440793 Wed Sep 12 20:37:06 -0700 2007 25 41 Cookware 0 2936545 Hey All: I wanted to get people's reviews and views of battery operated pepper mills. I wanted to get one as a gift for my So who saw one with the light and the whole deal at a restaurant recently and flipped. Looking at the shopping sites they seem to have a wide range of prices from about 20 bucks to 100, it's hard to get a bead on what is the best and what's just hype. I know a lot of people love the magnum, but it's not battery operated. Anyone have some 411 or personal experience? Thanks Wed Sep 12 20:37:06 -0700 2007 103226 PinotPlease 1 2937527 http://www.chow.com/stories/10482 Elite Graviti By Trudeau, $29.99 Thu Sep 13 08:12:23 -0700 2007 2936545 120852 Chowtimore 2 2941955 I bought two of the Gravitis at BB&B for $19.99 each and I had coupons too. i received one for Christmas and was underwhelmed until I began to use it. I had two good Peugeots, one for black and one for white. Now I grab the Graviti first. Saw something last weekend that said it can be used for a salt mill. Fri Sep 14 11:52:44 -0700 2007 2937527 10285 Candy 1 2937726 If it is battery operated, it's hype. Get a big, sturdy Peugeot mill, which your SO will still have long after you're gone (or at your 25th anniversary). Thu Sep 13 08:58:18 -0700 2007 2936545 12023 Hungry Celeste 2 2937947 If you have a problem with the Peugeot mills, you can get a pepper mill with a hand crank to make them turn with less effort. Penzeys sell them. http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspeppermills.html Alton Brown modified a pepper mill to be powered by a cordless drill, but I think he was going for MacGyver-esque laughs. Thu Sep 13 09:53:46 -0700 2007 2937726 22220 Kelli2006 1 2937791 I agree with Celeste, unless you've got some kind of disability which prevents you from using a mechanical pepper mill, use a mechanical pepper mill. I like the grinding mechanism of a William Bounds mill. Thu Sep 13 09:15:11 -0700 2007 2936545 29811 Buckethead 1 2939875 I had one, it's now hidden away somewhere. The Unicorn Magnum peppermill is the very best I have ever used. Very easy to fill, and to adjust the grind is easy, It is $45, and you will never need another one. The only downside is, that it only comes in black!! I think they make a small one too, but I love the big one. Thu Sep 13 18:48:27 -0700 2007 2936545 115579 Mother of four 1 2940791 A restaurant was gauche enough to use a batter operated pepper mill? Yikes. Kinda like the time a new bartender at work brought in one of those screwtop corkscrews; we tried using it once and realized very quickly that some things are just better the old-fashioned way. The Unicorn Magnum comes very highly recommended from a great many people; I got the little one from IKEA for seven bucks and it does an absolutely splendid job of grinding things. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40081278 Fri Sep 14 07:12:16 -0700 2007 2936545 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 2 2950520 Maybe I misunderstood your post, but the peppermill from IKEA is not a Unicorn Magnum. Mon Sep 17 18:09:49 -0700 2007 2940791 115579 Mother of four 3 2951286 I should have said "I got a little grinder from IKEA for seven bucks". Hope that clears things up. Tue Sep 18 02:09:33 -0700 2007 2950520 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 4 2961481 Thanks,I was about to say, "What a deal"!!!!! When I saw the picture I knew the deal went south!!!! Thu Sep 20 18:12:50 -0700 2007 2951286 115579 Mother of four 1 2940818 Spend the money on quality peppercorns, not batteries! Some jazzy gadgets are more work then wonder. A quality peppermill can be had for prices high & low but quality pepper should be your goal. I tend to crack pepper with the back of a steel knife and savor the "corns" instead of pulverize 'em. Fri Sep 14 07:19:44 -0700 2007 2936545 36312 HillJ 1 2940932 If the man wants a battery powered pepper mill, get him one (I'm taking for granted your SO is a man, since it falls into the power tool category). We have a pair (one for salt, one for pepper). Don't know who made them (I'm thinking brookstone, but could be wrong). Both are stainless steel and heavy (they look nice and feel well made). They come in handy when you're cooking and just want to add a little bit here and there withough going into the dining room to get the ones in there. From experience, they work, they're handy, and if someone has their mind set on something, there are no substitues. Fri Sep 14 07:54:08 -0700 2007 2936545 103854 HunterJay 2 2952916 Thank you HJ I'm a chef so I know from quality and understand people's love of the Pugeot et al, but this really was more of a gadget question. Thanks for the tip! Tue Sep 18 12:42:46 -0700 2007 2940932 103226 PinotPlease 2 2961493 We got these for our wedding over a year ago and have been happy with them since: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cw242/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C15%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cpepper%20mill&cm%5Fsrc=SCH Yes, maybe pricey for the pair, but I think they're just what your SO is looking for. My husband seems to find pleasure in using them as well (and he's far from a chef!) Thu Sep 20 18:16:21 -0700 2007 2940932 87194 KWynn 1 2944590 I bought a Graviti grinder when I spotted it at Sur la Table a couple of months ago. Got it because there are many times when I'm cooking that I can't use both hands with my regular pepper mill, and I thought it would be nice to be able to just pick this up, turn it over, and voila! That's really the only time I use it, though, because I don't want to replace the batteries too often. I still use my regular crank pepper mills, too. Sat Sep 15 13:18:07 -0700 2007 2936545 127581 she11ey 1 2952797 We have the battery operated ones from Williams' Sonoma... we love them... a little on the pricey side but haven't had any problems Tue Sep 18 12:15:05 -0700 2007 2936545 101709 dmfnole 1 2952996 When my dad injured his hand last year I got one for about ten bucks from Target. I must say this thing is really cool. When you press the button to grind it also activates a spotlight on to your food. Tue Sep 18 13:00:56 -0700 2007 2936545 76226 Oh Robin 2 2958617 I just checked Target and they have a iTouchless Automatic Pepper Mills/Salt Grinders Set - Stainless Steel for $19.99 (if you have AAA you get 10% off). They do look pretty cool, what man wouldn't want a flashlight on a pepper grinder (I consider myself a typical man have a thing for flashlights and powertools). Now the only question is is it an LED light or a standard bulb (I like the LED's personally). Would I be disappointed if I got this as a gift, heck no. I may even try to cook a little more, just so I can play with it. Thu Sep 20 06:21:29 -0700 2007 2952996 103854 HunterJay 3 2959153 Not sure of the "bulb type" but I do remember the one I bought took like six batteries. Yikes! My dad seriously loves it though. Thu Sep 20 08:51:25 -0700 2007 2958617 76226 Oh Robin 3 2961472 What's with the AAA getting 10%off? Is this for everything in Target? First I have heard of this. Thu Sep 20 18:10:16 -0700 2007 2958617 115579 Mother of four 4 2962272 Online shopping only. Go to the AAA website > member benefits > online shopping and it has the link (you have to use the link to get the discount). Fri Sep 21 05:06:33 -0700 2007 2961472 103854 HunterJay 1 3094783 I soo got suckered into the hype, when I saw one on Nigella Bites a few years back. I ended up buying a Rachel Ray orange one for a good friend of mine, his kitchen is in orange..and picked up a red one for myself. I don't even know where the thing ended up after the batteries ran out, and I don't miss it. If you buy one, get it for novelty purposes. Sun Nov 04 17:49:06 -0800 2007 2936545 136740 sausagefinger 1 3098697 It seems like batteries running out is the big problem. I wonder if there's a market for one with a mechanism like in those wind-up, rechargeable flashlights? You'd wind it for a minute or so to charge the batteries and they push a button to grind the pepper. Mon Nov 05 20:53:13 -0800 2007 2936545 25310 Chuckles the Clone 2 3099012 If you're going to wind it for a whole minute (or two or three, like the radios and flashlights), why wouldn't you just "wind" it a few seconds at a time when you need your pepper?? Kinda defeats the purpose for anyone who physically "needs" it and seems more than just a bit silly for those without arthritis, etc... Tue Nov 06 04:29:14 -0800 2007 3098697 11980 MikeG 1 3101140 For what it's worth, I received Peugeot mill as a wedding present in 1971. We use it every day. It doesn't look as nice as it did, but it still grinds like a champ. I have serious doubts that an electric gadget will last as long - or do as good a job. Tue Nov 06 14:09:07 -0800 2007 2936545 98577 rfneid