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It was in 2016 that I discovered Mockmill, shortly after I joined my first Facebook group, which was, of course, bread related. People were passionately discussing bread on this site and the topic of grinding your own flour was a popular one. It appeared that it was the next natural step in the retro movement of bread baking for the artisanal home baker. There was one name that kept popping up over and over when it came to home milling, and that was Mockmill. Curious as I am and with google at my fingertips, I quickly found out that Mockmill was a German company and that Wolfgang Mock had been involved in the business of home mills for many, many years. As a German expatriate, you might think that I was partial to this mill just because of its German origin. And right you are! At least partially. It is after all a fact that German inventors are known not only for their ingenuity, but also for the quality of their products. And from reading a substantial amount of of reviews, I quickly surmised that the Mockmill was no exception.
As I was doing my mill related research I came across this great philosophical question: “Is there anything better than fresh baked bread?” I am sure all of us bread enthusiasts have contemplated this question at one time or another and have come to the same conclusion: “No way!” Well, let me take this glorious opportunity to educate you on the subject with sage words from the mill inventor Herr Mock himself: "The only thing better than fresh baked bread... (wait for it!) is fresh baked bread from freshly milled flour." And once Wolfgang Mock had this epiphany, he designed his (my) beloved Mockmill. Just like that! At least, that's how it happened in my head with total disregard for any timeline.
One of the many characteristics I personally love about my Mockmill is its gentleness. Even though grains pass through the corundum milling stone turning at a maximum 220 RPM, it transforms the grain kernels into finest flour without generating a level of heat which would sap nutrients. Such power of restraint!!! If you have never heard of corundum, let me inform you that it is the second hardest gemstone with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. I also found out that it has no dominant cleavage. That's a good thing. Apparently. What I do know to be a good thing is that every standard Mockmill comes with a factory 6-year warranty on material and manufacturing defects for private use. Professional models carry a 12-year warranty for private use and 2-year warranty for commercial use.
And while we are on the topic of interesting materials, another aspect about the Mockmill 100 which truly excited me, was/is the fact that its housing is made from the renewable plant-based bioplastic Arborblend. It makes my heart happy to know that my favorite mill is made by an environmentally conscious company!
When we think about milling, wheat is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Oh, but the Mockmill can do so much more than grind grains! The milling table on Mockmill's website lists herbs, spices, seeds and legumes like chickpeas or lentils which can be ground with those lovely corundum stones. After an initial calibration the home miller is in total control of the coarseness of the flour produced. At its lowest setting it will grind to a powder-like consistency thus opening up a whole new window for the culinary world.
Recently I presented at the San Diego Public Libraries How-To Festival. In preparation for the event I had fun picking prospective milling products by color at our local open bin food market, like red lentils, wild rice, brown rice, corn, garbanzo beans, peas, whole wheat and barley. After happily grinding them in my Mockmill 100, I delighted in the array of colors I would be able to present to my audience along with information regarding the importance of home milling.
On their website Mockmill invites us to join the food revolution. I accepted that invitation wholeheartedly and am proud to be a member of the Mockmill family. Of course, Mockmill would not be as well known as it is today without the tireless efforts of its general manager Paul Lebeau who seems to have made it his life mission to spread the gospel of home milling to the entire world! Culinary schools all over the word have taken note and taken up the invitation to open up "the treasure chests of nature" by incorporating the Mockmill 100 or 200 into their baking programs. Paul has been invited to speak and demonstrate at many bread and/or grain events all over the world. Recently he met with David Wilson’s, also know as “Prince Charles’ Farmer”, in Wilson's kitchen at Broadfield Farm in Tutbury, England David Wilson is an avid home baker, who says he simply loves his Mockmill 200. and mentioned that “My boss is highly interested in anything that shortens the chain between the producer and the consumer.”
It truly has been amazing to watch the steady growth of this small German based company which has been instrumental in revolutionizing the way we view flour. Flour has only recently been elevated from a commodity product with a long shelf-life and little nutritional value to a superior fresh product with the multiple health benefits of whole-grain flours. Mockmill has been on the forefront of promoting these health benefits through their "just in time" milling concept being made available to the home bakers and professional bakers alike through their various Mockmill models.
On behalf of all the Mockmillers around the world (and there are many of us worldwide, with our own Facebook group), I am grateful to Mockmill for providing a product which not only gives us the opportunity to explore grains in a new wonderful and healthful way, but also for the fact that Mockmill is a company which is truly committed to their cause and not just the almighty dollar (or Euro). The world needs more companies like that. At least in this writer's humble opinion.
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