An ingredient that appears in more recipes than not here at Blue Kitchen is freshly ground black pepper. Why freshly ground? Whole peppercorns ground in a pepper mill deliver much more flavor than the pre-ground stuff in tins. When I grind pepper over a pan of simmering food on the stove, the fragrance rises up to meet me, much the same effect of adding any spice to a pan.
Grinding your own pepper also allows you to control its coarseness or fineness, from crushed for steaks and chops to finely ground for delicate sauces.
If you’re looking for a pepper mill, start by looking at those made by its inventor, Peugeot. Yes, those Peugeots. Long before they—or anyone else—began making automobiles the Peugeot family had a manufacturing business in France. In 1842, they started making the very first pepper and salt grinders. (In 1889, thanks to an automobile-loving cousin, they began making the cars most of us know them for. In 1896, the company split the two businesses apart, both maintaining the name.)
Peugeot produces a dazzling array of pepper and salt mills, from the classic chess piece shape to sleek stainless, clear acrylic and more. At the heart of each, whatever the design, is a patented milling mechanism featuring channeling grooves that line up the peppercorns with the grinding grooves to crack the corns. Next, a helix-shaped double row of teeth guide and hold the peppercorns for a perfect grind. In the pepper mills, the grinding mechanism is made of case-hardened steel. Stainless steel is used in the salt mills to resist corrosion. The grinding mechanism in both comes with a lifetime warranty (the mills have a 5-year warranty).
One of our favorites is the Paris pepper mill, shown above. We got one a few years ago, after burning through a number of mills that malfunctioned either over time or right away and suffering through capricious grinding settings that sometimes varied wildly even as we were grinding. The Paris offers six marked levels of grind, from powdery-fine to very coarse. It just feels and looks good too. Made from sustainably grown French beechwood, its glossy lacquer finish comes in a number of designer colors.
At the National Restaurant Association Show this spring, we spoke with the Peugeot representatives. When we told them that one of their pepper mills was in constant use in our kitchen, they asked us to try a Fidji salt mill, shown here. Its sleek shape fits nicely in your hand, and using it is beautifully simple—you turn the top clockwise for a fine grind, counterclockwise for coarse. We’re still fans of iodized table salt for everyday use. As the name implies, it provides iodine our bodies need. But with so many specialty salts being available these days, this handsome mill is seeing regular action when we cook. This is a dry salt mill (yes, there are wet salts, even though they don’t look or feel wet). When buying salts for any salt mill, make sure you get the right kind of salt.
Peugeot pepper and salt mills are available at a number of retailers, including Sur la Table and Williams-Sonoma. You can see a wide selection of designs here or on the Peugeot website.
I’ve had several pepper mills over my life, and I agree the Peugeot is the best of the lot. We do have a salt mill for table use or for finishing dishes (filled with sea salt). When cooking, I typically use kosher salt. Anyway, salt and pepper are the two most basic ingredients in most recipes, and particularly for pepper (because it tastes so much better freshly ground) it sure makes sense acquiring tools that are easy to use and last for years.
Hi! Great info! I never have any pepper mills before, because I always use the ready made pepper. I also loves to put black pepper in my dish. (It makes the taste even better as I really like spicy and hot food) Guess I’ll need to have one Peugeot pepper mill at home. Thanks.
I have a pepper mill I received as a gift in the early 1980s that i would like to replace, just because it’s getting old. I buy my salt in coarse or fine or flake, however I’m intending to use it. Do you really get much use out of a salt mill?
John, your idea of using a salt mill for the table or finishing sounds like a great use.
Thanks, Lindsay!
Dani, we’ve just started experimenting with a salt mill. I think the way John uses his makes some sense. But if your pepper mill dates back to the early ’80s, I’d say you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of it.
One of my all-time favorite impulse purchases was an inexpensive salt mill from Williams Sonoma. It really was an eye-opener to taste the difference between freshly ground rock salt and plain old table salt. I’m currently enjoying some French grey salt too. So delicious.
After moving away from the Pacific coast, we have switched to iodized table salt but I do miss my salt grinder. Maybe I’ll get a new (Peugeot) one for the table! Thanks for the story!