# Pepper Grinder Wanted



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Hi Gang,

I'd like to get another pepper grinder, one that can grind from fine to very coarse, almost like cracked pepper. My current grinder does not grind coarsely enough. Any suggestions?

scb


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

For coarse, you might be happier with a mortar and pestle. It's what I use for the times I want a really coarse grind


----------



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

I use a motar and pestle at times, as well as other techniques. However, I'd also like a grinder, which is sometimes more convenient and easier for me to use.

scb


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

I"m tellin' ya Shel, ya want the Atlas. It's (more or less) the same grinder that old perv the Frugal Gourmet used. The difference being that now you can get grinders that stand up on their own instead of with that little cup thing on the bottom -- or, you can still get that model too.

They grind very well from extremely coarse to medium-fine. The very coarse is a little irregular -- which is exactly what you wanted. They look great on a counter, they're easy to clean, they hold a lot of corns, and they last forever. Mine is heading into its third decade.

For fine to very fine grinds, the best mill is a Zassenhaus. But that's another thread. 

Give in,
BDL


----------



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

BDL,

I looked up the Atlas and found a few pics and descriptions. It looks like a good choice. I'll see if there's a local business that carries it so I can see/touch/feel the grinder before deciding. Thanks for the tip.

For now I'm content with my Peugot for fine grinds.

scb


----------



## dledmo (Apr 7, 2006)

Unicorn Magnum is my weapon of choice. Fine to coarse settings and puts out a lot of pepper. Alton Brown recommends also to do a little name dropping.


----------



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestion. My first reaction is that I'm not interested. The mill is made of plastic, and I don't like plastic items. However, the reviews are very positive, so it may be worth taking a look.

shel


----------



## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

Over the years I've used many makes of salt grinders and pepper mills. Nowadays I have found the Holy Grail, aka Peugeot mills!


----------



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

As noted in an earlier message in this thread, I have a Peugeot mill. It's wonderful, made of olive wood it's also gorgeous. However, it does not provide a coarse grind. Do you have a Peugeot mill that provides a coarse grind? Does it provide fine and medium grinds as well?

shel


----------



## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

The mills provide me with a variety of grinds, depending on how tight the knob at the top is turned. I use them for medium and fine grinds only - I use a pestle and mortar for coarse grinds eg a pepper crust for steak.


----------



## geneogirl (May 8, 2010)

Try a Chef Specialties Professional wood pepper mill.  It grinds from coarse to fine.  The spring tension helps to hold the grind at the setting of your choice.  This one is really built to last.  I love it.


----------



## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

I really enjoy the quality of the Atlas pepper mill that I bought. The price will vary from decent up to suggested retail pricing, you just need to shop around a bit.

good luck,

dan


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Atlas... the best.

BDL


----------



## indianwells (Jan 2, 2007)

dledmo said:


> Unicorn Magnum is my weapon of choice. Fine to coarse settings and puts out a lot of pepper. Alton Brown recommends also to do a little name dropping.


Totally agree! If you want something that looks pretty, well there are hundreds out there. The Magnum however, is a cooks tool that does the job and that is all that matters to me. Fantastic grindage!


----------



## bcycler (Apr 29, 2010)

I wanted a good pepper mill and recently bought the Peugeot U-Select 9"


I like it a lot. I've never use the Atlas so I can't make any comparisons. The U-select feature is used to adjust the grind. The bottom few inches of the mill can be twisted relative to the rest of the body which allows a quick alteration of the grind and it has reference marks for personal preference. The mill comes with a tiny little guide attached that mentions the peppercorns should be 5mm or smaller.

Just to be sure that size wasn't going to be an issue at the same time I bought the..


..a 1 lb package of Tllicherry whole peppercorns, on arrival I emptied the mill and filled it with the Tellicherry. No problems and the first words out of the wife's mouth were "restaurant pepper". Our last lexon mill had broken and we were limited to the canned pepper for quite a while. The 1lb of peppercorns is $13 and just about filled up a quart jar. I don't think we'll need pepper anytime soon (but If someone has a favorite pepper I'd love to hear about it).

I'm not pumping Amazon which frequently doesn't have the best price, it's that I took out a one month free trial to Amazon Prime for the benefit of free 2nd day shipping. OK, not that I believe anything is really free, they're hoping you keep the membership at an annual cost of about $80, I didn't! None the less, the "free shipping" motivated me to make some extra purchases, including the Pepper Mill.

I almost forgot the most important part, to actually address your question. I normally grind towards the fine side but I used the U-Select and switched the mill over to the most coarse setting, I don't know how this compares with your mill but here is the result.


----------



## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

A cutting board and a round edged heavy pan.

Fastest, easiest pepper mill ever.

Place corns on board, rock rounded edge of pan over corns. Continue until ground to your liking. Nothing faster.


----------



## deanb (Mar 30, 2008)

I use this electric pepper mill. Best I've ever used.

http://www.peppermills.com/

One hand operation and it's fast.


----------



## bcycler (Apr 29, 2010)

Electric pepper mill, I think that's cheating! If I have to sharpen my knives by hand you should have to take each individual peppercorn and run it across a grater :-}


----------



## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

That is cheating ? Yikes ! (run a peppercorn acrross a grater ? I am still doing that ! ) ...............Not /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif

Then I would hate to think what you thought of my:

http://www.kitchenemporium.com/cgi-bin/kitchen/prod/29prsd7.html

Two shots in my expresso.....you know for those tired days when you can't lift a spoon anymore.../img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif

Its about the only kitchen gadget I think is cute.


----------



## fr33_mason (Jan 9, 2008)

I remember when Alton Brown used a standard pepper mill to which he attached a cordless screw gun to the grinder shaft and voila! The grind-o-matic 5000...

...one heavy duty honkin' pepper mill.

If memory serves me correctly he measured the ground pepper production by timing the thing in seconds.

 For me though I think that I am going to try one of the Atlas grinders.  They seem really well built and look sexy to boot.

 Good thread


----------



## madcowcutlery (Mar 6, 2010)

We have had numerous positive feedback about the Vic Firth Grinders. Made in the USA and feature a Lifetime Warranty.

http://www.madcowcutlery.com/store/...o-Batali-7-Pepper-Mill-Chocolate-175p1575.htm

Their website is: http://www.vicfirthgourmet.com/

Most of the positive remarks were about the lock and grind system--you set it, then lock it so your settings don't change with use. Also, the heavy-duty, two-step grinding.

D. Clay


----------



## debra (Aug 21, 2010)

hi i am not sure if you got your pepper mill yet but i just bought a beautiful one from www.chefpeppermills.com and a friend of mine said she bought her at www.exoticwoodspeppermills.com (note the woods is plural). I had another one but can't find it, as soon as I do, i will post it.

have a great day!


----------



## bhtoad (Jul 14, 2010)

I've used a couple of Vic Firth's for about 10 years now.  Excellent mills.  Love the way the grind settings don't change when you refill it.  Lots of models/shapes to choose from, but I'm surprised he hasn't made one that looks like a giant drumstick.


----------

