Impact Mill

A grain mill that uses steel fins or rows of teeth spinning at high speed to shatter kernels, rather than grinding them between two surfaces. It's fast and turns out fine flour with little effort, which is why it's popular for home bread baking. Most impact mills generally can't handle oily seeds and nuts or very wet or damp material, and many give you less control over very coarse grinds than a stone or burr mill.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• My everyday mill is an impact mill. It's loud, but it's quick and the flour comes out fine enough for most of my breads.
• Keep flax, nuts, and anything oily or damp out of an impact mill unless the maker says it's fine. Check your manual.