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I was given this as a gift from my mother-in-law. I used it two times before a chip on the rim appeared. Now it leaks and is in the the back of the cupboard. Back to the pestle and Mason jar.

Never used it, but if you watch Jaime's cooking show he gets quite a workout shaking that thing. Looks like it would be a pain to clean too no?

I think I need one...

Instant entry to my Amazon wish list.

I think it's a really good idea (whether he actually invented it or someone else pitched it to him) but there is something very satisfying about grinding garlic and spices in a mortar and pestle.

A mortar and pestle can pretty much be just wiped clean when you're finished.

I am not convinced either. I still prefer the mortar and pestle.

I wonder if we could achieve the same results using a stainless steel cocktail shaker and a large steel ball bearing...

Anyway, there's a couple of things about this I like.

First it looks cool. This is completely trivial, I know.

I love the idea that everything is contained and doesn't spill out. IN THEORY. Livsies' comment gives me cause for concern - which is why its only on my wish list and not in my shopping cart.

Whenever I try to grind small items, especially things like peppercorns, in my mortar & pestle, they just seem to get moved around more than anything. This looks like it would be more thorough.

I looks very interesting. However, I cherish the experience of grinding my own spices by hand. There's just something primitive and luscious, and...involved, I guess, about the feel of spices crushing under the pressure you apply yourself to them, and the smell of freshly cracked spices wafting up at you, and so many other things, that I don't think I could bear to sacrifice using any means other than mortar and pestle.

I've been debating getting one (they sell them in one of the supermarkets here), but the price always deters me -- they are around 56 Francs (on par with the dollar)...

A friend got one for Christmas last year and prefers his mortar and pestle. He has brought it out during dinner parties as a parlour trick, getting the guests to grind the spices, each shaking it a little and passing it on to the next. I kept thinking the ceramic ball was going to break the plastic housing.

wow. i am amazed at how many ppl here seem to use a mortar and pestle. is this just to grind dried spices to release some extra flavor/aroma? i always grew up throwing some spices in my palm, and then grinding my palms together over the pot of sauce, etc, to pulverize them. VERY therapeutic. :)

As for needing this device for vinagrette or to emulsify ingredients? Really??? I just throw stuff in a jar and shake it a couple of times, and have never had a problem, much less a need for a specialized device.

What am i missing here?

Okay so I got one of these about six months ago and although I don't mind using it, I can not pulverize garlic in it. From the pictures and info it seems like I should be able to make a paste as I could in a morter and pestle but no such luck. Bruised garlic is the best that I can do. Oh well...

I had a friend in the UK get one of these for me a couple of years ago when they were first on the market and not available in the US. It's been used about twice a week since then.

I love the way it emulsifies dressings -- that's my main reason for keeping it around. Dump in some herbs, some minced garlic, some vinegar/acid and some oil and shake away. 30 seconds later, you have a nice thick dressing.

I wash it in the dishwasher. It has no chips so far, and I'm very happy with it. I have been very careful to take care of the gasket in between the two halves, however. It seemed to me that that was the most likely failure point.

My boyfriend got me one for my birthday in May.

I thought it was great the first time I used it, but the seal immediately broke, and it now leaks. Also, it never crushed my spices very well.

It's sitting unused in the back of my cabinet too.

I bought one too. Pretty useless (although great design). I too can only manage bruised garlic. Not worth it. Now, if I could only find some other use for it (mine's also sitting in the back of a cupboard)...

I don't think he intended for it to replace a mortar and pestle, I think this was created for the jobs a bit too small for an m&p. Anyway, I think most people find it useful for vinaigrette or mixing up a spice blend; it's fun, you kind of get a workout, and it's a conversation piece. The problem is in the quality control; I'm active on his forums and loads of people join just to complain that theirs broke. Sounds like it was a good idea, but poorly executed.
The stainless steel one might prove to be a better design.

I've used one of these and it didn't pulverise anything. Not even fresh chopped garlic. All it did was mix up the ingredients which I could have done on the chopping board or in a bowl with less mess.

My flavour shaker also broke after 2 or 3 uses...the edge chipped and no longer kept the seal. It worked well the 2 times I used it - but was returned shortly after! I like my mortar and pestle

My mom has one and uses it often - she has arthritis and can't apply the kind of pressure needed to grind spices etc in a mortar and pestle.

MAGIC BULLET.


Haha, j/k. In all honesty though, I do prefer my mortar and pestle. As a few people have already mentioned, the plastic absorbs the flavour/smell of the things you shake, and is near impossible to get out completely.

I bought my Girlfriend one a few years ago, found one in a Longo's supermarket. The first one i bought her broke, the threads that connect the two halves chipped after a few months of use (and she doesn't cook much). She bought herself a second one to replace it, same thing happened with it. While i like the idea of it, i find they just really don't work that well, and tend to be prone to breakage.

Okay, so I'm a year behind on this thread, but since it's sorta been revived,...

I've had mine for a few weeks now. Haven't used it for anything wet or mushy, but it's great for bay leaves, dried rosemary, and especially peppercorns, which are a pain to keep under control in a mortar. Cleans fine in the dishwasher. Electric spice/coffee grinder is easier to use, but harder to clean.

It appears to work exceedingly well for him, though I notice he has not abandoned his mortar and pestle or his chef's knife. People who pooh-pooh gadgets are insufferable snobs, I think. And the money they suggest is wasted on a gadget...well, they probably waste similar amounts on items THEY think are indispensible (French butter, for example) which most of us couldn't give a flying flip about. I'm not sure I'd pay $30 for the Flavor Shaker, but if someone gave me one as a gift, I'd give it a chance to work. It can't be harder to clean and deodorize than a porous mortar.