Country Living Grain Mill

1. What touches the flour 40% of the rating 3 of 5

   Cast aluminum, stainless steel and carbon steel with no plastic named, but the housing and hopper are powder-coated, the maker does not say which surfaces touch grain, and the optional bin is plastic.

2. Grinding 15% of the rating 4 of 5

   Adjustable from cracked wheat to pastry flour in one pass, but the only output figure is from a 1985 review, owners report several passes for fine flour, and it clogs on oily, soft or damp grain.

3. Durability 20% of the rating 4 of 5

   Lifetime warranty on all parts except the finish, a 1976 maker and a parts list online. The plates carry one year and coverage is for the original owner in the US and Canada only.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   No recalls or Prop 65 notices found. Points off for calling the finish “FDA approved” with no compliance statement and for an unsourced “only hand mill in the world with a food grade finish” claim.

5. Value 15% of the rating 2 of 5

   $810 is the highest price of the mills here, and the large auger, counter clamp and motor kit cost extra.

The rating, 3.2 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank grain mills and our standard.

• Lehman’s (opens in a new tab) approx. $810. In stock on 2026-10-23. Lehman’s ships it to the lower 48 states only, to a street address. It also lists the motor kit at about $650.
• Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $810. Sold by a reseller (The Brky Guy) and shipped by Amazon, not by Country Living. The same $810 as the maker; 3 left on 2026-10-23. Country Living’s warranty is for the original owner and needs proof of purchase, so keep the order record.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Frame and hopper: cast “aircraft” aluminum I-beam housing, powder-coated. The maker calls the finish “FDA approved, food-grade” and does not say which surfaces carry it.
2. Grinding plates: high-carbon steel, not stone. Replacement set $185.
3. Shaft: stainless steel. Feed auger: stainless steel spring auger (a large auger for corn and beans is sold separately).
4. Bearings: two sealed agricultural-grade ball bearings. Lubricant not named.
5. Flywheel and handle: 12 in aluminum flywheel with a wooden handle.
6. Flour bin (optional, sold separately): high-impact polymer with a lid. Use your own glass or steel bowl instead.

Is the powder coat food safe, and does flour touch it?

Unclear. The maker’s reviews page (opens in a new tab) says the mill replaced its old enamel paint with a powder coat it calls “FDA-approved food grade”. “FDA approved” is a loose phrase: the FDA regulates the substances in food-contact coatings and how much may leach, for example under 21 CFR 175.300 (opens in a new tab), and a maker would normally state that its coating complies. Country Living gives no such statement and does not say which surfaces are coated. The warranty excludes the finish. We found nothing saying the coating is a fluoropolymer and nothing saying it is not.

How well does it grind, and how hard is it to turn?

The maker says it goes from cracked wheat to pastry flour in one pass. Owners are mixed. One who tried every US mill under $1,000 called it the only hand mill that gave acceptable flour (opens in a new tab) for more than survival cooking, though borderline for pasta. Another says it takes two to four passes (opens in a new tab) because it is easier to turn in stages. Einkorn is not on the maker’s list of grains (opens in a new tab); it calls spelt and rye somewhat soft, needing more grinding time.

How long do the plates last?

The steel plates wear. The product page calls them a wear item, the plates page (opens in a new tab) says a $185 set lasts 5 to 6 years of one-family use, about three tons of flour, and the warranty page (opens in a new tab) says at least 4 to 5 years while warranting them for one year.

Can the mill leave metal or grit in the flour?

We found no test of flour from this mill. A PubMed search (opens in a new tab) for studies of stone or metal wear in flour returned no results on 23 Oct 2026. The plates are carbon steel and the manual says to dry them at once if they get wet, to prevent rust.

Is the bin that fits under it plastic?

Yes. The flour bin package (opens in a new tab) lists a high-impact polymer bin with a lid. It is optional. Catch the flour in glass or steel instead.

• The maker names the metals: a cast “aircraft aluminum” I-beam frame, a stainless steel shaft, a stainless steel spring auger and high-carbon steel grinding plates (product page). No plastic part is named in the flour path.
• It has been made by the same company in Stanwood, Washington since 1976, with the owner’s manual, a troubleshooting guide and a parts list online. No CPSC recall or Prop 65 notice names it.
• The warranty is for life on all parts except the finish. The plates are warranted for one year and sell as a $185 set that the maker says lasts 5 to 6 years of one-family use, about three tons of flour (warranty and parts pages).
• It adjusts from cracked wheat to pastry flour in one pass. The maker’s only output figure, about 2½ pounds of fine flour in eight to ten minutes of continuous grinding, comes from a December 1985 magazine review.

• It is not a stone mill: the grain is crushed between steel plates. The maker says the mill is not suited to oily grains, seeds or nuts, and that soft or damp grain clogs the plates.
• The mill is powder-coated, which is a polymer finish. The maker calls it food-grade and FDA-approved, but does not say which surfaces carry it or give a compliance statement. The housing and hopper are cast aluminum, so grain probably touches the coating. The warranty excludes the finish.
• You turn it by hand and it must be mounted firmly to a counter or bench. A counter clamp (1/4-inch steel), a large auger and a motor kit are sold separately, and the optional flour bin is plastic.
• $810 is the highest price of the mills we list, and the warranty covers only US and Canadian sales.

1. Country Living Grain Mill: product page. Maker’s page. Materials, weight, size, “FDA approved, food-grade powder coating” and the lifetime warranty claim. Price read on 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Country Living Grain Mill: warranty and returns. Maker’s page. Lifetime on all parts except the finish; plates one year; US and Canada only; 15-day return. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Country Living Grain Mill: grinding plates. Maker’s page. $185 for a set of high-carbon steel plates; 5 to 6 years of normal family use, about three tons of flour. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. Country Living Grain Mill: reviews page. Maker’s page. Quotes a December 1985 magazine review for the output figure and says the mill is now powder-coated with an FDA-approved food-grade finish. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. Country Living Grain Mill: troubleshooting guide. Maker’s page. Says the mill is not recommended for oily grains, seeds or nuts; lists which grains clog the plates. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Country Living Grain Mill: owner’s manual. Maker’s page. Aluminum housing, cleaning and drying instructions, motorization limits. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Country Living Grain Mill and flour bin package. Maker’s page. The optional flour bin is a high-impact polymer. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Lehman’s: Country Living Grain Mill. Independent source. Price and shipping limits at a US retailer. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. Amazon: Country Living Hand Grain Mill. Independent source. Read 23 Oct 2026. $810.00, sold by The Brky Guy and shipped by Amazon; manufacturer listed as Country Living Productions. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search, defendant “Country Living Products”. Certifier or regulator listing. No results on 23 Oct 2026. The phrase “Country Living” alone matches one 2018 notice, which names Town & Country Living, an unrelated company. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. CPSC recall database, title search for Country Living. Certifier or regulator listing. An empty list. Description and product-name searches were also empty. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 175.300: resinous and polymeric coatings. Certifier or regulator listing. The FDA rule for coatings that touch food: permitted substances and extractive limits. It lists polyester and epoxy resins, the usual powder-coat chemistries. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. PubMed search: millstone wear, flour, contamination, grit. Independent source. No results on 23 Oct 2026. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. Reddit r/preppers: looking for a good hand-crank grain mill (January 2024). Independent source. One owner’s comparison of US mills under $1,000; an experience, not a test. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
15. Reddit r/HomeMilledFlour: what mill would you recommend (August 2025). Independent source. An owner of a Country Living and an impact mill; one experience, not a test. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• GrainMaker Model No. 44 A US-made hand mill with 4-inch steel burrs and a 3-cup steel hopper, $625, with a lifetime guarantee that covers the burrs and applies in all countries.
• hawos Molere Beech, stone and a glass bowl, $299.50 in the US, but slower: about 25 g of fine flour a minute.
• Kornkraft Mia Mola A beech hand mill with Naxos basalt stones in a named magnesite binding, about 50 g of fine flour a minute. $329.50.

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