I am daggum tired of the plastic single-use pepper mills that don't work, break, and go in the landfill at end-of-life. It's time to upgrade to a refillable pepper mill.
Here's my main criteria:
No plastic.
Nothing electric.
Buy it for life.
Do you have one you love?
The old-school Greek and Turkish brass or copper ones are cool, but the missus doesn't want to go that route.
Beefy old-school greek pepper mill
I was thinking classic, pawn-shaped twist mill with ceramic burrs. Probably wood, maybe stainless.
These two look decent and get decent chatter on Reddit, for what it's worth:
Trudeau Stainless Pawn Pepper Mill
CrushGrind Pawn Walnut Pepper Mill
Curshgrind seems to make dependable mills that are $50 or less, whereas most other high quality brands are 3 digits.
But then Kristen looked over my should and liked the more modern, straight lines better.
She rather likes this one. I think she'd love it if it was in walnut. We have copious walnut trees on our farm and mill a lot of it, so there is a lot of walnut in our kitchen and dining area.
CrushGrind Modern Oak Pepper Mill
She liked the straight lines of this one, but I wager it is cheaply made and won't last a year:
Adhoc Acacia pepper mill
People seem to really like this weird Kuhn Rikon ratchet grinder, but it has what I assume is acrylic which is not preferable, the mechanism is weird, and it's kind of ugly to me. I mention it because it's different.
Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder
There are some other styles, like twist crank things and stuff, but I skipped it if there weren't any apparent non-plastic examples.
Am I overlooking anything I should be considering? I saw some Peugeot that looked like contenders, but heck it would sting to spend a hundred dollars on a pepper mill.
I think Pepper Mills are fun because you are not necessarily limited to brands as wood workers can assemble the internals with their work!
I'd highly recommend looking on Etsy, most will label what they use for the internal mechanism. A lot of them are stainless steel throughout while a few can have plastic parts. I am fond of the blaze given off by Box Elder wood and I had a peppermill made out of it.
It's too bad "no plastic" is an absolute criterion.
I have seen all sorts of pretty pepper grinders come and go, work poorly and die prematurely, and regardless of what they're made of they end up in the landfill.
OTOH, the Ikea flip-and-grind spice/pepper grinders I've been using for maybe 15 years still work superbly and will surely last a lot longer. Nothing disposable about these, even though there is plastic. The reservoir is glass. My 2c.
the Peugeot one is supposed to be a buy-it-for-life (I just read a Wirecutter profile about it, if it's not open access let me know and I'll send you the link that will get you behind the paywall), but considering the quality of Peugeot cars have paid for my home and my daughter's college i'm not sure i'd buy one....
let us know how you do. i've bought so many, including one stainless one that had no plastic, ceramic grinder inside, was supposed to be super highly rated (it was boxy, that's all i can remember) and it was the biggest piece of crap ever, broke almost immediately, I lost my patience with this stuff. I'm currently using one i picked up at the supermarket (which looks a lot like the Ikea one Douglas posted, glass jar).
Beau, did you buy one yet?
this thing came across my virtual desk today and i'm completely in love. it will be a while before i get up to north america where i can purchase one, but i think it will be on my list (sigh, another thing to hassle the poor soul who x-rays my baggage....).
from the company: https://www.zassenhaus-brandshop.com/en/Zassenhaus-spice-grater/23503 it is widely available from the usual online retailers as well (I saw it from Food52 in their weekly swag email, I believe).
I wonder if it's as fabulous as it looks? I love the idea that you can fill it every time and then wash it and use it with other things.
I had to get up and have a look at mine, because I bought it some 10 years ago when I was in culinary school and it's still working like a tank! The maker is William Bounds LTD, and mine is stainless steel with ceramic burrs. I think I paid about $40 for it at the fancy kitchen-stuff store at the time. - Oh crap, I just checked and that company has gone under - it might be worth seeking out secondhand?
I'm a tool nut and I really try to buy with the buy it for life mind set. I've been wanting to replace my 40 year old pepper grinder for about a year now. I asked my son for his opinion he happens to love cooking and quality kitchen gear as much as I do. He was pretty vegue and not much help, until Christmas rolled around and he gave me this set.
I don't think I could have convinced myself to spend this much on a grinder set, but having used it a few times now I would say the quality is absolutely there and I could see it lasting several lifetimes. The boy knocked it out of the park! I can't say for sure but he may have been just been using me as a middle man, knowing its just a matter of time until they are handed down to him;)
A simple mortar and pestle works fine, and can be used for other things too. Multi-use tools are always good. Only downside is that it's not a convenient for tableside use.
I agree James.
I have used a mortar and pestle for cooking purposes mostly because my old grinder isn't up to the task of grinding the quantity I want for a bucket of stew or whatever. I tend to cook with the idea of planned leftovers. And I really like black pepper! I still may use the mortar and pestle but for now I cant get over the build quality and ease of use of my new toy!
Tereza Okava wrote:the Peugeot one is supposed to be a buy-it-for-life (I just read a Wirecutter profile about it, if it's not open access let me know and I'll send you the link that will get you behind the paywall), but considering the quality of Peugeot cars have paid for my home and my daughter's college i'm not sure i'd buy one....
let us know how you do. i've bought so many, including one stainless one that had no plastic, ceramic grinder inside, was supposed to be super highly rated (it was boxy, that's all i can remember) and it was the biggest piece of crap ever, broke almost immediately, I lost my patience with this stuff. I'm currently using one i picked up at the supermarket (which looks a lot like the Ikea one Douglas posted, glass jar).
My hubby and I got tired of looking for a pepper mill that consistantly worked. We had used the Ikea one posted earlier for many years. But once it failed all the replacements failed even faster and with my arthritis it was difficult to turn. So we decided to look for a buy- it-for life one and we found it with Peugeot. It is listed as a coffee grinder and looks like the old fashioned grinders of old. But it grinds so smoothly and he can grind enough in a couple of minutes to fill our shaker. This is a hand turned grinder. We have an electric coffee grinder but now if all else fails we can use this grinder for both. I think it will outlast the both of us.
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” (author unknown)
Tereza Okava wrote:. . . the Peugeot one is supposed to be a buy-it-for-life (I just read a Wirecutter profile about it, if it's not open access let me know and I'll send you the link that will get you behind the paywall), but considering the quality of Peugeot cars have paid for my home and my daughter's college i'm not sure i'd buy one....
let us know how you do. i've bought so many, including one stainless one that had no plastic, ceramic grinder inside, was supposed to be super highly rated (it was boxy, that's all i can remember) and it was the biggest piece of crap ever, broke almost immediately, I lost my patience with this stuff. I'm currently using one i picked up at the supermarket (which looks a lot like the Ikea one Douglas posted, glass jar).
Nancy Calzone wrote:So we decided to look for a buy- it-for life one and we found it with Peugeot. It is listed as a coffee grinder and looks like the old fashioned grinders of old. But it grinds so smoothly and he can grind enough in a couple of minutes to fill our shaker. This is a hand turned grinder. We have an electric coffee grinder but now if all else fails we can use this grinder for both. I think it will outlast the both of us.
Timothy Norton wrote:I think Pepper Mills are fun because you are not necessarily limited to brands as wood workers can assemble the internals with their work!
I'd highly recommend looking on Etsy, most will label what they use for the internal mechanism. A lot of them are stainless steel throughout while a few can have plastic parts. I am fond of the blaze given off by Box Elder wood and I had a peppermill made out of it.
Happy hunting!
This idea is perhaps more allignd with Permies general values than the others. I might just catch a bug for a small project and go for it.
I wonder if it's as fabulous as it looks? I love the idea that you can fill it every time and then wash it and use it with other things.
This looks really interesting! I think I may have to try this out as a multi-purpose grinder (to replace our broken pestel in or morter & pestel combo) even if we wind up going for a dedicated pepper mill.
This is why I love pinging this community for stuff like this.
C. Lee Greentree wrote:I had to get up and have a look at mine, because I bought it some 10 years ago when I was in culinary school and it's still working like a tank! The maker is William Bounds LTD, and mine is stainless steel with ceramic burrs. I think I paid about $40 for it at the fancy kitchen-stuff store at the time. - Oh crap, I just checked and that company has gone under - it might be worth seeking out secondhand?
Marty Mac wrote:I'm a tool nut and I really try to buy with the buy it for life mind set. I've been wanting to replace my 40 year old pepper grinder for about a year now. I asked my son for his opinion he happens to love cooking and quality kitchen gear as much as I do. He was pretty vegue and not much help, until Christmas rolled around and he gave me this set.
I don't think I could have convinced myself to spend this much on a grinder set, but having used it a few times now I would say the quality is absolutely there and I could see it lasting several lifetimes. The boy knocked it out of the park! I can't say for sure but he may have been just been using me as a middle man, knowing its just a matter of time until they are handed down to him;)
Goodwill. Salvation Army. Local thrift shop. Last resort in that regard, flea market. Flea markets tend to have much higher prices than Goodwill, etc, as I'm sure you know. But your chances of picking one up at one of these locations is quite high.
And it is probably of much better quality than what you'd get new.
j
Beau M. Davidson wrote:I am daggum tired of the plastic single-use pepper mills that don't work, break, and go in the landfill at end-of-life. It's time to upgrade to a refillable pepper mill.
Here's my main criteria:
No plastic.
Nothing electric.
Buy it for life.
Do you have one you love?
The old-school Greek and Turkish brass or copper ones are cool, but the missus doesn't want to go that route.
Beefy old-school greek pepper mill
I was thinking classic, pawn-shaped twist mill with ceramic burrs. Probably wood, maybe stainless.
These two look decent and get decent chatter on Reddit, for what it's worth:
Trudeau Stainless Pawn Pepper Mill
CrushGrind Pawn Walnut Pepper Mill
Curshgrind seems to make dependable mills that are $50 or less, whereas most other high quality brands are 3 digits.
But then Kristen looked over my should and liked the more modern, straight lines better.
She rather likes this one. I think she'd love it if it was in walnut. We have copious walnut trees on our farm and mill a lot of it, so there is a lot of walnut in our kitchen and dining area.
CrushGrind Modern Oak Pepper Mill
She liked the straight lines of this one, but I wager it is cheaply made and won't last a year:
Adhoc Acacia pepper mill
People seem to really like this weird Kuhn Rikon ratchet grinder, but it has what I assume is acrylic which is not preferable, the mechanism is weird, and it's kind of ugly to me. I mention it because it's different.
Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder
There are some other styles, like twist crank things and stuff, but I skipped it if there weren't any apparent non-plastic examples.
Am I overlooking anything I should be considering? I saw some Peugeot that looked like contenders, but heck it would sting to spend a hundred dollars on a pepper mill.
Jim Garlits wrote:Goodwill. Salvation Army. Local thrift shop. Last resort in that regard, flea market. Flea markets tend to have much higher prices than Goodwill, etc, as I'm sure you know. But your chances of picking one up at one of these locations is quite high.
And it is probably of much better quality than what you'd get new.
I love thrifting. Still, there is such a glut of poor products on the market that it can be difficult to find anything of quality at most stores, at least around me. I used to have a lot of time to poke around looking for a diamond in the rough. That is not currently my life. I need to fork over the convenience charge of getting something I know is going to be reliable, instead of spending hours (days? weeks?) scouring all the area thrift stores for something that will work.
Understandable. Good luck and let us know if you do find a real gem.
j
Beau M. Davidson wrote:
Jim Garlits wrote:Goodwill. Salvation Army. Local thrift shop. Last resort in that regard, flea market. Flea markets tend to have much higher prices than Goodwill, etc, as I'm sure you know. But your chances of picking one up at one of these locations is quite high.
And it is probably of much better quality than what you'd get new.
I love thrifting. Still, there is such a glut of poor products on the market that it can be difficult to find anything of quality at most stores, at least around me. I used to have a lot of time to poke around looking for a diamond in the rough. That is not currently my life. I need to fork over the convenience charge of getting something I know is going to be reliable, instead of spending hours (days? weeks?) scouring all the area thrift stores for something that will work.
Beau M. Davidson wrote:Okay, I'm ready to pull the trigger.
I think I'm going to go ahead and grab the little cast iron thing, but I'm guessing it won't replace a pepper mill.
For a more traditional mill, I'm still on the fence between Peugeot and William Bounds Ltd.
Like Christopher Weeks, I also backed the Kickstarter for the Mann Kitchen Pepper Cannon. I love it. I use it daily, and it works well. No regrets.
The nearly infinite adjustment from fine powder to gnarly pepper bombs is a nice capability. It holds easily twice as many peppercorns as our larger, old, wooden one; is easier to fill, and the lid is easy to open/close (no tiny threaded knob!). The base keeps the mill from getting gunk on it, and catches loose pepper so you don't need a dish/tray, and is good for when you need to grind a large amount that you might need to measure.
Without any experience but clicking the link, the HexClad mills seem comparable?
Either way, the "buy it for life" price tag is often higher, but that cost is spread out. In return you get: quality, materials, durability, capability, ease of use, enjoyment when using or looking at it.
Nails are sold by the pound, that makes sense.
Soluna Garden Farm -- Flower CSA -- plants, and cut flowers at our farm.
Kenneth Elwell wrote:
Like Christopher Weeks, I also backed the Kickstarter for the Mann Kitchen Pepper Cannon. I love it. I use it daily, and it works well. No regrets.
The nearly infinite adjustment from fine powder to gnarly pepper bombs is a nice capability. It holds easily twice as many peppercorns as our larger, old, wooden one; is easier to fill, and the lid is easy to open/close (no tiny threaded knob!). The base keeps the mill from getting gunk on it, and catches loose pepper so you don't need a dish/tray, and is good for when you need to grind a large amount that you might need to measure.
Okay, I'm looking at it a little closer. I think on first glance I thought it was an electric grinder, so I passed it by pretty quickly. Thanks for pointing it out again.
At least their ads are funny:
If you eat food or know someone with a mouth . . .
Seems pretty solid. Although I'll have to budge for it or ask for it for my birthday.
Built like a tank. I have two: for black pepper and white pepper. I bought them 15 years ago at $80 each. I see one on ebay for $134 + S/H from Greece. Not cheap, but I'm not seeing a reason why they would not last at least 100 years.
As far as using mortar and pestle for pepper, I never liked this idea. In the past I used to use a lot of various spices so mortar would have to be always perfectly cleaned to not affect the pepper that was being used for a dish that called only for pepper, so I decided to invest into these mills.
Mr. Dudley makes wonderful and durable pepper mills. I actually have a large amount in Glossy Walnut and natural woods in all sizes including 8" 10" and 12".
I listed them on Ebay if you are interested
Fire me boy! Cool, soothing, shameless self promotion:
paul's patreon stuff got his videos and podcasts running again!
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