I have found that an electric grain mill is worth the investment. Moms I have talked to, especially those with young children, said that the hand grinding was just too much. It took too much of their time to grind by hand when they already had a full day. It is doable, but you must be committed to set aside that time. With homeschooling, helping my husband with his business, church responsibilities, etc. I just didn't feel it was a good use of my time.

Lisa Q.
lifewiththequeens.blogspot.com

Oh, I can't help but ask . . . if the power is out so that you can't use your electric grain mill, how will you bake your bread? :>)

We've got the hand-cranked Family Grain Mill with the grinding and the flaking attachments. I imagine someday as our family grows and requires more loaves of bread at a time we will likely invest in an electric mill for flour but for now we liked the fact that we could make both flours and cereals of many different textures with it. On the other hand, maybe we won't, hubby thought a hand-cranked mill would be a great way for our very active little boy to expend some energy in the next couple or so years in our "little house in the suburbs" ;). We also felt it was a "safe" investment because if it did become too much for us we could order the motor base or the Bosch attachment to make it run by electricity without really spending any more than if we just bought an electric run mill from the beginning. I'm not going to lie to you, it is work ;). But, with my oldest daughter (she's ten) and hubby pitching in whenever needed it has yet to become too much of a drain on any one person. It is quiet enough to allow me to listen to sermon CDs or something while I grind, a nice way to "redeem the time " :). Plus, it gives me a better appreciation for the Hebrew women and the work that went into getting their food onto the table, heehee... It's got to be easier than they had it ;).
We've only had it for about three weeks but we have already settled into a comfortable routine with it. It is quite the investment, both physically in the time involved in making the bread, and financially, so it definitely isn't a decision to be made lightly.

It takes up about an 8X8 inch corner of the counter. It clamps onto the edge and the handle is removable so we just leave the grinder clamped to the counter and take out the handle so no one walks into it or anything with it sticking out. When we're ready to grind we just get the crank out of the utensil drawer, slip it back on, pour in the berries and grind :).
I've talked to hubby on the phone while I was using it with no problems but I really don't talk on the phone either. I usually am helping the girls with schoolwork or listening to a sermon CD while I use it. I think after baby comes it could be a great way to comfort a fussy baby, one perk I hadn't thought of before buying it ;). Just cradle Baby in the sling and the rhythmic motion and noise from the grinding may just do the trick. I know it would have for a couple of my previous babies :).

A stone mill while electric can easily be converted to work without electricity. My mom has a older one that that by using a pulley system can work by pedaling a bike if you convert it. A friend bought a Golden Grain mill several years back and did that so he could use that too.
You would use a gas oven to bake your bread if you had one that works without electricity or if you were all non-electric, you would use a wood cookstove.