How Do Electric Salt and Pepper Grinders Work?
An electric salt and pepper grinder works just like a manual mill, except a small motor turns the grinder for you. You don't twist anything. You tip it or press a button, and fresh pepper or salt falls out of the bottom.
That sounds like a small change. But salt and pepper go on almost everything you cook, so it's one of the few kitchen gadgets that gets used at nearly every meal.
What's inside an electric grinder
Every pepper mill, manual or electric, has the same basic parts:
- A chamber at the top or in the middle that holds the peppercorns or salt.
- A grinder at the bottom, made of two pieces with ridges. One piece spins inside the other. Peppercorns get crushed in the gap between them.
- A coarseness setting that moves the two pieces closer together or farther apart. A small gap makes fine pepper. A big gap makes coarse, cracked pepper.
In a manual mill, your hand turns the top to spin the grinder. In an electric mill, a small motor and a battery do that job.
Ceramic or steel grinders
Most electric mills use a ceramic grinder. Ceramic doesn't rust, so it works for salt as well as pepper. Salt is hard on steel parts over time, because it can cause corrosion.
Some mills use stainless steel grinders, which are fine for pepper. If you want to grind salt, check that the listing says the mill is made for salt or uses a ceramic grinder.
Button or gravity: how you start it
Electric mills turn on in one of two ways:
- Button models grind while you hold a button down, often on the top.
- Gravity models start grinding when you tip them upside down, and stop when you set them upright again. This makes them easy to use with one hand while you stir a pot.
Both work well. Gravity models are faster to use, but they can start by accident if you lay them on their side. Check the listing to see which kind you're getting.
Many electric mills also have a small LED light at the bottom. It shines on the food so you can see how much you're adding, which helps in a dim kitchen or over a dark pan.
Rechargeable vs battery-powered
This is the biggest choice, and the one people most often regret getting wrong.
Battery models take AA or AAA batteries, often four or six per mill. They cost less up front, but you keep buying batteries. Some owners say the motor gets slower as the batteries run down.
Rechargeable models have a built-in battery that you charge by USB cable or on a charging base. You never buy batteries, and the motor stays strong until the charge runs out.
- Cable charging (like USB-C) uses the same kind of cable as many phones. It takes no counter space, but you plug in each mill on its own.
- A charging base holds both mills and charges them when you set them down. It's tidy, but it takes up a spot on the counter.
How long a charge lasts depends on the mill and how much you cook. The ThermoMaven set, for example, charges each mill by USB-C, and its listing says one charge covers about a month of daily use.
How to set the grind
Most electric mills have a knob or dial on the bottom or top. Turn it one way for finer, the other way for coarser.
- Fine: soups, sauces, eggs and baking.
- Medium: everyday seasoning for vegetables, pasta and salads.
- Coarse: steak, roasted meat and anything where you want a peppery crunch.
Start in the middle and grind a little onto your hand or a plate to see what you get. Change it one step at a time.
How to fill and clean one
To refill, open the chamber (usually by unscrewing the top or bottom), pour in whole peppercorns or coarse salt, and close it. Don't use fine table salt. It's already ground, so it can clog the grinder.
Keep the mill dry. Water inside the grinder makes salt clump and pepper go stale. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth, and brush the bottom clean now and then. Some sets come with a small brush for this. Only wash the parts the instructions say are washable, because the motor and battery must stay dry.
Is an electric grinder worth it?
An electric grinder is worth it if you cook most days. You'll use it more than almost any other gadget in your kitchen. It's also handy if twisting a stiff manual mill is a hassle for you.
It's probably not worth it if you rarely cook, or if you already have a manual mill you like. In that case it's one more thing to charge.
If you do get one, choose a rechargeable model with a ceramic grinder and a range of coarseness settings. You'll skip the battery runs, and you can use it for both salt and pepper.