Salt & Pepper Mills

Salt and pepper mills are essential kitchen tools. Peppercorns, like coffee beans taste better when freshly ground. Freshly milled pepper has a superior flavour to ready ground pepper which quickly loses its pungency. Freshly ground salt also has more flavour and does not contain the additives and anti-caking agents found in processed table salt.

But salt and pepper mills are not always interchangeable – they must have different grinding mechanisms to cope with the nature of the condiment. Because salt is corrosive, the grinding wheels of salt mills must always be made of a high quality plastic or ceramic material. Whereas the grinding mechanism of the pepper mill will normally be stainless steel.

However, in the last few years, a new ceramic grinding mechanism has been introduced which is equally suitable for salt and pepper.

Different grinding wheels will grind coarser or smoother than others – this is to suit personal taste, as the smoother the pepper is ground, the more subtle its flavour. For maximum taste, pepper is best coarsely ground so that the final grind is done by your teeth, and the pungent flavour explodes into your mouth.

Good quality freshly ground sea salt is essential for the kitchen and the table. We need salt in our diet to maintain the correct balance of fluids in our bodies. And we need salt for the correct functioning of nerves and muscles. But we all know that too much salt is bad for us, especially for those with high blood pressure.

Condiment mills come in all shapes and sizes with a fantastic range of traditional and modern designs to suit any kitchen style. They are generally made from acrylic, stainless steel or wood or a mixture of these materials. But if you want cast iron, porcelain or marble or red, white and blue mills – you can find them. Choose a colour and style that matches your tableware or linens.

• Acrylic Mills are often clear so that you can see the peppercorns inside the mill. These look great with a colourful mixture of pink, white, black or green peppercorns.
• Wood Mills are usually made from beech or other hard wood that is turned on a lathe to form the required shape.
• Stainless Steel Mills come in different effects – polished or satin or often a mixture of materials, usually ceramic or wood.

Care for your mill

Many kitchens contain a mill that doesn’t work properly. But today, many new mills have a grinding mechanism that comes with a lifetime guarantee so if you care for it properly it should last you for life.

• When you buy a new mill, add a spot of cooking oil to the top of the metal spindle where it joins the adjusting screw and this will stop any rusting and keep things running smoothly. Repeat occasionally throughout the life of the mill.
• Keep your mill clean by wiping the body with a damp cloth. For wooden mills rub a spot of vegetable oil on the body to prevent the wood from drying out.
• Don’t grind directly into a steamy pan as this will dampen the salt or peppercorns and lead to clogging of the grinding mechanism
• If your grinder does clog up, empty the grinder and clean the mechanism with a small brush.

Choosing peppercorns

In the Middle Ages, peppercorns were used as currency, and a Guild of Peppers was set up in London in 1180. Nowadays we use currency to buy peppercorns and these come in a range of colours and different flavours.

Pink peppercorns

These do not have a strong aroma until they are crushed. But they look great and are often mixed with other peppercorns to look attractive in your clear mill. They can be used whole or crushed and give a wonderful colour to dishes as well as a more subtle flavour than black or white pepper.

White peppercorns

These are the common type of pepper that you can buy ready ground into a fine powder for pouring from a pepper shaker. But don’t! They have a much better flavour when freshly ground although they are not as pungent as black peppercorns. You should add your white pepper at the end of cooking for the strongest flavour.

Green peppercorns

These are green because they are picked before they are ripe to give a milder and fruitier flavour than black peppercorns. Again, you should add them towards the end of cooking to retain their flavour.

Grinding Herbs & Spices

The way we eat today is influenced by worldwide tastes and flavours of exotic herbs and spices – all of which taste better when freshly ground. Spice mills let us enjoy these flavours at their best. Although not suitable for grinding fresh herbs the allow us to enjoy a fresh taste of any whole dried herbs and spices. Grinding theses as you need them releases the essential oils that give your cooking a great taste.

A spice mill often has a clear base which can be filled with the any spice or herb you choose – or make up your own combination to match any recipe or store for future use. These can be effortlessly ground in your spice mill without the need for a pestle and mortar.