One of the best long term food storage items is grain. Processed flour is certainly convenient and should be part of every prepper’s pantry. However, over time, processed flour will go bad even if stored in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers.
On the other hand, grain when stored properly, can last decades and retain its nutritive value. Grain is easy to purchase, store and is economical when compared to processed foods. But you must have a way to turn that grain into flour so it can be used in baking.
A grain mill is just the thing. They aren’t expensive ($50 to $100 for a good quality one, and on up for a Cadillac model). As long as the power is on, an electric grain mill is the way to go. They are noisy but they can produce much more flour in far less time than a manual grain mil. But if you find yourself without power, then you’ll need a manual one. A manual mill can typically produce a cup of flour after about five minutes. Its also not the easiest job in the house. One friend of mine realized that given the amount of calories he was burning in order to produce the flour, it just about came to a zero net gain of calories expended versus calories consumed via the flour he ground. He found a solution when he connected his mill to an electric clothes dryer motor. In the event the power goes out, he can hook it up to a bicycle. Search around for a good quality mill and spend a little extra for quality. I suggest starting at Lehman’s.
