Salt and pepper mills are generally used in homes and restaurants across the nation, but how much do you actually know about salt and pepper mills?
Fun Facts About Salt and Pepper Mills
According to Wikipedia, salt and pepper mills go back to the Peugeot family who started making grinders way back in 1842.
Most pepper and salt grinders are very similar to coffee mills, however as opposed to utilizing a handle, the top of the grinder rotates to grind the correct amount of spice or salt. The ground up ingredient is then simply sprinkled directly on the food. Many mills, however, do not turn, but make use of two abrasive surfaces to grind the salt or pepper.
Electric powered salt and pepper mills may be powered with either a battery or electricity. Electric pepper and salt mills are substantially more efficient than manual mills, however the spices can end up heated due to the small degree of friction.
Tips for Using Salt and Pepper Grinders
1. Use pepper often to continue to keep it from becoming stale too easily.
2. To keep peppercorns fresh, preserve them in an airtight container away from the sun.
3. Clean the grinder portion of the mill with a small brush or toothbrush and rubbing alcohol or possibly even window cleaner.
4. Do not ever put the mill in water unless the directions state otherwise.
5. Grinders can be adjusted using a screw or mechanism to yield much more coarse or more fine grinds according to your personal preference. To get a finer grind, it helps to take the peppercorns out of the mechanisms before grinding.
6. Never place damp salt into a salt mill as the grinder will clog.
As described below, it is important to never place salt in a pepper mill (except it's one of the grinding mechanisms detailed below) simply because it can easily corrode steel and various other materials.
Types of Grinding Mechanisms
You'll find a variety of kinds of salt and pepper milling mechanisms and different benefits to each kind. Ceramic is an exceptional multiple use grinder that does not corrode and is perfect for grinding both salt and pepper (and even spices). Acrylic is usually an affordable alternative that's incredibly durable and great for grinding salt and other spices. Probably the most typical grinding mechanisms is designed of zinc alloy, which can be resistant to corrosion. While zinc alloy is great for milling pepper, it isn't recommended for grinding salt.
One choice is stainless steel, which happens to be by far the most long lasting choice and is often a top selection of professional chefs across the world. Even so, even though this choice performs nicely for grinding pepper, it isn't advised for grinding salt. Carbon steel is an additional extra-durable metal that offers the fastest grinding and is in addition chosen by expert chefs. Similar to stainless steel, carbon steel isn't designed to use for grinding salt.
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