International Plug Adapter
By Chris | July 3, 2009As we now sell many grain mills internationally, we’ve had the question pop up a time or two as to what kind of plug adapter will I need?
The WonderMill 240v model comes with what is known as a Type-G adapter. It looks like this:
The countries that use this type plug include: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Channel Islands, China, Cyprus, Dominica, El Salvador, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
So what if your country is not on that list? Fear not! A simple plug adapter will work well for you. When we sell our mills, we haven’t included adapters with the purchases primarily because so many customers do already have them. However, if you do need one, we can provide one (for $9.99 including free shipping). They will look something like this one for Australia/New Zealand:
To learn more about worldwide electrical systems, click here, and to see what type of adapter you would need, click here and look for your country.
Remember, these adapters DO NOT convert 110-120v electricity into 220-240v (or the other way around). They simply change the plugs from one style to another. Plugging a 110-120v (USA style) device into a 220-240v outlet could cause significant damage. That is why we sell two different models of the WonderMill (110-120v and 220-240v).
And on that note, have you ever wondered why some people call it 110v, others call it 120v, and even some call it 115v? In America, the power companies desire to produce household electricity (after going through all the transformers and such) at 120 volts. Because of many variables including line loss, loads on the power grid, etc., the voltage may vary somewhat. Because of this, appliances are designed to accommodate a wide range of voltages and still work. If you look at the little black boxes near the plugs of many of your appliances, you may see the range it allows for.
In any case, something listed in the neighborhood of 110-120v will work pretty much anywhere in the United States. If something is listed with a voltage approximately in the range of 220-240v, then it will work pretty much everywhere else.
We hope this helps, and happy milling!
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Wonder Junior $20 Rebate
By Chris | June 13, 2009From June 15th through August 15th, purchase a Wonder Junior Deluxe or Basic and you will be eligible for a $20 manufacturer’s rebate. That’s right! Purchase a mill from us and you’ll get $20 back! You must purchase on or after June 15th and on or before August 15th, 2009.
Simply postmark the rebate form by August 30th, 2009, and include a copy of your PayPal receipt, the “USA DESIGN PATENTED” label from the box, and a self-addressed stamped envelope, along with a completed rebate form.
The form will be emailed to every customer who purchases a mill. If you’d like a copy of the form prior to purchasing, you can click here to view it.
If you don’t already have one of these, now would be the time to invest in one. Already have one? Now would be the time to tell a friend or relative about this great deal.
You can purchase a Wonder Junior Deluxe or Basic and you’ll receive a $20 rebate directly from The WonderMill. Not too bad, eh?
So, if you’ve been considering getting a hand grain mill, now would be the time. Click on the Wonder Junior Hand Mill on the right under “Kitchen Essentials” for more details! We always offer the lowest prices on these mills, guaranteed!
So, click on over or get this great info to a friend, but don’t miss out on this great rebate!
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Vita-Mix, WonderMill, or Wonder Junior
By Chris | May 14, 2009In another post, Meg wrote:
Chris, I have a few questions about the Wonder Junior. I have heard that the hand cranks are really labor intensive and then the flour comes out course. What are your thoughts? Also, I am interested in getting a mill with stone heads, the WonderMill Grain Mill doesn’t have stone heads right? I would love the ease of electric and the benefits of stone ground, but all the options I have seen on the market are $500. What do you suggest? Thanks.
Because of the length of reply, I’ve made it into a new post in addition to my reply.
Meg,
Thanks for commenting. I’ll try to address each question individually.
Yes, hand mills are labor intensive, but that’s not all bad. An electric mill is great for large quantities of flour when you have electricity, but a hand mill can still get the job done, even when power is not available, or you just don’t want to use it.
For ease of use, our soon-to-be six-year-old can grind coffee in it, so it definitely doable, but yes, it will take more work than flipping the switch. So, I wouldn’t buy a hand mill for the ease of use, but I wouldn’t discount a hand mill because its too hard to use, either. Does that make sense?
As for the grind, I think you’ll find that with the stone heads, the grind is actually as fine (or finer) compared to electric mills. They do an excellent job. However, the labor does go up a bit more when you crank down the stones to get a very fine grind. But, like a mentioned before, still doable.
You are correct about the WonderMill electric mill…the heads are metal and not stone, so if you are specifically looking for stone ground flour, then the Wonder Junior would be the way to go. In addition, the Wonder Junior Deluxe comes with a set of steel heads that allow you to grind wet/oily grains, coffee, etc. Because the entire mill is washable, you can clean the steel heads when done, unlike the electric mill.
As for recommendations, it depends on what your priorities are. I think for most people, electricity is available, and most likely will be for a while. As long as “stone ground” isn’t a “must-have”, then the electric mill (WonderMill) is the ideal for those making breads. It is quick and easy to use, so you’ll tend to use it more often. It doesn’t do wet/oily grains, coffee, etc., but you can use a Vita-Mix to do all that. That’s what we primarily do. In fact, you can do quite a bit MORE with a Vita-Mix, but it won’t grind flour quite as fine as the WonderMill.
If you’re concerned about having power-out ability, stone-ground flour, or the ability to grind up nuts, wet herbs, etc., then the Wonder Junior Deluxe would be the way to go.
If you just want an all-around useful machine that does everything, then the Vita-Mix is the way to go.
Or, you can get all three. This lets you make great smoothies, nut butters, butter, ice cream, and more in the Vita-Mix, make great wheat in the WonderMill, and have an excellent power-out option using the Wonder Junior. The order we bought our appliances was: Vita-Mix, WonderMill (electric), Wonder Junior Deluxe. We also use them in that order of priority. Hope that helps, and feel free to ask more questions on any of those topics if I didn’t go into enough detail.
Topics: Kitchen Appliances | 1 Comment »
Free Shipping - All Parts
By Chris | May 11, 2009We’re now able to offer free shipping on all of our WonderMill and Wonder Junior parts. Please visit our parts page to browse the selection. Need a new filter for your WonderMill? How about a set of steel burrs for a Wonder Junior Basic and turn it into a Deluxe? We’ve got them all, and they all cost nothing to ship! Enjoy!
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Millet
By Chris | May 8, 2009
As we participated in one of the local farmer’s markets yesterday, we had several questions in regards to millet. What is it? What can you use it for? Why is it good for me? Hopefully this article will clear up some of those questions for you.
The grain itself is produced predominantly in India and Africa and because it is so drought tolerant, has become a staple food in these regions. You can grind it into a flour to make flatbreads, you can brew it into beers, or cook it and make it into a porridge.
Millet has many of the same nutritional properties as wheat. However, millet is gluten free, so those with coeliac should have no problems with this wheat alternative. Because of this, you cannot make a typical bread unless you combine with other gluten products, but it does make an excellent flatbread. It is very high in vitamin B17 which makes it an excellent choice for fighting and preventing cancer.
To cook it, add a small amount of oil to your pot. Add the millet and gently “toast” the grain, being careful not to burn. Using roughly equal amounts of water to millet, add water, cover, and cook about 20 minutes or until the water has absorbed.
You can purchase millet at your local farmer’s market or health food store. Or, let us know, and we’d be happy to ship you a bag of any size. Questions? Leave us a comment!
Topics: Bread | No Comments »
Wonder Junior Stone Heads
By Chris | April 1, 2009Recently, we’ve had several customers ask what material the the Wonder Junior Hand Mill stone heads are made of. Hopefully this article will shed some light on it.
The stones are made of Naxos-basalt. What is this, you may ask? Basalt is a type of volcanic rock, this specific variety from the Mediterranean island of Naxos. It is a very durable rock commonly used in a variety of mills as well as for whetstones (stones for sharpening knives). Naxos is one of the many islands that make up the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea (off the coast of Greece). The region is one of the few places in the world where you can still acquire natural white basalt stones and marble.
The stones for the Wonder Junior are then made from granules of basalt combined with a magnesite cement. The cement has a similar hardness to the basalt.
Using the stones as opposed to metal does improve the grind as the stones will stay sharper and are able to provide a finer grind. For the Wonder Junior, this means approximately 20% finer flour than when using the steel heads which come with it. 
We’re curious, though, to hear what our customers and others have to say about the stones. Have you used them, and what do you think?
Topics: Kitchen Appliances | 2 Comments »
Soda Tax and Diet Drinks
By Chris | January 22, 2009I came across an article online today that caught my eye. The title…”New York’s Soda Tax Scam”. Wow, a tax on soda? What will they think of next. But as I read through the article, something bigger caught my eye. The tax is only on regular, full-sugar cans of pop. The diet ones are specifically excluded because the logic behind this tax is that people are fat and should stop drinking soda.
Their are many problems with this idea. First, from a governmental perspective, this is just outright wrong to have the government deciding what you can and cannot eat. Fast forward 20-30 years when socialized medicine is fully entrenched. What is to stop the government from not only taxing, but even banning foods it does not want you to eat. If they have to pay the medical bill to fix you, then they’ll definitely want to have a say as to what goes into your body. The outworkings of this are astonishing. But, this is a food site, and I digress.
The big food issue I saw here and wanted to highlight is the mentality that calories are bad, and less is better. Diet soda, in the government’s eyes, are OK to drink, but the ones with sugar are not. The only thing they are basing this on is numbers of calories. But, if you’re a regular reader of this site, you already know that calories aren’t the enemy. Our bodies need energy to live and to grow. The real problem is the foods (or should I say, food-like-substances) we put in our bodies.
So, when we look at a diet soda, and hear the government tell us that we should drink them instead of a can of full-sugar soda, we need to realize that the two choices really are like saying, “get cancer but don’t be fat.” Both choices mimic real nutrition and the need that all humans have to seek out and consume calories. However, neither is a healthy food, and both will cause long term damage. You’re just picking between two poisons.
The full-sugar can of soda does indeed have a super-abundance of processed sweetness. But the can of diet soda has an equal amount of chemicals that resembles sweetness. Your body really doesn’t want either of these things. We just need to realize that just because we abandon the white sugar in the soda, doesn’t mean the chemical substitutes that get put in are any better. They’ll just cause a different disease.
So, my encouragement is that when you finally get the conviction that white sugar is bad, don’t jump off the other cliff and start pouring the diet chemicals into your body. And likewise, whatever the government tells you about food…you can pretty much ignore.
Topics: In Defense of Food | No Comments »
Kitchen Basics - Grains
By Mercy | October 9, 2008This week, my children and I made many varieties of wheat products. Usually, we just make either European-style bread or tortillas (using sourdough starter.) However, this week we made cinnamon-raisin flat bread, seeded crackers, cherry bread, and bagels using the same starter. The process is basically the same, up to a point. You begin by grinding your wheat (preferably in a WonderMill or Wonder Junior grain mill). Add about 4-5 cups to your mixer, 1 1/2 cups of starter and water. Knead and let it rest 4 hours or till doubled. Add sea salt or any other ingredients. Shape and stuff how you wish, then leave for another 3-4 hours. Then bake or cook/cool or eat! It is easy with some practice!
I am a firm believer in the idea that if it’s not in your house, you will not eat it (usually)! So, if you leave the polished white rice, Nabisco crackers, hamburger buns, spaghetti noodles (even the “whole grain” variety) and other wheat based products **AT THE STORE** you will teach yourself how to make tasty whole grain foods. Don’t be alarmed if it takes you some time to develop your niche recipes. The key is to keep practicing to gain the right consistency and flavor.
While there are many whole grains available for purchase (e.g. - millet, Kamut, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.), we tend to utilize the staples of wheat and brown rice in our home. Some of the unusual grains, like the ones mentioned above, I bought at one time and have to use them up. But, lesson learned…don’t make weird things for your family! Here are some things we do at our home that are familiar to the pallet:
- Sprouted wheat bread (homemade or Ezekiel brand store-bought bread)
- Sourdough pancakes (does not have to taste sour, though)
- Sourdough, whole-wheat tortillas (we eat these all the time!!! Lunch roll-up, quesadillas, etc.)
- Bread, Bread, Bread…soft loaf, hearth-style, rolled and stuffed with fruit or meat (such as sausage and parmesan cheese…creativity abounds!)
- Flat bread (goes especially well with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean Themes) or, cinnamon-raisin flat bread
- Noodles (need to experiment more in this area…the trick is to be able to get it fermented, but still retain a consistent texture)
- Cookies, using arrowroot powder or brown rice powder (brown rice put through the grain mill sweetened with honey)
These are just some ideas to get you thinking about using whole grains in your kitchen. Every family has “comfort” foods. The trick is to go slowly, don’t scare your family, and learn the methods of cooking best suited to the grain. And remember not to use baker’s yeast in cooking whole wheat. It makes the grain incredibly hard to digest. To purchase a bread starter, Carl Griffith has 150-year dry packs online. Just send him a stamped envelope. Another good resource is Northwest Sourdough.
If you do not have a food co-op in your area, you may want to purchase grain online. I buy mine from Wheat Montana and Lundburg Rice (Organic Brown Basmati Rice).
Happy Baking!
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Kitchen Basics - Sugars
By Mercy | October 6, 2008For most people, the term “healthy eating” conjures up many fears and even guilt. This is due, in part, to the confusion that shrouds food today. We are bombarded by what we hear “experts” telling us to eat, diet gurus touting health fads, and the advertising from major food producers. It’s no wonder that we feel confused! In order to understand what to eat, we must first understand the “genesis” of food, or the beginnings of food. What is food supposed to be? When you think of any food or menu item, the first question you need to ask yourself is, “What is this ‘food’ supposed to be?”
Let’s start with sugar:
We all know, by now, the dangers associated with processed sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and other cheap substitutes. Unfortunately, these types of sugars are found in almost all foods sold large-scale. Here’s what sugar should be:
Obviously, fruit is a natural source of sugar. Dried or fresh: apricots, dates, apples, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, papaya, coconut, mango, plums, peaches, pears, grapes, bananas etc. Add fruit to salads, blend dried cherries with cream cheese and honey for a whole-wheat sourdough bagel spread. Eat it in trail mix, smoothies, raw, in breads and cooked grains…the possibilities are endless! If you will be sure to eat fruit, you will have less cravings for other sugar.
Other Sweeteners:
Agave nectar
Stevia (great for beverages)
Raw honey
Unrefined, dried sugar cane juice*
Pure Maple Syrup
These are some of the ways I use sugar in our home. Next time I’ll be writing about how I use grain.
* One name brand of dried sugar cane juice is Rapadura
Topics: Kitchen Basics | 1 Comment »
Food Feelings
By Mercy | October 4, 2008When you eat a meal, how do you feel afterward? This is not a plea for inner esoteric musings, really…I mean how do you feel, physically? Satisfied? Hungry? Sick? These are all questions that you should be asking yourself every time you eat. Based on your conclusions, you should either return to that same food another time or refrain.
Here are three telltale signs that you should NOT eat a particular food again:
1. Food gives you a headache
2. Food makes you sleepy or lethargic
3. You crave sugar after your meal
Have we forgotten what the purpose of food is? It is to supply your body with the right balance of nutrients and vitamins and it is to provide energy for your body to function at its optimum levels. Headaches are often caused from artificial ingredients and dyes, dangerous fats (like most that are sold today), and other processed ingredients. Headaches and lethargy are symptoms of a deeper problem…a system that has taken in more toxins than nutrients. The body begins to draw extensively from its reserves in order to pass the toxins out of the body and to aid digestion. To do this, it must slow down other functions in order to give energy to the problem. Craving sugar or desserts right after a meal is also a sure sign that you are not getting the right balance of nutrition. Perhaps you view food like a balance (i.e. - “As long as I eat some good stuff, I can add a few sweets to reward myself”). This is not how you want to view food! Your meals should be regular, include whole foods, not processed, and have natural sugars. Let’s contrast two different menus. You may want to try this as an experiment. On the first day, eat “Menu 1″, and then try “Menu 2″ and see if you notice a difference in how you feel.
Menu 1
Breakfast - bowl of blueberries with fresh cream (from raw milk), homemade sourdough bread with fresh butter, warm herbal tea
Lunch - homemade beef barley soup (real stock, fresh vegetables that are not over cooked, and grass-fed meat), grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade sourdough bread.
Dinner - pasture-raised whole baked chicken seasoned with sea salt and pepper, steamed corn on the cob with butter and unrefined sea salt, homemade sourdough bread, and kefir wine
Snack - raw milk and carob powder drink (sweetened with maple syrup). Handful of almonds (soaked for 8 hours in unrefined sea salt and water and dehydrated)
Menu 2
Breakfast - canned fruit cocktail, Wonder Bread (white or whole grain/wheat), margarine, and crystal light drink mix
Lunch - can of Campbell’s beef vegetable soup, grilled cheese sandwich made with American cheese, store bought bread and margarine
Dinner - chicken breasts marinated in a store-bought sauce and cooked in 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, canned corn, Rice-a-Roni, Pillsbury crescent rolls, beer
Snack - chocolate milk and store bought trail mix (usually seasoned with sugar, salt and soybean/cottonseed oil)
It should be obvious which menu is going to provide you with fuel for the day. However, in our self-imposed busy schedule, we have come to believe that fruit is fruit, bread is bread, salt is salt, and meat is meat. I challenge you to see for yourself the difference that you can have if you seek out natural sources of food in you locale area. Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you have to patronize the local heath food store and pay unreasonable rates for unfamiliar food. It may be as simple as pulling over on the side of the road and picking some berries.
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