Pepper Mill?

[elalan]

My trusty old pepper mill ist kaput. Someone here must have one that they can recommend. Quality varies wildly with these things. I don't care how it looks, but would prefer wood over acrylic or stainless. Under $40 preferably.

[scooby074]

Anything by Peugeot would be the best your going to find. Depending on the height of the mill and wood its made of, it shouldnt be that bad. Under $40.They start at around $20. Peugot also offers a lifetime guarantee.

Another brand you could try would be Trudeau, but it wont be as good as a Peugeot.

[syzygy]

Yup, Peugeot is good stuff. You should also check out Vic Firth - really nice but pricey. I have a Cole and Mason that is 20 years old and still grinding perfectly.

[withoutink]

Im a big fan of Penzeys and their products, I have the 6" dark mill thats shown here... http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspeppermills.html

It works great!

[homebrewer]

Another vote for Peugeot here... I especilly like theirs that have indexed grind settings on the bottom collar of the grinder. Best $50 I've ever spent.

Oh, and follow myuserid... pick up some peppercorns from Penzey's to fill it with. I can make a paycheck disappear very quickly in that place:biggrin:

[tsmba]

At the stove, I use a Magnum. They got top-billing at Cooks' Illustrated and I bought mine with a gift certificate at Williams-Sonoma. You could put a whole pound of peppercorns in the thing and it grinds fast. In restaurants, I used Peugeots for years.
The one brand I haven't cared for is Williams-Bound. They get a lot of favorable reports but I found they have low capacities, grind problems, and tend to not handle large peppercorns well.

[ratcheer]

Anything by Peugeot would be the best your going to find.

+1 My wife and I have used one of these heavily for almost 20 years and it is still going strong.

Tim

[Blondie]

At the stove, I use a Magnum. They got top-billing at Cooks' Illustrated and I bought mine with a gift certificate at Williams-Sonoma. You could put a whole pound of peppercorns in the thing and it grinds fast. In restaurants, I used Peugeots for years.
The one brand I haven't cared for is Williams-Bound. They get a lot of favorable reports but I found they have low capacities, grind problems, and tend to not handle large peppercorns well.

Is this the same thing as the Unicorn Magnum?

[FreezerBurns]

I'm not a trained chef nor do I know anything about pepper mill brands. However, I can tell you I cook every night using the mill my wife purchased for cheap at Ikea three years ago.

That said, I'll refer to advice posted previously in this thread when searching for a replacement if/when the ol Ikea mill craps out.

[Luc]

+1 on peugeot. Got some and they are the best!

[LexusAussie]

Try a Wm Bounds HM Tapered Pepper Mill Model 404801.

They are tough to find and not inexpensive but are outstanding pepper mills:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bounds-Tapered-Pepper-Mill-404801/dp/B00004YK5Z

[LexusAussie]

At the stove, I use a Magnum. They got top-billing at Cooks' Illustrated and I bought mine with a gift certificate at Williams-Sonoma. You could put a whole pound of peppercorns in the thing and it grinds fast. In restaurants, I used Peugeots for years.
The one brand I haven't cared for is Williams-Bound. They get a lot of favorable reports but I found they have low capacities, grind problems, and tend to not handle large peppercorns well.

Interesting, have been using WM Bounds Tapered Salt and Pepper Mills for years and have found these to have a high capacity, zero grind problems and to handles whatever I throw at them.

Then again, I don't use them in a restaurant.

[Gruder]

+1 on Peugeot, though I wouldn't hesitate to use the Penzey's mill, either.

[tsmba]

Yes, the "Magnum" is also called Unicorn. I prefer wood on a mill, but this thing is a workhorse. The Penzey mills are made by Zassenhaus. I never cared much for the cranks. The strangest mills I've seen are the battery-powered jobs. Now, they even have disposables....hat's off to Outback!

[Tom C]

Peugeot - period. We had a pair at my restaurant that lasted for over 10 years of constant, day and night use. That's the equivalent of (quickly doing the math...) peppering well over 500,000 salads, appetizers and meals. And that's a low-ball figure.

While we're on the topic of longevity, we estimated that our old Garland grill had cooked over 250,000 chicken breasts before its retirement a few years back. May as well pick one of those up too. :smile:

[Gruder]

The Penzey mills are made by Zassenhaus. I never cared much for the cranks.

Actually, they stopped selling Zassenhaus just over a year ago, switching to their own design/brand (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspeppermills.html) (I couldn't turn up the actual manufacturer in a quick internet search, though reviews are positive).

[Carnivore]

I love my Magnum. It has an understated look and produces huge quantities of pepper with a minimum of effort. The adjustment range is very large, from cracked to fine powder.
Nothing outgrinds the Magnum. :)

I just started using my Penzey's mill for salt because it's ceramic. So far, it's worked quite well.

[Carlin]

Anyone have recommendations that can be ordered offa Amazon or bought at Target/Walmart for $10?

Also some recommendations for the corns?

[Dennis]

Actually, they stopped selling Zassenhaus just over a year ago, switching to their own design/brand (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspeppermills.html) (I couldn't turn up the actual manufacturer in a quick internet search, though reviews are positive).

I have the older style one from Zassenhaus. I dislike it, but I paid enough for it to have to keep using it. The grind adjustment is really finicky and it can be hard to turn. It goes from powder to chunks in ~1/8th of the set screw turn.

[tsmba]

Oxo used to offer a line of inexpensive grinders that worked like a charm. One drawback I've noticed with many grinders is they seem to have a relatively low output. Most are fine for seasoning at the table, but not so hot if you need higher volume. Of course you may always simply crush your peppercorns with an iron skillet.

[RazorDingo]

I'm sure this doesn't apply to too many of you peppermill maestros - but I've "fixed" more than a few peppermills for friends and relatives by pointing out that the adjusting screw that allows the user to control the grind-size had gotten out of whack. More often than not I discover that some over enthusiastic person has tightened the thing up to the point that the burrs no longer make contact with the corns.

[texbilly]

Peugeot!

There is no better grinding mechanism. Others have great designs (and we have many) but we always go back to the Peugots.

[rtaylor61]

Anyone have recommendations that can be ordered offa Amazon or bought at Target/Walmart for $10?

Also some recommendations for the corns?

Peppercorns, box grater and bandaids!

Randy

[Carlin]

Peppercorns, box grater and bandaids!

Randy

Wouldn't that give a metallic taste too my food? :w00t:

[tsmba]

That little bit of blood and tissue really wakes up flavor!