Pepper and Salt Mills/Grinders

[Marlene]

sold. i just bought one. can't wait to get it.

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Which one did you get Russ?

[russ parsons]

i got the regular. i sometimes make pepper combinations, with black pepper and allspice, or fennel seed or other things, for seasoning meat. so an extra-large capacity would work against me.

[Chad]

Add me to the Magnum evangelist list. I've had the regular for several years now and it is amazing. I have no idea what I'd do with the large.

I really like being able to adjust the coarseness of the grind, though the Magnum really doesn't get down to a superfine grind, which is okay because I've never needed to. And the grind screw does work itself loose, so I've gotten in the habit of snugging it up a little every time I use the grinder. I have no doubt, though, that this thing would happily grind my Christmas tree into compost with just a few twists of the wrist if I could figure out how to get it in there.

Chad

[scubadoo97]

We bought the black PepperMills Supreme 2000 back in December.

Rachel, is the rechargeable battery one that can be easily found if a replacement is needed or is it a proprietary battery? I have thrown away many rechargeable gadgets when the battery is no longer available or cost is prohibitory.

[Marlene]

i got the regular. i sometimes make pepper combinations, with black pepper and allspice, or fennel seed or other things, for seasoning meat. so an extra-large capacity would work against me.

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Sorry, I meant which brand did you get? The Magnum? I am still waiting to receive my Peppermill Supreme and will report back when I get it!

[russ parsons]

yes, sorry, the magnum.

[Rachel Perlow]

We bought the black PepperMills Supreme 2000 back in December.

Rachel, is the rechargeable battery one that can be easily found if a replacement is needed or is it a proprietary battery? I have thrown away many rechargeable gadgets when the battery is no longer available or cost is prohibitory.

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Hmm, I think it is built in. But I find if you change it fully the first time (remember, mine is still working after 2 months on its first charge), then always allow it to completely drain before recharging it fully again, they batteries last a long time. I'll email your question to the manufacturer as well.

[Rachel Perlow]

Response (that was quick): "It is not replaceable. Expected life of battery is 7 -10 years."

[Octaveman]

Well, I got my Peppermill and love it. The thing that I like about it the most has to be that it's powered. With a 24-48 hour initial charge, the battery will last. Most chargable batteries I've seen lose power with non-use but this one hangs on. It's not heavy or cumbersome at all. The neck to grip it is small and easy to grasp and hold. I can pick it up with one hand and grind away and can stir the pepper into the sauce at the same time or saute and grind at same time as well. The finest grind is very fine and puts a nice dusting on foods. The largest grind though is not quite as "cracked" as I would have liked but it's still pretty big. As Rachel said, sifting the grind to get the bigger chunks will be needed if that's what you're looking for. Just do it ahead of time, no big deal. The light is an added bonus but I don't see it's need for home use.

As far as how much is produced by the mill. It can produce a fair amount of pepper so it may take a few uses to get accustomed to it but basically you shouldn't linger over the food. A quick pass or two is all that's needed. Another thing of beauty about this mill is that the grind is consistant. There's no pausing between turns like with a regular twist mill (non-crank that is) possibly causing too much pepper in one spot and not enough in another. You just move it over your food and it is done. Clean and simple.

I called Jim to talk to him about his mill and he was very nice to deal with. I ordered the white one and will get the black one when it comes in stock. It shipped the day after I place my order. I recommend this to anyone wanting a powered mill.

Cheers,

Bob

Edited March 1, 2006 by Octaveman (log)

[russ parsons]

The finest grind is very fine and puts a nice dusting on foods.  The largest grind though is not quite as "cracked" as I would have liked but it's still pretty big.  As Rachel said, sifting the grind to get the bigger chunks will be needed if that's what you're looking for.  Just do it ahead of time, no big deal. 

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i hesitate to bring this up because i'm sure you already know about it. but when i want really coarse cracked pepper (steak au poivre, etc.), i just put whole peppercorns on the cutting board and crush them with the back of a skillet. works great.

[mukki]

Well, I got my Peppermill and love it.

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That's good to hear. I ordered one a few days ago in the satin color. I've been punishing myself for years using the Zassenhaus grinder I bought from Penzey's. I've really come to hate it ~ it doesn't hold much pepper (unfortunately, I bought the small size) and grinding happens in fits and starts. Grinding more than 1/2 t. of pepper is a PIA.

Hilary

[Marlene]

The finest grind is very fine and puts a nice dusting on foods.  The largest grind though is not quite as "cracked" as I would have liked but it's still pretty big.  As Rachel said, sifting the grind to get the bigger chunks will be needed if that's what you're looking for.  Just do it ahead of time, no big deal. 

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i hesitate to bring this up because i'm sure you already know about it. but when i want really coarse cracked pepper (steak au poivre, etc.), i just put whole peppercorns on the cutting board and crush them with the back of a skillet. works great.

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I use a hammer and a ziplock bag.

Well, I got my Peppermill and love it.

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That's good to hear. I ordered one a few days ago in the satin color. I've been punishing myself for years using the Zassenhaus grinder I bought from Penzey's. I've really come to hate it ~ it doesn't hold much pepper (unfortunately, I bought the small size) and grinding happens in fits and starts. Grinding more than 1/2 t. of pepper is a PIA.

Hilary

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I've just received mine (in satin) and they are charging right now. I will report back, but I will say they are bigger than I thought! And I agree, Jim was absolutely terrific to deal with.

[Rachel Perlow]

Bigger than you thought? Hmmm... I looked again at the picture I posted and can see where you could lose perspective. The ground pepper is on a salad plate, about 6" in diameter.

[hwilson41]

I have the Unicorn Magnum, and have finally finished slutting around from one pepper grinder to another.  This is one to settle down with, if you really use a lot of pepper.

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Today I received my factory-direct Unicorn Magnum.  THIS THING KICKS ASS ALL OVER MY PEUGEOT PEPPER MILL!!  The way this thing spews forth pepper is astounding.  I'm talking like an 1/8th turn on the Magnum is like two full turns on the Peugeot.  Serious pepper production!

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Amen^2 to all the above. I'm working on a recipe for some very spicy sausage, and among other things I needed 3 Tbsp freshly ground pepper. I was using my old Peugeot, grinding my little butt off, and after what seemed like 30 minutes, I had maybe 1-1/2 Tbsp. To say that I was a little pissed is a great understatement. So I ran up to Sur la Table, bought the Unicorn Magnum, came home and went back to work. In less than 5 minutes, I had the entire 3 Tbsp ground. This thing is amazing. Being a colonial decor kind of guy, I'm not overly enthralled with the look of it, but for performance it beats anything I've ever owned by miles. Great product!!!

[Marlene]

I love the peppermill. Today I needed 1/2 cup of coarsely ground pepper for my rib rub. It would have taken forever using my normal pepper grinder. This baby did the job in less than 5 minutes.

[eatrustic]

Marlene: How is it for "dinner plate" grinding? Does it work for smaller amounts? I wonder if the salt grinding version is the same?

You said you found it larger than you thought, again would it be awkward at the dinner table? I'm hoping for an all round mill!!

[Marlene]

I'll try both salt and pepper at the dinner table tonight and let you know. You can certainly control the flow and amount easily enough, but I'm personally thinking these are too large for the dinner table.

[Rachel Perlow]

I can see that they might be too big. I primarily plate by the stove and salt & pepper there. The PepperMill lives by the stove.

[Marlene]

I can see that they might be too big. I primarily plate by the stove and salt & pepper there. The PepperMill lives by the stove.

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Yes, I think that's where mine will live, by the stove. There are lots of applications that the peppermill is wonderful for though. Large batches of ground pepper, salting potatoes and pasta quickly at the stove. I can see me using mine a lot, but probably not for dinner table application.

[Joe Blowe]

Today I needed 1/2 cup of coarsely ground pepper for my rib rub.  It would have taken forever using my normal pepper grinder.  This baby did the job in less than 5 minutes.

I promise I'm not looking to pick on your new found love , but for that quantity of ground pepper wouldn't you use one of those $20 coffee grinder doo-hickeys?

Or can this peppermill produce the same quantity over the same period of time?

[Marlene]

Today I needed 1/2 cup of coarsely ground pepper for my rib rub.  It would have taken forever using my normal pepper grinder.  This baby did the job in less than 5 minutes.

I promise I'm not looking to pick on your new found love , but for that quantity of ground pepper wouldn't you use one of those $20 coffee grinder doo-hickeys?

Or can this peppermill produce the same quantity over the same period of time?

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I suppose, if I was grinding that much pepper every day, but I can't see me buying a coffee grinder to grind pepper like that when I only use that much at one time occassionally. That's another appliance I have to find storage space for, drag it out, plug it in and clean it up after I'm done grinding. This peppermill was darn near as fast and I will use it all the time by the stove for seasoning other dishes etc.

[Richard Kilgore]

I also have become a Magnum convert. Ugly, ugly, but this grinder puts out a huge amount of pepper rapidly and maintains a consistent grind. It will not grind as finely as my Puegots, but I need a larger grind most of the time anyway. The Magnum replaces not the Peugots, but a 12 inch tall Olde Thompson grinder that I found a convenient length, but it would not grind as fine as the Peugot, nor as large as the Magnum, and was not good about holding a consistent grind at all.

[Cleo]

I also like that it has a matching coaster to rest the PepperMill on -- keeps the "dust" off the counter.

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I've had the Magnum Plus for a few years and I love it, but I wish it came with some kind of "coaster" or cover for the bottom. I keep it in my cabinet and there's always a collection of pepper underneath. Drives me crazy!

[lennyk]

I am also a satisfied Magnum user, I bought it after spending too much time

grinding for brisket/rib rubs

[Richard Kilgore]

I also like that it has a matching coaster to rest the PepperMill on -- keeps the "dust" off the counter.

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I've had the Magnum Plus for a few years and I love it, but I wish it came with some kind of "coaster" or cover for the bottom. I keep it in my cabinet and there's always a collection of pepper underneath. Drives me crazy!

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My new Magnum came with a coaster. Perhaps this is a newer addition. You might contact the company to see if they can send you one.