Flakers are commonly used for turning oat groats into oat flakes, but most varieties of wheat can also be flaked. See below for what can and can’t be flaked or ground. Very useful info: Oat groats are naturally soft and flake nicely as they come. Other grains may be prone to crumbling without a little help. Do this before flaking – put the quantity of oats or grain you want to flake into a zip-lock bag with a little water in the ratio of 1 teaspoon per cup of grain, seal the bag and shake it up to disperse the... Read More

Flakers are commonly used for turning oat groats into oat flakes, but most varieties of wheat can also be flaked. See below for what can and can’t be flaked or ground. Very useful info: Oat groats are naturally soft and flake nicely as they come. Other grains may be prone to crumbling without a little help. Do this before flaking – put the quantity of oats or grain you want to flake into a zip-lock bag with a little water in the ratio of 1 teaspoon per cup of grain, seal the bag and shake it up to disperse the water. Then let it sit for a few hours to overnight. The added moisture softens the grain just enough to produce a nicer flake. Even your oats will turn out better. Resist the temptation to add more water than suggested. Too moist and the grain might clog the metal flaking wheels.

Nutritional benefits of oats – Oats are loaded with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They’re also high in fiber and protein compared to other grains. Half a cup of dry oats contains:

• Manganese: 191% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 41% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 34% of the RDI
• Copper: 24% of the RDI
• Iron: 20% of the RDI
• Zinc: 20% of the RDI
• Folate: 11% of the RDI
• Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 39% of the RDI
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 10% of the RDI
• Smaller amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin B3 (niacin)

What ingredients can be crushed?

• Almost all types of grain: oats, spelt, rye, einkorn, emmer. All wheat varieties. Rice and millet can be crushed, but are more likely to be powdered (as they are very dry)
• So-called pseudo-cereals such as buckwheat and quinoa,
• Most oilseeds such as flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, hemp seeds, etc.
• Incidentally, it is very important to crush flaxseed before consumption, as only then can the body process the valuable nutrients (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids). The flaxseed husk is simply too hard for the digestive system to break it down on its own.

And which ones CANNOT be crushed?

Corn (too big), pumpkin seeds (too big), nuts like almonds, peanuts, cashews (too oily), coffee, legumes (too big).