is free as well: http://www.grainmillshop.com/KoMo-Fidibus-Classic
I would still contact You’re the Cure before making your purchase, though; they were a bit less, and wonderful to deal with.
Thanks Jaime — I will contact You’re the Cure.
I did contact the You’re the Cure company — they answered the phone directly. When I asked if they were carrying the Mill he simply said, “No, we’re not,” and did not offer any explanation as he quickly got off the phone. I’m not sure what the reason could be, but that is disappointing. The other site you gave me said they would price-match, so I really wish You’re The Cure was still in the market with these. The other website indicates a 13 year warranty as well.
I’m really interested in making this investment… this is THE ONE for you, right? Any other last thoughts as to why this one? Are you making your own muesli as well?
Oh, April, I wish they still had it! Maybe they were priced too low? The other link I sent is really close in price, though. I love the mill, and would definitely purchase it all over again. I love that it’s beautiful enough to leave out on my counter (so convenient!) and that it is self-cleaning. Did you look at the Amazon reviews? The customers there all seem to be thrilled with it as well.
That is a neat looking mill — I will have to read your post about why to grind your own grain — it’s something I’ve read about a bit but have not really gone beyond that yet.
I’m a new follower from the Heavenly Homemaker meme
What a beautiful mill! I love my Nutrimill, but I have to admit, it is nowhere that pretty!
Thanks for the review. And also, thanks for sharing this post at the Homestead Barn Hop! Hope to see you again next week!
Great post and a beautiful mill indeed! I’m going to seriously consider getting a mill and this one will have to be given some serious consideration. Thank you for the informative post
Can this mill produce pastry grade flour?
kk, I’m not sure how measure if it is “pastry grade” or not, but it can grind very, very fine if that is the setting I have it on, and certainly fine enough for anything I’ve baked. On the opposite end, it can also grind very coarsely. It’s certainly versatile in that area.
Jaime -
I have now read the reviews at Amazon and another site that talked extensively about the “21″ model. I would be making quite a life change for my family in moving forward on this purchase, but the arguments are very convincing.
I’m curious, do you do Ezekiel bread? That combo looked very good to me — I’m a vegetarian and the protein is appealing. If so, do you do it all in your mill?
Thanks soooo much for this first hand feedback.
April, I have not made Ezekiel bread, only because the times I’ve had it, I didn’t care for it. However, I do purchase Ezekiel wraps. They are delicious with my Black Bean Tacos and are pictured in the photo on that page. I have not made them. If you try to make them, please share! I’d love to know how it went for you.
Also, I’m not sure that the mill would be used much or at all in making an Ezekiel bread; I think they are made mostly with sprouted grains, not necessarily flours or ground grains, but I could be wrong.
Hope that helps a little.
Hey Jamie,
Actually Ezekiel bread appears to be a combo of a number of grains and one or two types of dried beans — hence my question about whether you’ve used it in your mill. The mix I’m looking at is demonstrated on that very well-know Becker Bread website — I didn’t see any sprouts. She insists though heavier (which made her shy of demonstrating it to people new to grinding) she was surprised when even newbies expressed how delicious it was. She does not tout it as an everyday bread, however. She poured the whole pre-measured mix into her mill (a different brand name) and also grinds it to use in her muffin mixes and pancake batters from time to time. Apparently there are a few different takes on this bread — since yours was so sprouty. Did you have a fresh ground one, or the one that goes by that brand name in the Health Food stores?
Yes, I was referring to what I’d purchased from the health food store: http://www.foodforlife.com/our-products/sprouted-grain/ezekiel-49
Bread Beckers is a wonderful site; I’m sure if she (Sue?) has a recipe there, it’s delicious! Now I’m curious – I may need to try it!
Likewise I’m intrigued ( I didn’t like that brand name bread either), but I wonder if you (and I if I purchase this beautiful Komo) would need to grind the beans separate in a processor or coffee grinder or something? Do let us know if you try it in the near future— I would LOVE to hear your thoughts as I’m weighing my decision. Did you have a longing to do cornbread or grits? We enjoy both on occasion but I don’t know if the milling of popcorn should sway my decision. Did it weigh in on yours???? I really do like the thought of keeping this beautiful mill on my counter as there is no doubt in my mind that if I choose to start milling — the mill has to stay on the counter for convenience sake seeing how little use my food processor gets just behind the cabinet door! I dislike things on my counter top but this seems far more palatable than white plastic. Ahhh….. decisions, decisions. Thanks so much for your inspiration and insight.
This is such a beautiful machine! It seems so small and unobtrusive too. I love your pictures!
Thank you so much for the review! We are planning on buying the Komo (that is, when we save up enough $…we’re almost there!) Not many people have mills to begin with, so it’s always great to see someone’s opinion on one first-hand. It’s just so so so GORGEOUS!
Jaime, you are so awesome! I am so glad I had some time to read through many of your posts tonight. I have been thinking about getting a grain mill, because I am not happy with my VitaMix, it doesn’t grind it fine enough to my liking and if I try to keep it on longer, the flour gets really hot and begins to stick. I am going to have to start pinching my pennies and save for your gorgeous mill! Thanks so much for the post and the videos!! Blessings, sweet friend!
kel
Kelly, I love my mill! Let me know if you have any questions during your time of “saving”, lol
We had to save before buying it, too! xoxo
I know some fresh-ground flours have to be sifted because mills tend to leave behind larger bits of un-ground wheat bran. How is this mill with getting a consistently fine flour?
Laura, I haven’t had a problem with that.
I watched a dual review of the Nutri-Mill and the Wonder Mill and they sifted out wheat bran from each mill’s results. Is this one really that much better? Why don’t more people have this one?
Laura, I really can’t speak for anyone else’s decision… you may want to look at the user reviews available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DZ6TGA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=3omm3b-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B001DZ6TGA
Good luck in your search!
Thanks for this review. I am in the saving process for buying this mill! I am really happy to have found your website…that is an added bonus to having read your review of the mill!
Have a glorious day in the Lord!
I too have this mill and I really love it – I also would highly recommend it above other options. I don’t seem to have problems with my mill jamming if the hopper is filled before grinding. As for those asking about pastry grade flour, it does. I also purchased the sifters so I can sift out the bran and I can produce a wonderfully fine pastry flour with soft local wheat.
Hi Jaime
I also have KoMo mill, I have been playing around with different setting and found If I don’t set the mill to the finest setting I am able to fill the hopper first then turn on the mill without jamming the motor. The flour seems be fine for bread making. I have just order the sifter to try to make cakes and better bread.
I am new to bread baking and milling flour so I have a lot to learn but wanted to see what setting you are milling your wheat?
Thanks Allen
You might be on to something… I do use the fine setting most of the time!