The grinder is not just dry. If you were to make a paste, the only issue I find is that if it is too thick, the paste will hide from the blades - or rather just stick to the sides and hide from the blades. If not too thick, just give the whole contraption a shake or two. Great for small batches of salsa. Think of it as a 1 cup food processor. If you would have to stop and scrape down a big batch in a full sized processor, you will have to do the same with the grinder for a small batch. Plenty of power though, and very quiet. I really like mine. -e
