Thanks, Andrew! We'll be staggering videos out over the next few weeks. We appreciate you tuning in!

Thank you, Hector!

Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback! There are definitely many ways to make excellent masa. That's great you hear you've found a method that works for you. To many wonderful masa dishes.

We are glad you found the series helpful!

thanks for watching and for the input, glad to hear the multiple passes is working well for you. Thanks!

That's so great to hear! Keep your eyes peeled on Black Friday ... just sayin.

@@Masienda Also wondering whether this unit is the smallest powered one you are planning to carry. I was thinking that a smaller "prosumer" model for home use would be very interesting--something about the size of a nice Rocket or La Marzocco espresso machine.

Hi Ellen! Thank you for your question. Indeed, it's the smallest one we are planning to carry. Our molinito is a countertop stone mill, designed to be used by devoted home cooks and small food concepts alike. As a result, it's designed to house its compact but mighty motor needed to achieve fine stone-ground masa and fits on most kitchen countertops, while also plugging into your standard 110V outlet at home. While we understand its probably larger than your typical espresso machine, Molinito is compact compared to most masa grinders on the market at the following dimensions: 26.5″ (l) x 14.5″ (w) x 18″ (h)

Agreed would love to be able to buy a metate in the us

@@jaredmercado7045 I was able to find someone on Etsy selling them. Ordered and delivered in two days from Mexico. It is exactly what I was looking for. Great service. I highly recommend Alejandro's Etsy shop: ManosdemiMexico

Thank you, Andrew! It is quite quiet, believe it or not. I'd say quieter than a blender, if that helps with perspective? We have neighbors here at our office who wouldn't be too pleased if it were louder than that :)

Hello! We recommend resharpening the stones every 3-4 months, depending on use. It is not necessary to replace them entirely until they are completely worn down--which can take years, in some cases. Please let us know if you have any additional questions at info@masienda.com Thank you! Tony

Hi, thanks for asking! While we've ground a few seeds and nuts successfully, we have yet to try veggies. It would likely be fine but may may wear down the stones quicker than anticipated.

Hi there! Our Molinto motor is 1 HP, 110-127 Volts. Here's the link to it on our website: masienda.com/products/molinito

Send this over to molinito@masienda.com Tony or Manny will be able to address your questions. Thanks!

Hola Maria, gracias por tus preguntas! Sí, con el Molinto también puedes moler el mole en una pasta, pero probablemente no en un polvo.

Hi John, great question! Once the pair of grinding stones have been spent and are no longer sharp enough to produce a fine masa, the sand is used to calibrate the stones down to a flat porous surface. This is done to prepare the stones for resharpening.

Hi! Thanks for writing and being a Molinito user! Please reach out to: molinito@masienda.com with any specific questions. We also just released a series of videos for helping repair and take care of your molinito: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ppyEfLBk2rLScYE.html. THANKS!

Yes.

I don't think you just want to let it dry. I would think your masa might get moldy, or fermented before it dries into masa harina, depending on the climate you live in. I think what you would want to do is put it in a dehydrator or oven on very low heat to dry it out.

No, wet masa will not turn into dry masa. You will en up with Tejuino, fermented corn drink.

I have milled some in advance and just froze it. It seems okay to me, but I’m not a pro at this at all. I do it with my grain mill and it can be tedious to clean it up, so I run large batches and freeze meal size baggies of it and take out when I need it. 🙂🌮🌽

What I have heard some people doing is after nixtimelizing is they dehydrate the kernels after they have been washed. Then at a later date run them through a grain mill. Not sure if that effects the taste or not.

But then since most people don't have access to Anasazi "holes in rocks," can't you just use an old school cast iron hand grinder? I looked it up before I edited this, and there's nothing on KZfaq about using a mortar and pestle or a cast iron grinder. I think there's a void here.

You can certainly use a hand grinder, or even a food processor.

masienda.com/products/molinito

Hi Angie! Our corn (and masa) is all certified Non-GMO.The majority of our farmers are smallholder, subsistence growers (and not certified organic). We are not able to 100% guarantee that something (i.e. pesticide) isn't used within the network of 2,000 farmers. However, we always encourage and prioritize purchasing from growers that use regenerative organic practices.

Thanks for your question! You can head over to our site here: masienda.com/shop/molinito/ to find out more information.

Learn more about Molinito here: masienda.com/shop/molinito/

Hi Elias! We'd love to but it will increase the price per unit quite significantly. As we scale, we'll work on bringing on additional certifications. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any more questions.

Hi Ivan, thanks for asking. You can place an order from our site: masienda.com/shop/molinito/

@@Masienda can i grind fresh corn to make masa with this?

@@ivanmiuller yes you can. It's designed to grind nixtamal into masa harina allowing you to control texture to your liking!

Hi! Nothing wrong with the masa from your local shop. We are happy to offer non-GMO heirloom corn and masa harina made with just corn, water and culinary lime; allowing the flavor of the corn come through.

Hi Hector--Our Molinito is not yet NSF certified. The cost for doing so is currently prohibitive at our scale, however, its component parts are all restaurant/food grade, 304 Stainless Steel, etc. Please reach out to us at info@masienda.com if you have any additional questions at all. Thank you! Tony

Thank you for commenting, Mikael! It fits comfortably on a counter, but I will move it to a closet for storage at home when I'm not using it.

Hi Erick! Thanks so much for reaching out. Molinito can be made with either 110V or 220V and ships from our HQ in LA. We'll look into incorporating user reviews on our site, thank you for letting us know! Hope you're staying safe and well.

Look at importing a nixtamatic

I mean, you can buy a metate and go that route instead. Cook them on a clay comal over live fire while you're at it. Grinding with a metate is backbreaking work, and people who consume masa daily have embraced newer technologies for a reason.

Hi! We're working on a few home options, but in the meantime, we have more information on getting a puff at home using a hand crank (hint: it takes three passes through the grinder). Check out masienda.com/on-masa/masa-weekly-formerly-monthly-white-bolita-oaxaca/ with tips on how to achieve that puff using a hand-crank.

I’ve been looking for real nixtamal mass since I moved to the us, bringing it frozen every time I go to Mexico, begging friends and family to bring when they visit, so heck I’m getting one just so my kids can tell what a real tortillas tastes like!

You're right that it's a pricey option ... Molinito was invented as a solution for small restaurants and home cooks looking to start cottage businesses, so for the individual home cook it may not be accessible (but it's much smaller and less expensive than a full scale molino). We offer a hand mill on our site at a much lower price point: masienda.com/products/masa-hand-mill.

Hi Maria, thank you for the chance to share a bit more about our process and infrastructure with the KZfaq community! While inspired by the traditional molinos that are built on both sides of the border, Molinito is made up of parts and materials that are on the more expensive side, as the goal is that they last for as long and as safely as possible. For example, we use 304 stainless steel versus carbon steel or cast iron, to ensure that the surface is food safe and does not rust; the electrical cord is UL approved and sourced in the US; the motor is NOM and ANCE approved, the stones are hand carved in Puebla, etc. Added to this, the labor to produce each unit at the very small scale at which we operate (they're built by hand, not a factory assembly line), the cost of shipping/fulfillment (which we subsidize), the free support we offer (from a California-based team, not a call center abroad), and the Molinito is certainly more expensive than that which you might find at a market in Mexico. That said, it is a fraction of the cost that a stainless, custom-made molino would have cost before Molinito came on the market; prior to Molinito, a restaurant-ready molino would cost between $6-$10K! Our goal is to continue creating efficiencies as we grow, in order to get the price to be as accessible as possible. There's nothing we'd love more than making Molinito more affordable to all cooks--it means our supply chain and the farmers who make it possible would be growing with it! That would truly be our dream come true. We hope we'll get there one day, but until then, we recommend the hand mill (or food processor!) for cost effective ways to nixtamalize at home. Feel free to reach us at info@masienda.com if you have any questions at all. Thank you, Jorge

Hi Nigel, good question. After prolonged use, it is inevitable that particles of the stones themselves will gradually be worn off into the masa over time. This is true for not just traditional basalt stones, but also synthetic stones or the metal plates common to hand-cranked home grinders. Synthetic “food-grade” stones are touted for their durability and slow wear; however, many contain aluminum oxide, which molino purists avoid, on account of personal preference. Basalt, in contrast, is made up largely of calcium oxide and magnesium-alkaline metals that, as Azteca puts it, “naturally run through the blood stream,” making it preferable in not only function but also form. As for metal hand grinders, most are food grade and composed of iron and tin, which are considered safe in small quantities (as the trace shavings created during grinding would be).

We'll definitely put this on our team's radar! Thank you for the suggestion 😊