537944 Fri Jul 11 22:27:25 -0700 2008 32 41 Cookware 0 3861798 ANYONE HAVE SOME ADVISE FOR AN AWESOME PEPPER GRINDER? GERMAN MAYBE? Fri Jul 11 22:27:26 -0700 2008 125064 ddawnzer 1 3862094 I have to sing the praises of the Unicorn Magnum http://www.unicornmills.com . Best pepper mill I've ever used. Not crazy about the Darth Vader look but it works very well. Sat Jul 12 06:19:02 -0700 2008 3861798 89493 scubadoo97 2 3862173 2nd...We've had ours for years (the salt grinder, too) and scuba is right: best ever! Sat Jul 12 07:10:27 -0700 2008 3862094 11069 fauchon 3 3882075 3nd, have had mine for about three years and love it. The best and only one that I would ever buy! Fri Jul 18 17:11:19 -0700 2008 3862173 115579 Mother of four 4 3908270 I too am a HUGE fan of the Unicorn Magnum...I have 3 (two pepper mills and one sald mill)...they are GREAT...lots of output, easy to load, hold a lot of pepper/salt and very easy to clean...you won't regret getting one of these! Mon Jul 28 10:57:32 -0700 2008 3882075 113420 tochowchick 2 3899227 I ilke this http://www.kitchenkapers.com/chpebapb300.html Thu Jul 24 18:08:33 -0700 2008 3862094 212578 blade 1 3862193 I have an oneida Xuper-mill That I am very excited about, it's mill partis made of industrial ceramic, the same they make knives out of. IT grinds so will and I bought it really cheap at a discount place. I am espcially impressed with how well it does fine grinds. Sat Jul 12 07:21:28 -0700 2008 3861798 61669 Quine 1 3872088 the wife and I recently got a Unicorn as well...we're big fans! Tue Jul 15 18:13:01 -0700 2008 3861798 209906 joshlane4 1 3872313 Penzeys previously sold Zassenhaus pepper mills in their catalog. http://www.imexenterprises.com/z-prod-info.htm Tue Jul 15 19:27:23 -0700 2008 3861798 22220 Kelli2006 2 3872459 I've heard good things about Zassenhaus coffee grinders, and bad things about their pepper grinders that's anecdotal information, for what it's worth Tue Jul 15 20:14:50 -0700 2008 3872313 209906 joshlane4 3 3884096 I use a Zassenhaus Turkish style hand mill for pepper. It's great, but costs around $70 (I bought mine for grinding coffee but later bought an electric grinder because I got tired of cranking for 3 minutes to make two cups of coffee). Normally I wouldn't go to the expense myself, but if you want to make an impression at the table and get an excellent grind, it's the top of the line. I also have an old Peugot. It's been sitting in a drawer for several years. Poor control of grind, very inefficient (too much cranking for too little result). Sat Jul 19 17:08:14 -0700 2008 3872459 53530 Zeldog 1 3874008 Do yourself a favor; get a Unicorn. Wed Jul 16 10:43:37 -0700 2008 3861798 11561 Cpt Wafer 1 3874115 Peugeot. Best pepper and salt mills we've ever owned. Wed Jul 16 11:16:34 -0700 2008 3861798 183643 sfumato 2 3880362 +1 Fri Jul 18 08:39:56 -0700 2008 3874115 193486 meadandale 1 3874303 Since I travel to Europe on business quite frequently, I have become aware of the fact that at least in Germany and Switzerland, most of the better peppermills have ceramic grinding mechanisms. I have bought a few, and am absolutely sold on the ceramic mills. They are now available here, but it does require a bit of looking, but certainly you can track them down by googling. The German mills that I am most familiar with are made by WMF, and the Swiss mills that I personally prefer a bit over the WMF are the "vase grinders" made by Kuhn-Rikon. Once you have used a ceramic mill, I doubt that you will go back to a metal mill. They are easily adjusted, and grind perfectly. (If you order a Kuhn-Rikon online, be aware of the fact that they make seasoning grinders which look identical to the pepper grinders...but they are different, and you do not want the seasoning grinder to use with pepper!) That said, I have had a Unicorn Magnum for many years, and it works very well and although I prefer the ceramic mills, I cannot fault the Magnum for its quality and dependability. (I keep a Unicorn minimill in the car for those times when I am forced to eat at some joint that only has pepper shakers. The minimills are great!) On the other hand...and I hope I don't ruffle anyone's feathers (please forgive me, sfumato)...I think that the recently made Peugeuts are junk. They do not work reliably, and do not hold their settings well. I know that some will disagree, however that has been my experience with two at home, at with multiple Peugeut's in restaurants. They used to be great, but no more. Wed Jul 16 11:59:57 -0700 2008 3861798 171170 josephnl 2 3876393 Even the old Peugeuts aren't so great over time - we have one that is probably about 25 years old with a rotary handle/crank mechanism that turns the grinder (as opposed to the more common twisting top mechanism). We stopped using it some time ago because dark powder began appearing right beneath the handle where it joined the top. The dark powder was quite annoying because it got all over my hands, and I assumed it was tiny, microscopic metal shavings - did not want. So heed the advice of the posters who recommend ceramic mills. Thu Jul 17 05:37:52 -0700 2008 3874303 139725 janniecooks 2 3877505 No worries! Multiple opinions are good things. :) Our Peugeots were purchased in France over three years ago, so I don't know if that makes a difference- I should look that up to see if they are all manufactured in the same place. The settings on ours hold just fine through weeks and weeks of cooking, but they are also easy to reset when you refill them, so I usually play around until I get the grind I want (which I'm always changing anyway). I wonder why the ones you've handled are so loose- that's no good. I do love how I can get my salt and pepper ground really fine or really coarse with them. Like all kitchen equipment, I think pepper mills are a very personal choice! :) Thu Jul 17 10:59:29 -0700 2008 3874303 183643 sfumato 3 3877550 It may be that the Peugeut's purchased in France are better...I don't know, but as I said, my luck with them has not been good. I do like the Unicorn Magnum and Minimills, but my favorites are still those with a ceramic grinding mechanism. If you have any need for an extra mill for cooking, you might consider getting a Kuhn-Rikon. They're moderately priced at $30, and work really well. See: http://www.chefsresource.com/kuhn-rikon-vase-grinder-black.html Thu Jul 17 11:12:39 -0700 2008 3877505 171170 josephnl 4 3880520 The Peugeot that I have is their new "select-a-grind" system, where the bottom piece of the mill rotates to select your grind. Sounds like a great idea, except that it adds a good amount of plastic to the mill (read: cheap!) and it seems to get in the way of pepper flow -- I tried to use mine for a kitchen mill and it was terrible! I would grind for 30 or so seconds and half the time it would be putting out pepper, half the time it wouldn't be; now it sits on my table. I picked up a Magnum and I love it! My only regret is that I wish I had gotten the larger size, the first few times I used it I accidentally twisted the part that opens up the mill for filling -- it's hard to see individual peppercorns in Beluga lentils :) someone got a surprise that dinner. Fri Jul 18 09:17:36 -0700 2008 3877550 156499 mateo21 1 3874436 I really like my Vic Firth pepper mill. It has a locking mechanism so the grind doesn't change while you're using it. Wed Jul 16 12:36:14 -0700 2008 3861798 77247 Romanmk 1 3881345 these days i use a thai granite mortar and pestle. good for any amount of pepper from small to large, 4-5 seconds gives a nice coarse grind.. a few seconds more and it is as fine as fine can be Fri Jul 18 13:01:15 -0700 2008 3861798 135229 thew 1 3883081 I recently purchased Spice Boy, a "spice" mill designed by Oliver Hemming. Quite affordable and very efficient indeed! The design allows one to easily pour the pepper in without any mess. I definitely enjoy it. Sat Jul 19 07:53:01 -0700 2008 3861798 194657 alixium 2 3884532 Ah, don't Google "spice boy" with out saying "Hemming." Sat Jul 19 21:54:39 -0700 2008 3883081 10743 yayadave 1 3887992 Unicorn Magnum.. I've used one, and given several as gifts, and I haven't heard a single bad thing (except they aren't the prettiest thing.. if you want some fancy wood one to sit on the table and impress guests with the burled grain, the Unicorn isn't for you... if you want well ground pepper and lots of it, then it is.. Mon Jul 21 10:48:56 -0700 2008 3861798 176367 grant.cook 1 3894752 The Ikea is hard to beat -- $6.99 and the grinder is ceramic. I use two, one for coarse sea salt and one for pepper. Love 'em. Also they have extra matching jars w/ lids that fit the grinding head. Wed Jul 23 12:02:57 -0700 2008 3861798 53946 puzzler 2 3894926 Amazon has a Peugeot Salt and Pepper Mill set in yellow for $26 right now. I bought them and have enjoyed them so far, although I've only had them for a few weeks. I've also never tried the Unicorn Magnum or Kuhn Rikon, so I may not have an adequate basis for comparison... Still, pretty cheap for a set of two. http://www.amazon.com/Peugeot-Paris-4-Inch-Pepper-Classic/dp/B0017136DY/ref=rsl_mainw_dpl?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER Wed Jul 23 13:01:34 -0700 2008 3894752 202204 paraque 2 3895230 Yeah, I like mine from Ikea just fine for all the reasons you stated. I didn't bother posting about it because I didn't think it fit "awesome." You sure aren't going to impress anyone with your $7 pepper mill. Unless they just like things that are inexpensive and do what they're supposed to very well. Wed Jul 23 14:43:09 -0700 2008 3894752 10743 yayadave 2 3902237 I have not seen the Ikea grinders, but if they uses ceramic grinders, they are probably hard to beat, especially for the price! Fri Jul 25 16:03:13 -0700 2008 3894752 171170 josephnl 3 3902918 Agreed, ceramic is THE way to go. Ain't pricy, ain't gonna be a display piece, it wil be your best grinder Fri Jul 25 22:43:42 -0700 2008 3902237 61669 Quine 1 3895287 Vic Firth Pepper Mill...OMG..I have been using his fab drumsticks for over 25 years and I had no frigging idea he made Pepper Mills! I have a Peugeot pepper mill that I got in Paris and love it but I'm going out this weekend and finding me my Vic.. The guy is an incredible percussionist.. Wed Jul 23 14:57:08 -0700 2008 3861798 97452 Beach Chick 1 3971007 Unicorn is the best, no contest!!! Tue Aug 19 21:11:19 -0700 2008 3861798 219000 dlhhr 1 3975021 I'm OBSESSED with finding the ultimate pepper mill and, hands down, the best on the market today is the Unicorn Magnum 9". And that's after trying/buying dozens. It doesn't look pretty but function over form when it comes to grinding pepper! Thu Aug 21 08:38:31 -0700 2008 3861798 212446 act1966 2 3979874 Amen! The longer we have our's, the happier we are! Fri Aug 22 19:37:43 -0700 2008 3975021 209906 joshlane4