Most people can’t understand the difference between atta chakki and flour mill and remain confused about both terms.
However, it is not hard to understand the subject.
In this article today, you will understand the thin line between atta chakki and flour mill and why some people call atta chakki while others use the word flour mill.
What Is The Difference Between Atta Chakki And Flour Mill?
The primary difference between atta chakki and flour mill is the application or usage. When used for home, it is generally called atta chakki, and when it is used for commercial purposes, it is widely known as a flour mill.
In fact, people use both terms interchangeably, and there is no harm in doing that.
According to Google search trends, people from southern states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu, and Assam use the term flour mill. In contrast, the rest of Indian states use atta chakki more than flour mills.
Here is a pictorial representation of Google search trends.
When people use the term flour mill?
As per the above picture, people from southern states use the term flour mill for domestic and commercial use.
Some people want their wheat(grains) to be milled with the help of commercial flour mills, and they search for nearby local flour mills by using the search term “flour mill near me.”
In that case, they are looking for commercial flour mills nearby to get their wheat milled.
And sometimes, when they want to buy the four mill for home, they search for “best flour mill for home” This search is equalled to the search term “best atta chakki for home” in the rest of India.
Got my point?
Other differences between domestic atta chakki(flour mill) and commercial atta chakki(flour mill).
Size
The domestic atta chakkis or domestic flour mills are compact, lightweight, and attractive designs that fit any space you have in your home.
Commercial atta chakki or flour mill doesn’t have an aesthetic look. They look more like a machine and require huge space that is quite difficult to manage at home.
Power
Domestic atta chakki are fractional hp motors or 1 to 2 hp motors running on single phase power supply.
Commercial atta chakkis will require three phase power supply, and the rating or power capacity can be from 10 hp to 200 hp or according to your requirement.
Investment
You can get the best atta chakki for a home or domestic flour mill under 20k, but you need to invest in lacs of rupees and other business requirements for a commercial flour mill.
Domestic atta chakkis or flour mills are for personal use, and you don’t need to worry about the business. Commercial atta chakki business is competitive, and you have to spend money on marketing.
Grinding Capacity
Domestic flour mills are designed to process or mill comparatively softer grains or other raw food grains for personal consumption. In contrast, commercial flour mills are for bulk production and can grind harder grains.
Domestic atta chakkis can grind wheat, bajra, pulses, and many other grains. Commercial atta chakkis can grind many other hard grains and masalas that you cant grind with your domestic flour mill.
Grinding Types
Domestic atta chakkis are generally meant for dry processes, and you cant grind wet grains or pulses because domestic atta chakkis are not designed for wet grinding.
If you go for wet grain grinding, your atta chakki will probably be choked up within a few seconds.
However, many domestic wet grinders are available in the local market and online that you can buy in case you need them.
You can read my post on types of atta chakki for more detailed information on the subject.
Acquisition, Startup & Establishment
You can easily acquire a domestic flour mill in a day, but you can’t acquire a commercial flour mill in a short duration without a complete workout on the business plan.
You can buy domestic atta chakki online and get it delivered to your home on the same day or the next day. For a commercial atta chakki, you must thoroughly research many manufacturers and suppliers and compare them on cost, availability, service, maintenance, etc.
The startup cost of a commercial flour mill will be much higher than domestic atta chakki.
Operating cost
The operating cost of domestic atta chakkis is significantly less compared to commercial atta chakkis. In the case of a domestic flour mill, you don’t have to worry about the additional machinery that is mandatory for safe and hygienic operation.
In a commercial atta chakki or flour mill, you must consider the operating cost of other machinery and safety aspects.
If you want to know the operating cost of a domestic flour mill or home atta chakki, you can read my post on atta chakki power consumption where I have shared practical test results on the energy consumption of a domestic flour mill.
Maintenance & Repair cost
Domestic flour mills require less maintenance ( especially stoneless atta chakki) than commercial flour mills.
Commercial flour mills need more frequent maintenance because the running hours of commercial atta chakkis will be much longer than domestic atta chakki.
When your domestic atta chakkis gets some problems, you don’t need to invest much money in repair, whereas, in commercial atta chakkis, the repair cost will be very high.
Workforce Requirement
You don’t need to hire someone to operate your home atta chakki or flour mill. Anyone (except children) can easily operate the domestic atta chakki with little to no supervision.
Commercial flour mills require operators and technicians to get them running smoothly.
Legal Requirements
To set up a commercial atta chakki business, you must follow government norms, industry rules, and regulations like GST registration, food processing licensing, environmental clearances, hygiene, ISO, etc.
For domestic atta chakki, you require nothing like a license, registration, or clearance.
Wrap Up
By now, I hope that you have detailed information on the difference between atta chakki and flour mill based on the various aspects and terminologies.
If you have any other difference to add to this article, please let me know in the comments, and I will add that by crediting your name to the article.