If you’re looking for an easy way to elevate your meals at home, you can make one simple-but-impactful kitchen swap and trade out your traditional pepper shaker for a pepper mill. This cooking accessory makes pre-ground pepper and salt a thing of the past and instead gives you freshly ground seasonings and spices in seconds with just a twist of the wrist.
While the price points on these professional-style gadgets is a bit higher than your standard shaker, the results are worth it. Grinding whole peppercorns in a mill releases the fruits’ (yes, peppercorns are classified as fruits) fragrant oils that will give meat, fish, pasta and vegetables more robust flavors and aromas.
“Using a pepper mill ensures that you’re not losing any of the aromatics of the peppercorns themselves,” New York City-based private chef Brittney ‘Stikxz’ Williams told HuffPost. “You are able to crack them as needed which allows for those oils to open up and perfume any dish as opposed to stale, less pungent pre-ground pepper. It’s all about flavor!”
To find out which pepper mills are worth the splurge, we reached out to real chefs to see which ones they use in their own kitchens, and included two additional highly-rated options that you can buy on Amazon.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Traditional pepper grinders often leave a trail of pepper dust after you use them, which is why this mechanical mill from OXO is so clever. It refills and grinds from the top, so you tip it over to dispense spices and then set it right side up when you're done. There are five grind settings.
Promising review: "These are the best gripping and dispensing grinders from oxo so far. They’re easy to turn. The adjustment works very well and they have a large capacity. The quality of the product is very high and the value for the money is excellent." — StuffGuy
Peugeot Bistro manual pepper mill
"I have a tight-knitted operation when it comes to private events and catering. Mise en place, check. Crockery and cutlery, check. Notepad and Sharpie, check. Salt and pepper (always freshly crushed), check. When it comes to peppercorn, I grab something that’s small enough to fit in my carry-all bag and powerful enough to get the job done. And that’s the Peugeot Bistro manual pepper mill." — Adjoa Kittoe, founder of Seulful Pantry
This stylish wooden mill has a graphite-like finish and makes a decorative addition to any kitchen. It features an adjustable knob so you can get the perfect fineness or coarseness. You can grind black, white, green and red pepper, pink peppercorns and coriander seeds. It's roughly 4 inches tall.
Zwilling Enfinigy electric salt and pepper mill
"I am currently infatuated with my Zwilling Enfinigy electric salt and pepper mill. Not only is it the most efficient kitchen appliance I own but, the design is so sleek and modern! Just fashionably perfect." — Brittney “Stikxz” Williams, Culinary Director of Miss Lily's in New York City
If you love incorporating cool technology in your kitchen, this rechargeable mill is the cooking essential you need, and it even comes with a USB cable. It's easy to use (works with just a push of a button), quiet and compact and has a spin dial that allows you to choose the coarseness.
Trudeau Graviti electric salt and pepper mills
"I like this electric salt and pepper mill set because it is extremely easy to use. Just flip it over and it does the job for you." — Abyssinia Campbell, a New York City-based personal chef and caterer
These sleek, battery-operated mills can be purchased as a set or separately. They're also super easy to use; simply hold it over the food you want to season and the blades will automatically sprinkle pepper or salt. The mills come pre-filled with whole peppercorns and salt crystals so you don't have to worry about supplying your own (unless you want to, of course). Each mill measures 7 inches tall.
Cole & Mason pepper grinder
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Boasting over 5,000 five-star ratings, this pepper mill comes in copper, wood, stainless steel and gray metal. Choose from six grinding levels to get the perfect coarseness for your meals.
Promising review: "We had the salt grinder and liked it so much we had to seek out the pepper grinder to purchase. The grinder mechanism is very smooth to operate and (sounds silly but..) quiet!! Changing the size of the grind is easy and filling is straightforward. Materials are nice and clean easily. I used to have two sets of grinders but these are so easy to use I keep them by the stove for cooking and move them to the table after a quick wipe." — Kevin Huse