Manual Cast Iron Grain Mill with High Hopper, Premium Corn-Grinding Mill and Grain Grinder, Made in Colombia

I purchased this Victoria Manual Cast Iron Grain Mill mainly to grind raw, inexpensive sunflower seeds into fine sunflower chips for our wild finches—and it works perfectly for that! The mill is solidly built, very sturdy, and easy to assemble. Adjusting the grind setting is simple, allowing me to get exactly the texture I want—fine enough to be easy for the finches to eat, but not so fine that it turns into flour. The hopper holds a generous amount of seeds, and the clamp mounts securely to my workbench. It grinds smoothly and efficiently without any wobble or slippage. Overall, this is a high-quality, well-designed tool that feels like it will last a lifetime. I’ve included a photo showing the texture of the ground sunflower seeds—it’s just right for finch feeders. Highly recommended!

Wish I could give this mill more stars! Grinds nixtamalized corn to a fine texture that’s perfect for making home made corn tortillas from scratch.

Grinds perfectly. Easy to use, good quality, good size

Works great for grinning my peas for my Roti

Let's be 100 per cent clear: this is NOT a dry grain grinder! Yes, you can use it to make peanut butter or grind coffee or even crack grains for cooking or brewing, but if you're looking for a flour mill my best advice is to buy an actual flour mill. This mill is intended to mill wet corn. It is very good at that. The very first thing to do out of the box is to wash the mill in hot soapy water. I like to put the mill body, front brace, auger/rotating burr and associated wing nuts spread out on a cookie sheet and put into a 250F oven for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the oven cool. (I do not put the crank arm and wooden handle in the oven.) This helps insure that water is evaporated from the crannies where you can't reach with a towel. The very second thing to do is to get a couple of pounds of cheap generic pinto beans and grind them in the mill. The purpose of this is to remove any bits of the tin plating or machining swarf that may be left in the grinder. Throw out the ground beans because they will have metal bits in them. I grind masa three times through for best texture. I set the mill quite close for all three passes. I also made a "Masa Masher" wood pestle to push the masa down into the auger after the first pass. The website masienda.com has excellent videos about making masa; I encourage you to read and watch even if you think you know what you're doing. I took off the red plastic cover over the burrs. It's a good idea but masa tends to build up under the cover and squish out the back. This not only gets masa all over but it also partially blocks the burrs from clearing as you grind. I made an aluminum plate that fits just behind the stationary burr and is held on by the screws that hold down the brace. This allows masa to curl up but then fall into the pie plate I have under the burrs. Before each use, I recommend putting just a couple drops of vegetable oil onto the ball bearing inside the brace. That will help prevent wear in that spot, which gets a lot of pressure. I find an old toothbrush is handy for cleaning to get the masa out from where the stationary burr attaches to the front of the mill body. Leaving masa stuck in there risks mould, also rust. If you prepare the mill well, use carefully for the intended purpose and clean/dry well it should last for decades.

!!!! DO NOT USE THIS FOR FOOD UNTIL YOU HAVE READ REVIEWS. THIS GRINDER WILL, WITHOUT QUESTION, LEAVE PAINT AND POSSIBLY METAL SHAVINGS IN YOUR FOOD. !!!! Other reviewers have written countless warnings and I took all into account before purchasing this product. I was fully prepared to take a cheap piece of garbage and work it into a usable machine, and that's exactly what will be happening. The WORST offense of this product is the coating. This is not a nitpick coming from almost every negative review, The ENTIRE machine is coated in metallic silver spray / powder coat, INCLUDING the grinding wheels. It is not a question of IF, you WILL get chips of paint in your food. It took me less than 3 rotations of the handle for the wheels to start spitting out shiny little bits of paint (see attached photos of the paint on my fingers and shorts). This is no doubt harmful to the consumer and is simply lazy on the producer's end. If you still plan to purchase this, please for the sake of yours and your family's health, give the whole thing a long bath in paint thinner, then give it some canola oil to protect the (incredibly cheap) cast iron from the inevitable oxidation. The LESS offensive problems would mostly come down to construction. Only the hopper is made of steel, the rest of this product is made of cheap powder cast iron that is improperly treated and extremely brittle, typical for cheap overseas metal products. There are extremely poor tolerances in almost every aspect, but they're manageable with small adjustments, new wingnuts, and rubber grommets. JB Weld is probably more structurally sound than the entire grinder so don't be afraid to glue it back together when it eventually snaps. The last complaint that myself and hundreds of others have had is the ridiculous amount of NON FOOD SAFE LUBRICANT that this thing was drenched in upon arriving. Smelled (and tasted, don't judge) like 3 in 1 machine lubricant. It was actually almost impossible to hold in my hand until three rounds of degreaser and dish soap. I'm still planning on putting charcoal through the grinder a couple more times to get the last of the paint and lube. For a $50 used, repackaged, powder cast iron that needed a little love and elbow grease, I would be perfectly happy to take this and shut up considering how much a good grain grinder is. But the fact that they are selling hundreds of these a month and implying that this thing is safe to use for food right out of the box is just immoral and frankly quite upsetting. I will be reporting this product and I hope you will too, it's literally criminal that this product is being sold without warnings.

The Victoria Manual Grain Grinder with High Hopper is a solid, old-school kitchen tool built for those who value hands-on food prep. Made in Colombia with durable cast iron, this grinder is designed to last and delivers consistent performance for grinding corn, grains, coffee, spices, and more. Assembly was straightforward, and the clamp fits securely to my kitchen counter. The high hopper is a nice touch—it holds a good amount of grain, which cuts down on refilling. I especially appreciate the adjustable grind settings, which let me switch between coarse and medium textures with ease. Just keep in mind, it’s not intended for superfine flour. It does take some elbow grease, especially if you're grinding in bulk, but that’s expected with a manual mill. The grind is smooth, and once you get the rhythm down, it’s actually satisfying to use. Bonus points for the anti-corrosion tin plating, which helps with cleaning and longevity.

Before I purchased this mill, I read a ton of reviews and they all seemed positive. I have tried over and over to make it work for me, including all sorts of tips and tricks from the internet. I have had several major issues that stop me from using it. 1. I don’t have a surface to mount it to. Kitchen counter tops and tables were recommended but the overhang on my counters and table is too small to accommodate the clamp screw. I did some finagling and managed to get it clamped down but as soon as I start cranking, the whole mill Slides off. 2. The hopper falls off with the slightest touch. I made sure I attached it correctly. Whether I put a small amount or fill it to the top, if I even brush against it, the hopper pops off and wheat goes everywhere. 3. In the rare occasion that I get it working properly, it is either incredibly difficult to turn or I have to run the flour through 5-6 times to get it fine enough. I am a fairly strong person. This mill was recommended as a great tool that kids could help with. For me, this has not been the case. The product itself is good quality and heavy duty. I think it’s easy to care for. I just don’t think it’s as user friendly or kid friendly as other reviews suggested. To be clear, it is definitely worth the money. I do think it’s a great value and good quality if you c an make it work for your situation.