Our Popular Pepper Mills

Click on any of the pepper grinders above to view it on our online shop 

Over the years we have seen salt and pepper mills, but especially pepper mills, become one of our most popular products. We have been in business for some 16 years or so and witnessed the birth and growth of the foodie revolution which no doubt has a lot to do with the growing interest in our range of mills. The likes of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, shows like Masterchef, and our own home-grown celebrity chefs such as Neil Perry, Kylie Kwong, Maggie Beer and Bill Granger have brought food and cooking to the forefront of our daily lives and all can be seen giving the old pepper mill a few twists as they add freshly ground black pepper to everything they cook – yes, even strawberries and chai tea!

Pepper and Why we Love it?

Pepper, the world’s most popular spice, is the fruit of the piper nigrum tree and is native to India’s Malabar coast where it has been cultivated for some 3,000 years. It made its way to Europe in the Middle Ages and was so highly prized that it was often presented for gifts, dowries, rent, bribes and to pay taxes – in other words it was currency. Demand for pepper remains so strong that today it represents a quarter of the total world spice trade. Apart from its piquant flavour, heat and bite, we love pepper because it enhances our ability to taste food and it does this by stimulating our salivary glands so the flavours are experienced more fully. Combine this with salt which is also a flavour enhancer as well as being one the five basic tastes which the human tongue can detect, and you have one of the great pairings in human culture – salt and pepper, known collectively as ‘seasoning’ as in ‘season well ,‘ ‘adjust seasoning,‘ ‘season to taste.‘ They’re talking about salt and pepper.

Freshly Ground in a Mill?

Any chef or halfway decent home cook will tell you that the piquancy, bite and salivating properties of pepper only come from freshly ground pepper. Once the whole peppercorn is cracked open and exposed to air its flavour starts to fade immediately and after half an hour most of its scent and taste has disappeared and this is why a good pepper mill is an absolute must. Salt does not suffer from this problem but many people like the symmetry of a matching set on the table. We have beautiful salt and pepper mills for sale in various timbers such as Huon Pine, Sassafras, Blackwood, Jarrah and She Oak and in several shapes and sizes.

The Stand Alone Pepper Mill

Because a pepper mill is as much for the cook as the diner, we have a range of stand alone pepper mills. The professional chef’s mill can be used not only for pepper but for other spices and salt too with its state of the art ceramic mechanism that comes with a 25 year guarantee. The Jarrah crank handle pepper mill is a golden oldie that has stood the test of time – easy to fill and great grinding action. Our two impressive, stand alone mills in the Orb range, the large and the giant, are the classic twist top design.

Pepper Hints

Buy good quality peppercorns that have been well processed. Pepper is still harvested by hand and laid out to dry on platforms in the open so it needs to be well sifted. Otherwise grit can damage your mill’s grinding mechanism

Clean occasionally by emptying the mill and cleaning the built up residue on the inside and around the grinder with a small brush.

Turn Clockwise . Most mills have mechanisms that angle in a downward spiral, funnelling the peppercorns down and so should only be turned in a clockwise direction.

Freshness depends on how often you use your mill and thus how long the peppercorns have been in it. If you haven’t used it for a while empty and add fresh peppercorns to your Australian made wooden pepper mill. Enjoy!

Our Range of Australian made Pepper Grinders

You can buy a beautiful handmade pepper grinder to suit your budget from our online shop.

Click here to view our range of Salt and Pepper Mills >>