Manual spice grinders continue to be very popular with many cooks and diners in spite of the so many battery-powered versions available in the market today. Perhaps there is a sense of nostalgia in using the same kind of simple machine their parents used, or maybe they just want to limit their carbon footprint. Among the more popular manual grinders is the Kuhn Rikon Classic Salt, Pepper, and Spice Ceramic Grinder.
With the grinder’s cylindrical shape that broadens at the top, it looks very much like a juice glass. Indeed, with a diameter of 2.5 inches and height of 5.8, it even has a similar size. Unlike a juice glass, however, it is covered with a screw-on lid. Right in the middle of the lid a shaft rises, turns at a right angle, and another upward right angle. This forms the crank that rotates the grinding mechanism inside the cylinder.
The upper half of the grinder holds the spices for processing. Because the grinder is sealed, you can fill it with your spice without worrying about spilling or contamination. The lower half contains the grinding mechanism. This consists of ceramic grinders that are tough and sharp, and will stay sharp for the life of the grinder. This is because ceramic materials are impervious to rust and corrosion even in the face of such a highly corrosive substance as salt. The grinder also resists clumping of the salt, and keeps it dry.
The consistency of the grounds can be adjusted from very fine to coarse by rotating the large dial at the bottom of the grinder. This design eliminates the common problem of manual grinders where the setting of the grind size changes as the crank is rotated.
The casing of the Kuhn Rikon Classic Salt, Pepper, and Spice Ceramic Grinder comes in six variations. Three have solid colors –red, black, and white. The other three are mostly clear with red, black, and white highlights.