Salt and pepper are the ubiquitous pair every western kitchen has for that extra seasoning. They go hand in hand in almost all meals, so it makes sense to be interested in how you can make your seasoning fresh in the kitchen.
Pepper grinders are the perfect solution to your fresh seasoning problems. However, when you get one, using it may not be straightforward. That is why you are here today. By the end, you will know how to use a pepper grinder and even have more options for your purchase.
How Does a Pepper Grinder Work?
When it comes to making fresh pepper for seasoning, an automatic choice is to go for the pepper grinder. It is perfect for grinding pepper for seasoning meats, soups, and stews.
But enough with the pepper. How does the grinder, commonly known as a mill, work?
A pepper grinder is a tool. It consists of two wheels that force the peppercorns against its sharp edges, thus crushing it. The peppercorns, stored in the grinder’s body, pour into the wheels, which you rotate to get fine, flaked, and crunched pepper on the other side.
The texture of pepper you get on the other end of the wheels will depend on the recipe you have and, sometimes, the setting of your grinder.
Types of Pepper Grinders
On the surface, all grinders may look the same. However, there are slight differences between the products you get from the grinder. You can choose between a finer but consistent grind or go for a variable grind. Therefore, there are two main types of pepper grinders based on the grind.
1. Regular Grinders
Regular grinders crush whole peppercorns into medium-sized particles that you sprinkle on food when serving or cooking. These grinders give a consistently perfect grind. Therefore, they are perfect for someone who wants to standardize their food, like restaurants, guesthouses, or catering businesses.
2. Adjustable Grinders
These grinders have an additional mechanism to easily switch between fine and coarse grinds. You can adjust the grinder with a clear lid displaying the adjustment lever.
By shifting the lever from one position to another, you can produce fine, medium, and coarse ground pepper.
If you want to offer a more comprehensive selection of seasoning, then the adjustable grinder is perfect.
The Pepper grinder can then be manual or electric. Electric salt and pepper grinders have a button that you push to grind the pepper. You fill the hopper with the peppercorns and push a button. However, the manual grinders have 2 sections, one for holding the whole peppers and one for milling.
For manual grinders, you have to exert repetitive circular motion that turns the grinding gears to mill the pepper. Therefore, they can be pretty tiring to handle.
How Do You Use a Pepper Grinder?
Regardless the pepper grinder is manual or electric, regular or standard, they all work similarly. To use one, follow the steps below:
1. Fill the body of the grinder with fresh peppercorns
To refill the peppercorns, you should unscrew the top part of the grinder and pour the peppercorns into the grinder. When full, screw the lid back on tightly.
2. Twist
Hold the top section of the grinder with one hand while the other hand holds the grinder’s other end (body). Twist one arm (preferably the only one holding the grinder’s body). You will notice ground pepper falling from the bottom of the grinder into the food you want to season.
When you have enough pepper, stop twisting, shake the grinder to remove excess pepper, and set the grinder aside.
For electric grinders;
- Fill the body of the grinder with pepper
- Push the button at the top or on the side of the grinder
- Hold the button until you have enough seasoning
- Shake off any extra pepper from the grinder and set it aside.
What are the Benefits of Using a Pepper Grinder?
Salt and pepper grinders are common kitchen appliances. They have their benefits as well. Some of these benefits include:
- You can grind your spices to the texture you need
- Freshly ground pepper has better flavor
- The pepper grinder usually has a tight seal to keep the peppercorns fresh and free from contaminants for a long time
- Electric salt and pepper grinders are less tiring to use
Bottom Line
A good pepper grinder crushes a lot of grain quickly. In addition, it keeps your pepper fresh for a long time and has an ergonomic design to prevent your wrists from hurting. Therefore, if you are looking for a new tool to add to your kitchen, you may want to consider a salt and pepper grinder now that you know how the pepper grinder works.