A little grain. A better baking routine.
Mill & DoughTHE HOME BAKER’S FIELD GUIDE

THE MILLING CALCULATOR

Better flour?
Let’s check the numbers.

A mill can be a satisfying purchase without being a money saver. Use your own costs to see which kind of decision you’re making.

USD

Your quoted purchase cost, including delivery. $300 is an example, not a product price.

USD / lb

Include shipping. Divide total bag cost by its weight in pounds.

USD / lb

Choose flour you would actually buy instead, with comparable ingredients.

lb / week

Use a realistic average, including the weeks you don’t bake.

%

A user-adjustable allowance for handling loss or sifting. 95% is an illustration, not a tested yield.

USD / lb flour

Your estimate for electricity and other per-pound costs. Labor is not included.

Calculations run in your browser. We do not save your numbers.

YOUR COST COMPARISON

Make the numbers yours.

Replace the examples with your costs, then calculate. The result includes a clear answer when milling doesn’t save money.

What goes into the calculation?

Compare usable flour.

Grain cost ÷ usable yield + other variable cost = cost per pound of home-milled flour. A lower usable yield raises the cost of each pound you keep.

Count the bakes you’ll make.

Weekly savings = the per-pound cost difference × your weekly flour use. Setup cost divided by positive weekly savings gives payback in weeks.

Keep the result in context.

If costs are equal or milling costs more, there is no cost-based payback. Freshness, texture, enjoyment, and convenience are separate reasons to consider it.

Next: compare grain-mill setups →