Spice Grinders

While some salt and pepper mills are plain looking containers from which you get spices to add flavor to your food, the William Bounds Stainless Steel Baton Salt and Pepper Mill is a classy and sophisticated device that looks more like it contains things much more valuable than rock salt or peppercorns.

The 8.5-inch long tube with a diameter of 3 inches consists of three parts: a stainless steel cylinder in the middle, and two black plastic cylindrical caps on both ends. The contrast between the lustrous and shiny steel and the deep black of the caps give the mill a striking appearance that makes it a great addition not only to your kitchen but to your dining table as well.

The caps are perforated for an easy sprinkling of the ground contents of the mill. The letters “S” and “P” are inscribed at either end of the stainless cylinder, indicating which side contains salt or pepper. A holding rack comes with the salt and pepper mill preventing it from rolling over when laid on the table.

It is necessary to keep the mill in a horizontal position because it is equipped with a gravity-activated switch that automatically sets the grinders in motion if it is held vertically. With its miniature yet powerful motor, the mill can process ground salt or pepper more quickly than most other grinders. The grinding mechanisms are housed inside the plastic caps. They are made of ceramic thus they do not generate heat that could adversely affect the taste of the spices. Also, they are impervious to rust and will not be affected by the corrosive effects of salt.

The consistency of the grounds can be adjusted by merely twisting the caps. You can opt for coarse, medium, or fine grounds depending on whether you are pouring them on food that is still cooking in the pan, or that is already served on your plate.

Burr grinders have the advantage of minimizing, if not totally eliminating, friction and heat while crushing spices or coffee beans. This is important because heat from other types of grinders can affect, often adversely, the taste of food.

For this reason, chefs and coffee aficionados often prefer burr grinders such as the DeLonghi KG89 Electric Burr Grinder. With this grinder, the spices are pressed against rotating wheels. As the rotation is slow, only a negligible amount of friction is generated. Also, the texture of the grounds is guaranteed to be uniform, as they will have to pass through the same opening before they can fall out of the grinding chamber. An electronic grind selector allows you to choose ground consistency from fine, through medium, to coarse.

The machine can also be set to grind a specific amount of spices. Although the quantity of grounds is programmed for coffee beans, grinding just enough for 4 – 14 cups of coffee depending on the setting, you can experiment with your spices setting them at different quantity control levels.

As a safety feature, the machine shuts off automatically after grinding. Also, it will not run if the lid covering the fresh spices and the receptacle for the grounds are not in their proper places.

The DeLonghi KG89 Electric Burr Grinder is housed in a stainless steel box with black beveled trims on its corners. The top of the box includes a smaller transparent plastic box which contains the fresh spices or coffee beans. Its lid is another transparent box. On the remaining free space in front of the container is the on/off switch.

The face of the grinder carries the company logo and right below it is the cup adjustment knob. The bottom half consists of the transparent receptacle for ground spices or coffee beans. On the right side of the grinder is another knob that adjusts the consistency of the grounds.

With measurements of 5″ W x 6.3″ D x 10″ H, the KG89 will easily fit into your kitchen counter, and with its stainless steel and black trim, it can complement your other kitchen tools and appliances.

Form and function merge into the MIU France Stainless Steel Salt and Pepper Mill Model No. 90603. This pair of 2-inch diameter tubes standing at 7-inches tall is made of brushed stainless steel giving it a subdued elegance that is quite at home both in the kitchen and dining room.

At the lower section of the mills is a clear acrylic window showing their contents and indicating if they need refilling. At the bottom is a small light that illuminates the amount of pepper or salt that is poured out so you will never have an excessively spicy or salty meal again. The top end holds a button that activates the grinding mechanisms. This button allows a single-handed operation of the mills. Instead of holding one part of the mill and cranking the other, all you need to do is push the button with one hand, and continue stirring whatever you are cooking with your other hand.

The grinding mechanism of the pepper mill is made of tough and wear-resistant carbon steel. The salt mill, on the other hand, because it tends to corrode steel, has a grinding mechanism that is made of ceramics. These materials assure the mills’ longevity. The grinders are set in motion by a small motor that is powered by three size AAA batteries. As soon as the switch is pushed, the motor immediately comes alive and starts the grinding.

The upper section of the tubes can be turned to either open or close the ground spice dispenser. In this way, you can choose to immediately pour the pepper or salt after grinding, or save them for later use. There are arrows with labels on the mills showing directions for opening and closing the dispenser.

The mills are not dishwasher safe thus it is recommended that they be cleaned only with a piece of damp cloth.

Using two revolving abrasive conical grinders to mill coffee beans or spices instead of a spinning blade, the Breville Conical Burr Grinder BCG450XL does not generate heat that can destroy the aroma and taste of the coffee or spices. In order to further guarantee that heat is kept to a minimum, the rotation of the grinders is kept slow. Coffee and spices are forced in between the two grinders where they are crushed with only negligible friction. The distance between these two can be pre-set by the user thus determining the texture or consistency of the grounds.

An additional advantage of burr grinders is that as the food is squeezed, it releases its oil making them more flavorful.

The grinder has an attractive design combining a stainless steel body with a vertical black trim and a polymer base. The clear plastic hopper rests at the top while another clear receptacle at the bottom right of the grinder catches the grounds. The hopper can hold up to half a pound of coffee or spices and it is removable making it easy to clean or wash. The receptacle at the bottom is likewise removable. At the base of the grinder is a storage area where you can keep the electric cord when not in use.

A grind selector control is mounted just under the hopper which allows the setting of the grounds’ texture, from super fine to coarse. Near the bottom are the power on/off button and a knob for setting the time for grinding. This can be as long as 30 seconds.

It is advisable, however, that if you use the Breville Conical Burr Grinder BCG450XL to grind spices, you have to clean it thoroughly before using it to grind coffee. Better yet, have one exclusively for spices and another for coffee.

Burr grinders consist of two revolving components with abrasive surfaces, called burrs, set at a distance from each other through which food passes resulting in its grinding or crushing. An advantage of this type of grinding is that friction is minimized, if not eliminated, thus preserving the taste and aroma of the food item, whether it be coffee or spices. This is one of the advantages of the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder.

The solid conical steel burrs of the Capresso Infinity are precision-cut with the aid of computers. This guarantees a smooth revolution even when the burrs, which are adjustable, are set close to each other. The motor has multiple gears which means that you can set the speed of the burrs’ revolution. This can be as slow as below 450 rpm resulting to less generation of heat and also less noise.

The adjustability of the burrs allows the setting of grounds from extra fine, through fine, regular, to coarse. Each of these settings can further be fine-tuned up to four levels. This means that there are 16 possible adjustments for fineness.

The hopper is made of clear plastic giving you full view of its contents. Ground coffee beans or spices fall into another clear container that fits snugly within the body of the grinder. To keep grinding safe, the hopper needs to be locked in position before the motor can start running.

Unlike other grinders where you need to hold a button down to keep them running, the Capresso Infinity Grinder is equipped with a timer that allows you to program it to operate from 5 to 60 seconds. While it is grinding, you can go get the coffee maker ready or the bowl for the spices.

The Capresso Infinity is available in three variations –metal with stainless steel finish, ABS plastic in stainless finish, and ABS plastic in black.

Plenty of people prefer freshly ground spices to season their food in much the same way that they prefer freshly ground coffee to jolt them awake in the morning. With the Toastess DLCG-559 Coffee and Spice Grinder, they can have both in a single machine.

The grinder is outfitted with a powerful yet quiet motor that spins precision blades. The blades slice through coffee beans and practically all types of spices quickly and uniformly. This avoids the build up of friction adversely affecting the beans or spices, and provides for a consistent texture. They are made of stainless steel which makes them easy to clean and maintain.

The grinding chamber is also made of stainless steel. It is removable for washing in a dishwasher, a feature that is important if you opt to use the same machine for grinding your coffee and spices, although the ideal would be to have one for coffee and another for spices as a less than thorough cleaning might result in spicy coffee or coffee-flavored spices. A transparent lid covers the grinding chamber and allows you to peer into it.

It is easy to operate the DLCG-559. One button will activate the blades. Before you do that, though, you can choose the texture of your grounds by rotating a dial on the face of the grinder. One end of the dial is labeled “coarse” while the other is “fine”. If you are grinding coffee beans, you can also program the grinder to process just enough for 2, 4, 8, or the maximum 12 cups using a slider just below the dial adjusting ground texture.

With its gray body and a stainless steel grinding chamber visible through the transparent lid, the Toastess DLCG-599 can be left on display on your kitchen counter. The power cord will not clutter up the counter as it is retractable.

There aren’t too many electric grinders that were originally intended to mince and mill spices but, fortunately, there are plenty of coffee grinders that can adequately and efficiently grind them to the desired consistency. One of these is the DeLonghi Electric Coffee Bean Grinder KG40.

Using durable stainless steel grinding blades, the KG40 grinds cinnamon, coriander, cumin, peppercorn, basil, rosemary, mustard seed, bay laurels, and other spices. These are contained in a hopper that is covered by a lid with transparent sidings allowing you to see into it. And yes, it also grinds coffee beans.

The top of the lid incorporates the switch that activates the grinder. As a safety measure and to prevent the spices from getting strewn all over your kitchen, the lid has to be properly closed before the switch can be pressed and held down to start grinding. If the grounds reach the desired consistency, simply let go of the switch, otherwise, keep on grinding.

The hopper is removable so you can pour out the ground spice instead of scooping it. A brush, which is stored inside the casing, is supplied for a quick clean. You will need to wash it thoroughly with soap and water though if, after grinding spices, you want to use it for coffee beans.

The DeLonghi Electric Coffee Bean Grinder KG40 is encased in a sleek black cylinder with a tapered waist. The electric cord can be wound and concealed within the casing. It stands 9 inches tall with a diameter of approximately 5 inches. This grinder, therefore, is not only functional but also a fine appliance to display on your kitchen countertop.

Some grinders need to be held fast while grinding because they vibrate almost violently while doing their job. Others use a flash switch that needs to be continuously depressed to activate the machine. Not so with the Hamilton Beach Custom Grind Model 80365. Indeed, it is touted as a hands-free coffee and spice grinder.

Model 80365 is a cylindrical grinder with a diameter of approximately 4.8 inches. The casing bulges slightly at its top where the grinding chamber is encased. This chamber is covered by a transparent lid giving you a full view of its contents.

Although intended primarily for grinding coffee beans, this Hamilton Beach grinder is quite capable of processing spices such as peppercorns, cumin, cinnamon, allspice berries, and coriander. And it does its grinding in silence.

A dial on the grinder casing allows the adjustment of the texture of the grounds. The markings above the dial betray the appliance as a coffee grinder. These are “Percolator”, “Drip”, and “Espresso”. The percolator setting produces coarse grounds while espresso is for fine consistencies.

A measuring cup comes with the grinder but again it is marked for coffee making indicating how many cups a certain level of coffee beans can make. The grinding chamber along with the steel blades is removable and is dishwasher-safe.

The 4.8-inch diameter of the Hamilton Beach Custom Grind Model 80365 minimizes its footprint. With a height of 8.3 inches, it is a small kitchen tool that can be left on your counter or work table. With a cord storage area at the base where it could be wound when not in use, it does not clutter your counter.

A lot of coffee grinders have assumed the duty of grinding not only coffee beans but spices as well. One of these is the Krups F203 Electric Blades Grinder. Like its other siblings, the F203 Coffee Grinder and the GX4100, it can grind cinnamon, cumin, peppercorn, coriander, basil, mustard seed, rosemary, and bay laurels.

The F203 Electric Blades Grinder uses stainless steel blades to cut and grind coffee beans and different spices. A 160-watt motor spins the blades effortlessly to come up with either a coarse or fine consistency of the grounds in just a few seconds.

The hopper has a capacity of three ounces. When grinding coffee beans, this would be enough for 15 cups. It has a transparent lid so you can see if you still have enough coffee or spices remaining in it. This lid activates the safety switch, that is, the machine will not run unless the lid is properly closed. This safety feature eliminates the possibility of starting the machine while the hopper is open, or while you are still filling it and your fingers might even be inside.

As the electric grinder measures only 17 cm high, 7.8 wide, and 9.2 deep, it does not occupy a large area on your countertop. You can actually just leave in on your counter as additional décor. With a choice of either black or white, it will definitely complement your other appliances.

The Jura Capresso 503 Cool Grind is a compact grinder that is available in two variations of its housing. One is made of ABS thermoplastic that is colored black, which is a sturdy, rigid, and lightweight material. The other is housed in stainless steel with black accents. Both models look stylish and sleek making them a great addition to your work table or counter.

The Cool Grind uses stainless steel blades to process coffee, spices, or herbs in a grinding bowl that is also made of stainless steel. This bowl can contain as much as a hundred grams. In the case of coffee, this is good for 15 cups. A low-heat 100-watt motor powers the blades for a speedy grind without overheating the grounds. This helps preserve their flavor and nutrients.

Activating the motor is a single push-and-release switch. For a continuous grind, simply push and hold it. For pulse-like grinding, push and release it. The finer you want your grounds, the longer you will have to hold the switch. Holding it for more than 10 seconds, though, is not recommended as this could heat the blades up, adversely affecting your grounds.

You cannot activate the motor unless the see-through safety lid is properly set in place. The quick stopping action of the blades also enhances safety as it stops them from spinning within a second of releasing the switch.

Since the lid is see-through, you can clearly see inside the machine to check the texture of your grounds.

Another convenient feature is the recess at the base of the grinder that serves as a cord storage area. When not in use, simply wind the electric cord around it for a clean and tidy storage.

It weighs less than one kilogram and stands about 20 cm with a diameter of 10 cm.