Pepper Mill Suggestions

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For a small amount of ground pepper (one for the table for instance), a small 3" ID mortar lets me grind up a dozen pepper corns with my hand over the mortar with the pestel thru my fingers by first lightly pressing or tapping the pepper corns to shatter them and they don't fly out of the bowl and then quick around-the-circle grinding to the fineness I need. All happens in less than a minute by hand. Or if you like real fine ground maybe two minutes.

I also put in some other seeds like fennel occassionally.
 
I use my mortar and pestle a lot for fennel seeds etc, I just do not like to use it for pepper as 'grind size control' is difficult and I find grinding while moving the mill over whatever I want to season more convenient...in the end both work, and it's a matter of preference.
 
I’ve had used this pepper mill for over 20 years but don’t recall and can’t find the manufacture on the mill anywhere.
View attachment 157569Anyway, it’s still going strong. The only problem is that the thumbscrew on the bottom which adjusts the grind gradually loosens.

I was looking for an additional mill awhile back and found a recommendation on this thread for this Alessi:
View attachment 157570I had no interest in getting it as I thought it was overpriced and thought the design was suggestively phunny. I made the mistake of showing it my wife and of course she loved it 🤣.

So no problems in over a year now. Easily adjustable and consistent grind. I will say the orifice to load the peppercorns is a little tight but I’m ok with it.
The original maker of that pepper mill was “Perfex” from France. There are many knock-offs now. I too have that one (and still like it) and a “Magnum” for higher output
I’ve had used this pepper mill for over 20 years but don’t recall and can’t find the manufacture on the mill anywhere.
View attachment 157569Anyway, it’s still going strong. The only problem is that the thumbscrew on the bottom which adjusts the grind gradually loosens.

I was looking for an additional mill awhile back and found a recommendation on this thread for this Alessi:
View attachment 157570I had no interest in getting it as I thought it was overpriced and thought the design was suggestively phunny. I made the mistake of showing it my wife and of course she loved it 🤣.

So no problems in over a year now. Easily adjustable and consistent grind. I will say the orifice to load the peppercorns is a little tight but I’m ok with it.
 
huh. i think i just found another promising contender that hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread.

i'm a little fuzzy on the timeline, but originally there was Lyn Weber Workshops (LWW) Moulin grinder:

1640561273769.png

1640561026293.png


(i found these images in google image search searching for "LWW" Moulin)

since that time, LWW dissolved. Craig Lyn and Douglas Weber split for some reason.
Lyn made Craig Lyn Design Studio, and Weber went on to make Weber Workshops (WW).

so now there's the WW Moulin grinder, which has been discussed already in this thread:

1640560296732.png

1640561235369.png


notice how it looks different from the original LWW Moulin. it's not just the logo.

however, Craig Lyn Design Studio has its own offering that i think has not been discussed yet: the tragically named "Standard Pepper Mill (SPM)" (i guess Lyn feels he has evolved beyond search engines, lol)

you can read more about the Lyn SPM here

1640559759002.png

1640561875286.png


the WW Moulin and Lyn SPM clearly both derive from the LWW Moulin. all three look pretty similar. i wonder if there are any meaningful differences?

one thing that certainly caught my eye is the price tag.

The Lyn SPM is priced at $250, putting it between the $200 Männkitchen Pepper Cannon and the $320 WW Moulin.

idk guys, i think i might buy a Lyn SPM!
 
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I own a few, have gone through more and began to hate them...adjustment is wonky, it takes forever to grind more than a few corns and the setting wanders while grinding.
My experience too.
I like Unicorn. Others are right that they're homely, but they work well.
IIRC they use Tre Spade mechanisms, which can be found in other peppermills too.
 
Perfex - that’s it! Thanks. I don’t remember exactly where I purchased it nor exactly when. I noticed the current models have a “P” on the door to the pepper chamber but mine doesn’t. Did I get a knock-off? Then I found “Perfex” engraved on the underside of the arm.

Can’t believe the current prices. Thanks again!
The original maker of that pepper mill was “Perfex” from France. There are many knock-offs now. I too have that one (and still like it) and a “Magnum” for higher output
 
I actually drive a Peugeot as well. Have 2 of them. Both horrendous.
by far the worst car I owned was a Renault, you know you're driving a lemon when the front desk staff at the garage know your name and license plate number by heart....that car needed a few days in the spa every month.
 
As you noticed LWW and WW seem to share designs. I think they have the same OEM steel cnc machining facility in Taiwan and a number of shared templates for their designs.
Only the EG1 and the Key grinders seem unique to WW.
 

I use similar one (8" Atlas pepper mill) and am very happy with it. It is all metal, grind size is adjustable, grinds very fast although grind size is a bit uneven. It has lasted me 15+ years and is in great shape.

I also have an Atlas with bottom catcher marketed as Turkish coffee grinder. I rarely use it as the grind size is small and it is slow.
 
We have two, a Pewter Olde Thompson we've had for over 40 years and a Trudeau we've had for 10 years. Both work well. I have bought an Olde Thompson plastic grinder, but it failed quickly. The Trudeau is heavy and cost about $70 Australian
 
I’ve got the Weber and am happy with my purchase. It’s obviously over engineered which is a good thing imo. I like the ease of adjusting the grind and the relative accuracy/consistency of the settings. It’s a big plus for me that the cap is magnetically sealed and it’s very satisfying that you can just drop the top on and it falls into place. I prefer to keep my kitchen simple and having the ability to quickly access the pepper corns eliminates the need for me to have a separate bottle in the cabinet. I suppose most people would associate this feature with being easy to refill as well. This is one of those pieces of gear where the cost quickly outpaces the returns but if you value details and quality, it’s a great option.
 
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https://iron-mills.co.uk/
I bit the bullet and pre-ordered a pepper mill from here, due in stock end of January.

I will report back once I get it.
I wonder if those are available in the US? That handle looks easy to turn.

PS
I am not sure I want all the pepper pieces to be the exact same size when grinding. I would like the taste to vary a little rather than monotone. I buy big jars of monotone pepper from Costco, all the same grind size. It works for brisket coating but when I use it for spice, I like the flavor to vary from bite to bite. My current grinder makes big pieces and small pieces. And I kind of like it. I do this with hot peppers when I cut them. I cut different sizes so the heat will vary. I think it makes a dish more interesting.

When it comes to coffee, I want a consistent grind but spice I am not so sure.
 
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huh. i think i just found another promising contender that hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread.

i'm a little fuzzy on the timeline, but originally there was Lyn Weber Workshops (LWW) Moulin grinder:

View attachment 157721
View attachment 157719

(i found these images in google image search searching for "LWW" Moulin)

since that time, LWW dissolved. Craig Lyn and Douglas Weber split for some reason.
Lyn made Craig Lyn Design Studio, and Weber went on to make Weber Workshops (WW).

so now there's the WW Moulin grinder, which has been discussed already in this thread:

View attachment 157718
View attachment 157720

notice how it looks different from the original LWW Moulin. it's not just the logo.

however, Craig Lyn Design Studio has its own offering that i think has not been discussed yet: the tragically named "Standard Pepper Mill (SPM)" (i guess Lyn feels he has evolved beyond search engines, lol)

you can read more about the Lyn SPM here

View attachment 157717
View attachment 157728

the WW Moulin and Lyn SPM clearly both derive from the LWW Moulin. all three look pretty similar. i wonder if there are any meaningful differences?

one thing that certainly caught my eye is the price tag.

The Lyn SPM is priced at $250, putting it between the $200 Männkitchen Pepper Cannon and the $320 WW Moulin.

idk guys, i think i might buy a Lyn SPM!

What a quality grinder must admit things like micro - ball bearings makes me weak in the knees🤪
 
I have both the Weber and Craig lyn grinders. A few points
-they originally made manual coffee grinder - hg1
-they then moved into burr pepper grinders
-Craig lyn and Weber decided to go separate ways but they still both sold the hg1 and other products they worked on together
-Craig has a beautiful salt pig which is unique to lyn and his pepper grinder has a black ribbon around it
-Doug Weber released a set of salt and pepper grinder with a holder. Salt is all aluminum and the pepper is all black. Burrs are ceramic for salt to prevent corrosion
-I prefer the older model with the black ribbon for pepper instead of the all black
-for salt, only choice is doug webers ceramic burr salt mill
-I also have the doug weber holder
-have Craig lyn salt pig and a couple of hg1s hand grinders which are still back in San Jose area. Wife, kids and I just moved to Vegas a couple months ago
-best grinders I’ve had and they look spectacular
-cleaned Toyama earlier and took these grinder pics just now


0DC93877-7CB9-46BC-AAF1-BF216C4C7F76.jpeg



90EB965D-5197-4CF7-88E8-44C3D0383338.jpeg
 
Apologies for poor English/grammar in previous post. Woke up to get some water and this thread was so compelling that I had to respond :)

~
Kikuichi Kasumi Usuba | Konosuke FM Gyuto, Sumiiro Petty | Masamoto Kiritsuke | Nenox S1 Gyuto, Deba, Paring | Shig Santoku | Toyama Gyuto | learning about Honyaki
 
Lol. Thx. The Weber products (in any incarnation) are truly breathtaking in terms of functionality and design. In a weird way, the products remind me of the VW Phaeton trunk hinges - beautiful engineering but probably not needed for the majority of use cases :)

PS was going to get this VW but got a used Audi S8 in 2003, ala the movie Ronin

B4D2E550-D261-4881-B084-9BE97D0E6ACB.jpeg
 
bit the bullet and ordered a lyn spm


You’re gonna love it and nice move. Craig is a great guy as well and unsure if he’s actively doing any product development for additional products but his version of the mill is solid, also love his salt boat. Predict that once you use the pepper mill, you’ll want the salt mill (from Weber) as well :)
 
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