Electric Spice Grinder

[santo_grace]

My birthday is coming up next month and I am thinking about asking for an electric spice grinder. Does anyone have any recommendations?

[KatieLoeb]

I just use an electric coffee grinder. Both Krups and Braun make decent ones for about $20.

[Smithy]

I just use an electric coffee grinder.  Both Krups and Braun make decent ones for about $20.

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Same here. We got an electric grinder that we used to use for cumin. It looked nifty but has been a disappointment. It's much too slow on the output. The coffee grinder cost half as much and works at least 4 times as well.

[Kerry Beal]

Sumeet multi-grind, they are apparently going to be selling them at Williams Sonoma for about $90 to $100. Makes short work of dried ginger, turmeric and the 2 inch diameter siagon cinnamon I have.

[HKDave]

I'm also in the coffee grinder school, and I haven't found anything it hasn't been able to cope with. Mine's a Braun. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a 'proper' electric spice grinder.

[TongoRad]

Coffee grinder too- with the following caveat:

if I am grinding a masala that includes cinnamon, or something else that is very hard I have learned the hard way to sift the final powder through a fine strainer. There is nothing worse than biting down into those tiny little pebbles in your food. Also- I will strain coriander just because all of the grinding in the world never seems to pulverize the papery husks. The added step takes all of a few seconds and makes for a nicer final product.

[santo_grace]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like the coffee grinder is the way to go and much more economical. I guess that just saves more money for other gifts. Hmmm, what to get?

[Milagai]

If you're only going to grind dry spices, then the coffee mill is the

way to go.

If your grinding includes lots of other elements

(e.g. dal pastes, dosai batter, onions ginger garlic mush,

wet spices, coconut chutneys, etc etc.) that include hard and not-so-hard,

wet and dry grinding, etc. then nothing beats the Sumeets.

One machine, instead of lots of separate ones.

Milagai

[Anna N]

The current (June/July 06) issue of Fine Cooking rates 4 coffee/spice grinders (used for grinding spices). The winner was the Delonghi Model DCG39 with a price of $29.95 USF.

Runners up were the Braun Model KSM2, the Krups Model 203, and the Hamilton Beach Model 80374.

The grinders were tested with fennel, coriander, and cumin seeds, dried ancho chilies, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and peppercorns.

[jayt90]

A large heavy duty mortar and pestle would be a nice gift in addition to a coffee grinder.

I got one made of granite at a Korean store (P.A.T.) for $30.

It is useful for coarse grinds and for any ingredients such as herbs , too moist for the coffee grinder.

[Octaveman]

Check out www.peppermills.com Supposedly, it can grind spices with the best of them.

[andiesenji]

You can compare several brands ]at this site.

and the Amazon offerings.

I have this one for two or three years and it gets a work out.

When grinding things like cloves or broken stick cinnamon, I hold the lid on while depressing the button at the side and turn the things upside-down and back rapidly a few times and it gets everything ground evenly.

I have several, including a KitchenAid which I got on sale at Target for 9.99. However the Krups has a larger capacity than any of the others.

Here's a useful hint. To clean between spices or whatever, place 3 or 4 broken saltine crackers and two tablespoons of baking soda in the grinder and turn it on, hold the top on and also invert it several times. The mixture will remove residual oils, it will even remove coffee residue.

I think the DeLonghi was taken off the market. I know they had them at Gottschalk's dept store last December but when I was there in January, they were no longer in the DeLonghi display and I saw several of the boxes taped together with packaging tape behind the cashier's kiosk. I notice that they are shows as not available at the Amazon site.

[JayBassin]

I also use a coffee grinder, but my post is to push Braun and steer you away from Krups. I've had Braun and Krups gadgets for years, and while the brands work the same, customer service and repairs are vastly different. When my Braun products go bad (even after warrenty), the company is very helpful and often gives me a replacement. Krups doesn't even bother to reply, even under warrenty. I will never buy another Krups product and I urge all eGulleteers to avoid them.

[marinade]

I've burned out more grinders over the years than I can count. This is what does it for me Girmi

This beast can take on just about anything and it's easy to clean.

Jim

Ed. for broken link

Edited June 9, 2006 by marinade (log)

[Chris Amirault]

We buy cheap, used coffee grinders at thrift stores and yard sales whenever we need a new spice grinder; for $2 or $3 you can usually get a perfectly serviceable Braun, Krups, whatever.

When my long-lost third rich grandfather makes contact and then dies a day later, I'm getting a Sumeet (among many, many other things).

[gruntermen]

I have a kitchen aid that was probably in the 10 or 20 dollar range. It looked really great in the store but it turned out to be somewhat of a nightmare. There is no seal between the lid and the canister so spices will fly out if i don't put plastic wrap over the canister first. Even worse, this just can not produce a fine grind. The only plus side to the kitchen aid is that the canister is metal and removable so I can wash it and it won't become stained and scratched by things like cloves and turmeric. It is perfect for grating hard cheeses. I'm not a coffee person so i can't really say if it works well for its intended task

If you get the right mortar and pestle you may not even want the electric grinder. My parents have one that it quite large and the pestle actually is cut to fit the entire bowl. Its more of a grinding stone I suppose. You just put spices in, place the pestle/stone in, press down and turn. Nothing ever comes flying out. I absolutely love it. It would have disappeared from my parents residence long ago if it wasn't for the fact that it is somewhat heavy and that with my luck airport security would decide it was either a weapon or some type of drug paraphernalia....

[Nancy Sexton]

I ordered a Sumeet Multi Grind from their web site in July, and never heard anything.

I finally called and talked to a woman there. She expects them to ship from India late in October, to be available in mid-November. They are totally out of stock right now.

I have no idea if Williams Sonoma will ever carry them, but they do look like awesome spice grinders.

Been grinding with a coffee grinder for years now and it's driving me mad. Gotta get something better.

Nancy

[andiesenji]

There have been no Sumeet mills available in the U.S. since April. Some of the vendors that were carrying them no longer have them on their websites - they are selling different machines under the names:

Butterfly, Premier, Preethi, Revel Wet and Dry, Rico and a couple of others. Look for Indian kitchen appliances. Or look for "Mixie" or Wet Grinders

Bombay Limited is one vendor.

This is another.

Edited September 7, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[Kerry Beal]

I ordered a Sumeet Multi Grind from their web site in July, and never heard anything.

I finally called and talked to a woman there.  She expects them to ship from India late in October, to be available in mid-November.  They are totally out of stock right now.

I have no idea if Williams Sonoma will ever carry them, but they do look like awesome spice grinders.

Been grinding with a coffee grinder for years now and it's driving me mad.  Gotta get something better.

Nancy

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I was in to see them at Sumeet in June and they were saying July then. The reason they didn't have any around was because they were supplying them all to Williams Sonoma. Might want to check WS and see if they are available yet.

They are a great grinder, and they have made some changes to the blade that make them even better.

The last time I was in there they did have some of the bigger ones available. Also a lovely machine.

[C. sapidus]

For grinding dry spices, I would pick up a cheap coffee grinder. No, knowing myself, I would do extensive research, check Consumer Reports, and then buy a cheap coffee grinder. We have only replaced the coffee grinder once in 30 years. The current model is a Krups, for what it is worth.

Anyway, my wife gave me a Preethi ChefPro Plus for my birthday. The grinder was back-ordered for a few weeks, but arrived yesterday and the many pieces are sitting expectantly on the counter. I am hoping it will be able to handle some or all of the following tasks:

1. Grind dry spices and toasted chilies (so I don’t have to clean the coffee grinder with rice every time I grind spices)

2. Chop ice and make Indian lassi

3. Grind Thai curry pastes as finely as a mortar and pestle

4. Grind soaked chilies so finely that I don’t need to strain the skins when making Mexican moles

I will experiment and report.

[qrn]

I agree with chrismirault....a $2or$ 3 thrift store of whatever brand works just fine...

Bud