296840 Tue Apr 20 10:45:52 -0700 2004 18 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1636393 I was at Sur La Table yesterday and, of course, decided I needed a wide variety of implements that I didn't need before I entered the store. Two items that caught my eye were the covered terra cotta baking dishes (also called something like a "diabollo" [sp?] if I'm not mistaken and the pepper mills. Making a purchasing decision was tough though because there was a wide variety scattered through a wide price range, particularly with the pepper mills. My question is this: are there better or worse brands and what are the crucial features. Are big pepper mills better than small ones? Metal better than wood? Peugot better than Perfex? Is a glazed interior baking dish better than an unfinished interior or vice versa? Thanks for the help. rien Tue Apr 20 10:45:52 -0700 2004 0 rien 1 1636394 Pepper Mill for the Kitchen: I love the one I have. -Adjustable Grind (fine, regular, coarse) -Most parts are dishwasher safe -Clear glass or plastic- I like to know how much pepper is in there and if the peppercorns are moving -More expensive mills tend to have smoother grinding action. Salt Mill for the Kitchen (if you grind sea salt): Same as above but it must be labeled "salt mill," salt will corrode the mechanisim of a regular grinder. I have used the model below for at least 8 years. Perfect kitchen mill. We use a different, pretty wood model on the table. Link: http://ww2.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=srki1%7Cwpepper%2Fhme%2Fhme&pkey=sa0s10pepper&gids=cw032&cmsrc=sch Tue Apr 20 10:59:45 -0700 2004 1636393 0 JudiAU 1 1636399 Short answer: Perfex is way better than Peugeot (IMNSHO). Tue Apr 20 11:50:22 -0700 2004 1636393 0 GG Mora 2 1636405 I second GG's not-so-humble opinion. I would like to suggest that if you go with the Perfex get the larger size. The small one needs refilling too often. Tue Apr 20 12:48:01 -0700 2004 1636399 0 micki 3 1636413 PERFEX woiks poifectly...and is worth every penny...and get the BIG one, while yer at it. Tue Apr 20 14:17:41 -0700 2004 1636405 0 kelvinator 2 1636577 I adore my Perfex pepper mill, and will add that Perfex's little chute in the side makes it the easiest and quickest one in the world to refill; you don't need to unscrew or take apart anything. Wed Apr 21 19:46:35 -0700 2004 1636399 0 Caitlin MvGrath 1 1636410 Best pepper mill you can buy : Unicorn. Tue Apr 20 14:03:23 -0700 2004 1636393 0 Fidelixi 1 1636414 For me, the most important thing about a pepper grinder used for cooking (as opposed to one being used at the table) is that it be usable with one hand. Wm. Bounds has several mills that fill the bill. They have variable grind settings, a clear hopper for the peppercorns so you can see what's happening, and are easily cleanable. Obviously, batteries are used, but they don't wear out too fast. I got mine out of a catalog, but I think they are available at Wms.-Sonoma and Sur la Table, as well. Tue Apr 20 14:23:58 -0700 2004 1636393 0 Jeremy newel 1 1636423 In its testing of pepper mills, Cook's Illustrated found that the best overall pepper mill was one made by Magnum. The Magnum produced more pepper per rotation than other pepper mills (as much as twice as much) and the mechanism was very easy to turn. The 9" inch Magnum holds 1.5 cups of pepper corns and is made of black acrylic. The Magnum sells for around $49.99. I have listed one web site that sells the Magnum Pepper Mill. Link: http://www.cookingenthusiast.com Tue Apr 20 16:21:42 -0700 2004 1636393 0 Norm 2 1636458 I own a Magnum Plus. It does make a heck of a lot of pepper, and has a huge capacity. Only problem is it won't hold a grind setting. Keeps going from fine to coarse, and I have to keep retightening the screw. Tue Apr 20 21:08:12 -0700 2004 1636423 0 sbp 3 1636467 I have had the Magnum Plus for about 4 years and have not had a problem with setting change. Have been very happy with it. One big plus is that it is very easy to fill without the peppercorns falling all over the place. Tue Apr 20 22:34:12 -0700 2004 1636458 0 Karl 4 1636670 Love the Unicorn Magnum Plus I received as a gift shortly after having seen it recommended on America's Test Kitchen (the TV series affiliated with Cook's Illustrated). Very comfortable to use, incredible output (showers & showers of pepper from even a quarter-turn), wide range of grind settings, and very easy to fill. Plus, the capacity is enough such that I've only had to fill it once so far. Far, far better than the stupid "pepper balls" I've now thrown away. BK Thu Apr 22 16:02:01 -0700 2004 1636467 0 BK 1 1636466 I have a tall Trudeau pepper mill that I'm very fond of. Chromed steel body, reassuringly heavy (heavy enough to be used as a weapon, in fact; if I'm ever attacked by Huns while in the kitchen, I'm reaching for that pepper mill.) Very attractive design; it looks like a shiny ultramodern chess bishop. Ceramic grinding-parts, so you could buy one for use as a salt mill also (innards won't corrode.) Adjustable from fine to coarse grind by tightening a little thumbscrew. The one downside is that the design requires two hands to operate. - er Tue Apr 20 22:17:34 -0700 2004 1636393 0 enrevanche 1 1636484 Since no one answered the clay baking dish question, I will stick my neck out. I assume you are talking about the Roemertopf type, not the East Asian kind. I prefer the Roemertopf brand, with no glazed interior. True, the flavors of the various dishes prepared do seem to carry over a bit from dish to dish, but I count that as a plus. Fish, however, are a special case - in that case I prefer to use a separate clay baker for them only. They are easy to clean, and the use of a parchment paper liner is useful in the case of very messy dishes. Wed Apr 21 06:53:04 -0700 2004 1636393 0 Sandy 2 1636517 Thank you for responding! I have one of those Roemertopfs, unglazed, and I've never really figured out what to use it for. What do you do with it, and when is it preferable to, say, a cast iron le Creuset dish? Wed Apr 21 12:10:29 -0700 2004 1636484 0 Millicent 3 1636526 I bake, roast, make stews, whatever takes a moist cooking. Do a Google search under clay pot cooking, and you'll find numerous recipes. Don't worry about how discolored it gets. Where something might stick on the upper part of the lower piece, just use a little cooking parchment. I use straight cast iron, rather than the coated ones, so I can't speak to Le Creuset. I use the clay and the cast iron dutch ovens and stew pots interchangeably, according to my mood. The two methods do put out somewhat different products with somewhat different tastes, but I simply use whatever my mood swings tell me. Roasting, say, a turkey will give a similar result if using cast iron covered as will the clay, but will be far different from "open" roasting in the oven. You can uncover the iron and the clay to allow for browning, but it will still be a different end result in taste. I hope you still have the Roemertopf brochure about the care and handling, since it does require a little more care than Le Creuset. It also requires 15 or 20 minutes soaking, top and bottom, before you put in the ingredients and put it in the COLD oven. The more you use it, the better it becomes. Wed Apr 21 12:35:05 -0700 2004 1636517 0 Sandy 4 1636543 Thank you! I will pull it off the high shelf, take the care instructions out of the interior, and get started! Wed Apr 21 14:11:57 -0700 2004 1636526 0 Millicent 1 1636519 Here's a link to an article about terra cotta dishes in today's SF Chronicle: Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/21/FDGAC66H0I1.DTL Wed Apr 21 12:11:45 -0700 2004 1636393 0 Millicent 1 1636587 I bought a Peugot pepper mill many years ago for an anniversary present for the year of wood. I love it and 20 years later we're still married! Wed Apr 21 21:17:27 -0700 2004 1636393 0 Marilayne