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Salt and pepper mill: video review
Freshly ground spices have a bright, rich taste and aroma. And using a salt and pepper mill is much more pleasant and interesting than an ordinary salt shaker or pepper shaker. That is why, despite the huge variety of ready-to-use ground condiments on supermarket shelves, the popularity of spice mills is steadily increasing.
Types of salt and pepper mills
There are two main types of salt and pepper mills: – electric; – manual (mechanical).
In electric mills, millstones are rotated by an electric motor, which is turned on by simply pressing a button or touching a sensor. Power is supplied from AA batteries or a rechargeable battery, so that the device is not tied to an outlet. No effort is needed to grind. Electric mills are very good for grinding large crystals of sea salt. This is explained by the fact that salt is harder than most spices, and it is rather difficult to grind it by hand.
In mechanical mills, the millstones are manually driven by rotating the handle or top cover relative to the housing. The grinding process is more laborious than using electric mills, but the dosage of spices is much more accurate.
Let us dwell in more detail on the main characteristics of salt and pepper mills.
The most important characteristic of a spice mill is the material of the millstones. It can be plastic, ceramic or stainless steel.
Plastic millstones are the most short-lived. They are used in inexpensive disposable hand mills filled with a mixture of salt, pepper and other spices. Usually, by the time the container with spices is empty, the millstones will wear out.
Ceramic and stainless steel millstones are more durable and abrasion resistant. The average service life of a mill with ceramic millstones is about five years, and with stainless steel millstones about ten.
For a better, waste-free grinding of peppercorns, it is recommended to choose mills whose millstones have two rows of teeth
In the simplest and cheapest hand mills, the degree of grinding is not regulated. In more “advanced” devices, adjustment is done by loosening and tightening the cover screw. This is not very convenient, since the particle size has to be determined empirically each time.
In electric mills, the grinding is controlled by turning a special wheel, which is usually located at the bottom of the device. The wheel has a scale that allows you to ideally select the degree of grinding of spices for each dish.
To grind hard crystals of salt, millstones with more powerful teeth are needed. Therefore, mills designed for pepper usually cope poorly with coarse salt, their knives quickly become dull. If you plan to grind not only pepper, but also salt and other seasonings, then it is better to buy several grinders or choose a universal model. In addition, there are special 2-in-1 mills with two salt and pepper containers and two separate mechanisms (or one more powerful mechanism equipped with a salt / pepper switch).
Housing material, shape and design
Most often, spice mills are selected for the interior design of the kitchen. If it is made in a rustic style, there will be a wooden mill by the way, in an oriental one – a brass one, in a modern loft or high-tech style – a laconic device with a glass and stainless steel body.
Wooden hand mills, especially the large ones (20 to 50 cm), look stylish but not very practical. The tree easily absorbs the smells of spices and essential oils, which are difficult to get rid of later.
The shape of the mill shell is dictated by its purpose. As a rule, it is cylindrical, elongated so that the device is comfortable to hold in the hands. Of course, there are designer mills of the most bizarre shapes – in the form of a Rubik’s cube, animal figurines, a tree trunk or a human nose. However, in operation, they are inconvenient and perform mainly gift and decorative functions.