Coffee Hand Grinder for Pepper?

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Col_Potter
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Joined: 13 years ago

#1: Post by Col_Potter »

This is something that has bothered me for a long time, but the tipping point was I was preparing for a BBQ tonight. As I ground a tablespoon of pepper for the bacon, the hugely inconsistent grind size totally frustrated me. I have purchased several pepper mills over the past year, each one more expensive then the next, and unless I am grinding powder fine, they all suck. The antique one that came from my grandparents circa 1940's works the best, with big cast burrs, but is still not great. I used to have a porlex (sp?) hand grinder that I gave away years ago, and I was thinking that it might work well for pepper. Before I go out and buy another, does anyone have any experience with cheap coffee hand grinders for use in pepper? Thoughts? Good? Bad? Ugly?
The Colonel

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sweaner
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#2: Post by sweaner »

Does the inconsistent grind size really make a difference for pepper?
Scott
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baldheadracing
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Joined: 9 years ago

#3: Post by baldheadracing »

Hand grinder for spices?

The classic thread on this topic, albeit not inexpensive: Rosco Mini Grinder as a Pepper Mill?
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

avid
Posts: 85
Joined: 8 years ago

#4: Post by avid »

I have a Peugeot electric pepper mill and here is an image of the finest, medium and coarsest settings. There are probably three times this many settings to choose from. I love it and use it all the time.


DanoM
Posts: 1375
Joined: 11 years ago

#5: Post by DanoM »

I prefer Turkish coffee mills for my pepper grinding. I have 3 mills: coarse grind setting for mixed pepper, medium grind for black and white pepper blend, powder fine grind for white pepper. I've also used Hario hand mills for pepper and spice grinding.

If it works for you then use it.
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JerDGold
Posts: 177
Joined: 10 years ago

#6: Post by JerDGold »

Pepper mills are the tampers of the kitchen. I work in the restaurant industry and have very close friends who are cooks and chefs and they get geeked over pepper mills and other toys.

I tell you that to say this; Yes, grind size matters, and no, it's not weird if you go out and spend on a high quality pepper mill. A good pepper mill will be consistent within each setting. They will also distribute particles in a specific area and not spray/shoot pepper outside of its circumference.

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peacecup
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#7: Post by peacecup »

Yes, I've used old German hand mills for pepper with excellent results. They work well for flax and poppy seeds as well.
LMWDP #049
Hand-ground, hand-pulled: "hands down.."

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mishkaya
Posts: 5
Joined: 8 years ago

#8: Post by mishkaya »

Don't know how I missed the Rosco mini as a pepper mill thread, but I did... :oops:
I have been using that very grinder as a pepper mill since 2013, and I have to say that it is by far the very nicest pepper mill I have ever owned, and will be my last purchase for a pepper mill as well. I could not be happier with the results. :D
PS
I consume about 2lbs of pepper per year ground through that mill.

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hankua
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#9: Post by hankua »

I use a Lido-1, vintage OE

fredk01
Posts: 116
Joined: 12 years ago

#10: Post by fredk01 »

After years of struggling with various consumer pepper mills that all seemed to take forever to grind even the smallest quantity of pepper, I picked up a Trudeau Stress Less pepper mill. I have to say it grinds large quantities of pepper quickly and with ease.

I can't speak to the evenness of grind though as that is something I've never worries/thought about.

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