Ina Garten consistently uses the PepperMate Pepper and Spice Mill in her show, the Barefoot Contessa. Rachael Ray, in an earlier issue of her magazine Everyday with Rachel Ray, featured the mill ranking it as one of the top five. Paula Deen, the restaurateur, author, and TV personality, loves it. If these celebrity cooks use and are familiar with the PepperMate Pepper and Spice Mill, there must be something good about it.
Made of impact resistant plastic the pepper and spice mill is a sturdy kitchen tool that lasts. It is shaped like an ellipse whose long sides are flattened. It has a knob mounted on the side which operates the grinders. These are made of ceramic stones that do not generate heat when operated, thus they will not adversely affect the taste and aroma of your grounds.
The size of the grounds is fully adjustable from super fine to coarse. Once you have set the mill to the desired texture, you can be sure of consistent and even grounds as the adjustment does not change until reset to a different setting.
The top lid is a snap-off kind which opens to a 2.5″ x 1.5″ hole that reduces the possibility of spilling peppercorns or other spices while filling the mill. At the base is a clear cup that catches the grounds. This is useful if you need to measure the amount of spices you want. Otherwise, you can simply detach the cup and pour the grounds directly into your food.
In addition to pepper, the PepperMate Pepper and Spice Mill can also grind other spices such as salt and nutmeg and any other spice up to the size of a coffee bean.
The mill is available in three colors –black, white, and aqua. It is 3¼” long, 1½” wide and 5½” tall.