Experiments on grinding of cumin seed were conducted in a double disc, single rotating, attrition mill to find the effect of feed rate and temperature of cumin on some dependent variables such as rise of temperature and size of the ground cumin, specific energy consumption and Bond's work index. The temperature was lowered with the help of liquid nitrogen. There was a gradual increase in temperature rise, and decrease in size of the ground cumin, but the specific energy consumption and work index were decreased first and then increased with increase in feed rate of cumin in the attrition mill. The effect of feed temperature of cumin at -100 degreesC gave quite low values of rise in temperature, specific energy consumption, work index and high value of reduction ratio compared to feed temperatures of cumin at 30 and -40 degreesC. The difference in said dependent variables were not of much significance between feed temperatures of cumin ground at 30 and -40 C. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.