Which Jali/Sieve Size for Which Grain? A Complete Guide

If you've ever opened your atta chakki's spare parts drawer and found more than one perforated steel disc, you've probably wondered why. That disc is called a jali, and it's one of the most important, and most overlooked, parts of your domestic atta chakki. The jali determines how fine or coarse your flour comes out, and using the wrong one for the wrong grain is the single biggest reason people end up disappointed with their flour texture. Here's a complete, practical guide to Milcent's jali range and which one belongs in your machine for which grain.

What a Jali Actually Does

Inside your gharelu atta chakki, grain gets pulverised by the grinding mechanism and then passed through the jali, a perforated steel sieve that acts as a filter. Anything fine enough to pass through becomes your flour. Anything too coarse gets pulled back in for another pass. The size and density of the holes in that sieve is what ultimately decides whether you get silky-fine wheat atta or a coarser, more rustic multigrain flour.

This is why swapping jalis matters. The same fully automatic atta chakki can produce noticeably different results depending purely on which sieve is fitted, without changing anything else about how you use the machine.

Milcent's Jali Range, Explained

Milcent sells four genuine jali options as spare parts, each suited to a different grinding job. Here's how to think about each one.

Jali No. 2 (A2): Coarse Grinding for Bajra & Multigrain

This is the widest-holed sieve in the range, designed for grains and blends that don't need, or shouldn't have, a fine, powdery texture. It works well for bajra and multigrain combinations where a slightly coarser, more textured flour is actually what traditional recipes call for, think bajra roti dough, which typically holds together better with a coarser grind than a silky-fine one.

Best for: Bajra, coarser multigrain blends Milcent Jali No. 2 (A2)

Jali No. B1: Dedicated Bajra Grinding

Alongside the coarse multigrain option, Milcent offers a jali built specifically for bajra. Pearl millet has a different density and husk structure than wheat, and a dedicated bajra jali is calibrated to handle that difference without clogging or overworking the motor, which is a common issue when a wheat-calibrated sieve is used for millets instead.

Best for: Bajra (pearl millet) specifically Milcent Jali No. B1

Jali No. 5: Fine Grinding for Wheat & Multigrain

This is the sieve most households reach for on a daily basis. It's built for a finer, smoother texture that works well for standard wheat atta and lighter multigrain blends, the kind of flour that makes soft phulkas and everyday rotis. If your family's staple is simple wheat roti, this is likely your primary jali.

Best for: Everyday wheat atta, finer multigrain blends Milcent Jali No. 5

Jali No. 6: Silver Grinding Screen for Wheat & Multigrain

Milcent's No. 6 sieve sits alongside No. 5 as another wheat and multigrain option, giving you a second calibration point between coarse and ultra-fine depending on your household's texture preference. Having two wheat-suited jalis in the range means you can fine-tune texture rather than being locked into a single result.

Best for: Wheat and multigrain, with a texture option distinct from No. 5 Milcent Jali No. 6

How to Choose the Right Jali for Your Kitchen

A simple way to think about it: the coarser your grain or the more rustic your desired texture, the lower-numbered or bajra-specific jali you want. The finer and smoother the flour, the more refined jali you reach for.

A few practical rules of thumb:

• Daily wheat roti: Jali No. 5 or No. 6

• Bajra roti or millet-heavy recipes: Jali No. B1 or No. 2 (A2)

• Mixed multigrain flour with a coarser bite: Jali No. 2 (A2)

• Smooth multigrain blends for softer rotis: Jali No. 5

If you regularly grind more than one type of grain, it's worth keeping at least two jalis on hand so you're not compromising on texture for either.

Signs It's Time to Replace Your Jali

Even the right jali wears out over time. Watch for uneven flour texture, visible tears or bent perforations, or grinding taking noticeably longer than usual, all signs the sieve has degraded and needs replacing. Using a worn jali doesn't just affect texture, it also makes your motor work harder for the same output, which shortens the life of the machine overall.

Milcent's jalis are genuine, original spare parts built to fit its domestic flour mill range precisely, so replacements maintain the same grinding performance your machine had on day one.

The Bottom Line

Your atta chakki's jali is not a one-size-fits-all component, it's the single biggest factor in flour texture, and matching the right sieve to the right grain makes a real, tastable difference in your rotis. Explore Milcent's full Spare Parts range to find the genuine jali suited to your grinding needs, and keep your home flour mill machine producing the exact texture your family's recipes call for.