# What pepper mill to buy?



## LiquidXT (Dec 23, 2018)

ive done some searches and most of the similar posts are quite old. So I am fed up with the crap pepper mill I got from amazon, it keeps coming apart on its own and trying to use the adjustment makes it worse. That’s what holds the whole thing together. So what pepper mill do you guys use and recommend? I looked at the stainless Peugeot and it seemed like every third or fourth review was terrible. And the wood ones seem to have issues splitting if you get them wet. I don’t need a super fancy one I just want it to be adjustable and work great. I appreciate your responses.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

I don't use a pepper mill. I use a mortar and pestle. A little more work, but, the end result I think is far superior, not to mention I have more control over the size of the grind. 

I use it any time I need to grind dried seasoning or herbs.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I've never found one I like for the long haul.

I've taken to grinding a couple of tablespoons fresh for use a week at a time


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Honestly, I'm all for Peugeot. I love mine...I actually have and use the stainless steel version, which I got because my old wood one split after I got it wet (I'm not joking, lol). 

If you ask me, the grind selector is great and the quality seems better than any other grinder I've tried (despite the bottom rim coming of one of my old ones when it got wet and split off). I find that the grind quality/consistency is top notch and I'm not having to constantly re-adjust the selector or tighten the knob. I have to tighten the knob sometimes but far less than a lot of other grinders. Seems better at the finer setting as well, much more even than some other mills I've used. 

The stainless one has held up well for 2+ years now in a pro kitchen with daily use.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

phatch said:


> I've never found one I like for the long haul.
> 
> I've taken to grinding a couple of tablespoons fresh for use a week at a time


I agree. This is what I use- https://www.webstaurantstore.com/waring-wsg30-commercial-spice-grinder-120v/929WSG30.html


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## chaka (Nov 30, 2011)

someday said:


> Honestly, I'm all for Peugeot. I love mine...I actually have and use the stainless steel version, which I got because my old wood one split after I got it wet (I'm not joking, lol).
> 
> If you ask me, the grind selector is great and the quality seems better than any other grinder I've tried (despite the bottom rim coming of one of my old ones when it got wet and split off). I find that the grind quality/consistency is top notch and I'm not having to constantly re-adjust the selector or tighten the knob. I have to tighten the knob sometimes but far less than a lot of other grinders. Seems better at the finer setting as well, much more even than some other mills I've used.
> 
> The stainless one has held up well for 2+ years now in a pro kitchen with daily use.


agreed...an investment tool that does not fail


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

I love my Peugeot mill and have used it for at least a decade without any deterioration in performance.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

halb said:


> This is what I use- https://www.webstaurantstore.com/waring-wsg30-commercial-spice-grinder-120v/929WSG30.html


This appears to be a spice grinder for quantity but looks good nonetheless.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

kokopuffs said:


> This appears to be a spice grinder for quantity but looks good nonetheless.


Yes. I was replying to @phatch about grinding a couple of tablespoons and keeping it on hand. It's not something that you would bring to the table but we don't do that anyway. The nice thing about it is that you can control how fine you grind. For pepper, you can do a fine grind like you would fill pepper shakers with or a coarse "butcher grind" for steaks and burgers. Easy enough to do a fresh quantity as needed to keep it fresh.


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## LiquidXT (Dec 23, 2018)

I just received a granite mortar and pestle for Christmas which I think would be great for cooking, but for something sitting at the table I would prefer a actual grinder. I am leaning towards a stainless Peugeot based on the posts here.


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## Patch (Dec 27, 2018)

I've been using a Cole & Mason Derwent mill for the last five years. The body is plastic/acrylic but the mechanism is stainless steel. The main benefit is the grind setting is independent of the cap retention so you can refill it without changing the setting. The grind setting does not shift during use. I have even occasionally popped the top off and attached my cordless drill to the shaft when I need a larger volume but still want freshly ground. I got it from Amazon and their current price is less than I paid for it five years ago.


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## LiquidXT (Dec 23, 2018)

That drill idea is genius, I would have never thought of that!


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## Transglutaminase (Jan 9, 2019)

Not sure which pepper mill you bought on Amazon, but I purchased a Unicorn magnum plus from them.
I quite like it..holds a ton of pepper corns (tellicherry anyone?).
I've seen them being used a few times on the food network shows (no, that wasn't my influence).


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

sgsvirgil said:


> I don't use a pepper mill. I use a mortar and pestle. A little more work, but, the end result I think is far superior, not to mention I have more control over the size of the grind.
> 
> I use it any time I need to grind dried seasoning or herbs.


I tried doing pepper corns like that, I couldn't make a dent in them! I'm a lean 200 pounds and advanced in power application, so what is the trick here? I tried hammering into them, but they would just scatter, and I feared smashing the damn thing.


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## LiquidXT (Dec 23, 2018)

rick alan said:


> I tried doing pepper corns like that, I couldn't make a dent in them! I'm a lean 200 pounds and advanced in power application, so what is the trick here? I tried hammering into them, but they would just scatter, and I feared smashing the damn thing.


What type of mortar do you have? Marble is very slick and would cause this to happen a lot. A granite setup is better suited for grinding up things like peppercorns.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

It's rough-finished stone, like significantly deep rings/groves ground into the mortar from top to bottom. The pepper corns I had just seemed invincible! Tough as nails. Now considering it I have to believe most pepper is not like this. You ever hear tell of invincible PC's? I'm telling you I must have faced them that time with my mortar and pestle. I simply never tried pepper again after that.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Well after looking at discouraging Amazon reviews for mills of %30+ dollars I decided on the Oxo Good Grips at $11. Just about the worst comments on them had to do with the fill-door popping open in use. So what, a piece of tape would nicely take care of that. They also have ceramic grinders, and a crank which is so much better than the twisters. Ordered 2, one dedicated to pepper and the other for whatever I may want to put in it.

Received them and was surprised at there decent size and sturdiness. And these are easily the best grinders I ever used. They grind very fast, and as fine or course as you like with a little twist of the large wing nut on the bottom. Ground fennel seed with it even. These bottom adjusters are also great as there is no readjustment with loading. And the fill doors stay shut on their own.

I'll need to fiddle with them a bit more to give a full report, but so far so good!


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

POST #7 Peugeot.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=peugeot+pepper+mill


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Yes I looked at the Peugeot, given the Amazon reviews it does not look like they're making them with the same quality these days, or back their guarantee.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

rick alan said:


> Yes I looked at the Peugeot, given the Amazon reviews it does not look like they're making them with the same quality these days, or back their guarantee.


 Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


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## podzap (Mar 7, 2019)

I had a wooden Peugeot and the bottom ring split when it got accidentally bumped off the dining table. I bought another identical one to replace it and that was over 5 years ago.

If it gets broken again, I am considering replacing the set with the Greek ATLAS mills that have the turn handle on the top. They are made of copper and look like they would last forever.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Check out amazon reviews before buying. The $11 Oxo is not haut decor so I will not recommend here. I didn't need table decoration, I just wanted a reliable and decent grinding mill, and that could also do salt

If you're going for looks in the dining room by all means get what looks good, Atlas, Peugeot, whatever. But not a bad idea to have a couple Oxo's for the kitchen, so far I highly recommend them there.


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