I bought my pepper mill because it was on sale at Anthropologie and it was cute, not because I expected it to grind peppercorns as cleanly as mills five times its price. Should I have waited and saved up for a better grinder? I'm still not sure.
I appreciate quality kitchen tools and agree that it is better to spend a little more on a tool that is a joy to use every day. But as the descendant of several generations of Presbyterian missionaries, I cannot ignore the extreme thriftiness in my blood. If given the choice between a pricey gadget that is guaranteed to last a lifetime and an inexpensive one that wasn't built to last, I think my family would choose the inexpensive one — and make it last a lifetime.
So my little blue pepper mill chugs along, not wowing anyone with its grinding finesse, but doing just fine. Will it break on me someday? Maybe. But until then, I'm happy to have it within reach, looking cute on my countertop.
• Spice Market Mill from Anthropologie, no longer available for sale
Related: Look! Cute Measuring Cups at Anthropologie
(Image: Anjali Prasertong)
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I tried several pepper mills and got a turkish coffee grinder instead - it is a tall two-piece metal tube -you load the peppercorns in the top after taking off the handle and top lid. It does the best job of all.
Agree, agree! I have this EXACT pepper mill, bought to go with all my kitchen blues. I think it does just fine. I'm pleased to have gotten much more than $8 of use out of it. So funny to see a post about my pretty blue bargain pepper mill! :)
I tried lots of pepper mills for their looks, but none of them lasted. Finally I went utilitarian with the OXO grinder set, http://www.oxo.com/p-497-salt-pepper-grinder-set.aspx, and they work great! Not pretty, mind you, but very practical; and I love fresh-ground salt even more than pepper now!
I've got the four buck model from Ikea - it's incredibly ergonomic and effective. 5+ years and still lovin' it.
This mill is so freaking cute. I think you made the right decision. If it makes you smile every time you look at it, who cares if it doesn't grind pepper into fine powder?
I put up with lots of cute pepper mills before spending lots of $ on the Unicorn mill that Cook's Country recommends. It's the BEST; well worth it. Ugly for sure, but can it grind.
I saw this exact mill in the bargain bins at Anthro, but decided against it since just from being in the bins a lot of the pretty color was scratched off. I held out for a looong time, and was given a wonderful brass antiquey-looking one by my Mom, just like hers. Glad I waited.
Would it be terribly immodest to admit that I have three pepper mills? One for the table that rarely gets used. A lucite one that was a gift, and a Turkish brass one. The lucite one and the brass ones are constantly being used in the kitchen. The Turkish one grinds very fine and the smell is heavenly. The lucite one is for coarse grinds to finish a dish. None of them were expensive, but the Turkish one will last forever. The others, not so much.
I recently purchased a Vic Firth pepper mill after a couple hours of painfully boring research and I have to say it was totally worth it! It's cuteness is similar to yours Anj- buttercream lacquer - but it is so smooth and powerful...just a flick of the wrist! I definitely notice the difference from the crappy ones that preceeded it on our counter. Plus it was $38 on Amazon...not much more than those crappy ones!
I had a wood pepper mill that squeaked, and a lucite one that stuck.
The one from Le Pain Quotidien works just fine.
Did I miss a post saying its peppermill week or something? Lol
After careful deliberation a year ago, I chose to get a copper Atlas pepper mill. I prefer the twist knob on top to a crank mill and it looks super pretty. Plus it grinds pepper like hella fast!
MEOW!!! clearly this post is a retort to that OTHER pepper mill post? http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/elizabeths-pepper-mill-peugeot-141030
I'm actually the opposite. For years I went w/o a pepper mill simply because the Peugeot was rather exorbitant. However, as a car "lover", I waited and pined. Recently, a shorty Peugeot was gifted to me, and now I like to think my peppers are extra spicy & pungent. (They're not.)
Still, the sea salt is kept in a used kimchi bucket so... I feel like I'm not a total douche snob.
I actually got a similar mill from Anthropologie except that it's rediculously large - it's pretty hilarious and also does a good job! I say they're worth it for this low price. I grew up on pepper from a shaker, so to me it's luxury!
i have the same one and it broke recently!
I am so late to the game, I have been searching all over the internet to find this Anthropologie pepper mill and only discovered it once it was no longer for sale! (ack!) If you really don't like it and want to recoup your purchase price for it, I will gladly buy it off of you. (I know I sound nuts, but I am totally serious. The color is my favorite and goes perfectly with my kitchen.) Please let me know if you have any interest. :-)