Pepper mills are available in a number of styles: knob twist, cranks, ratchets, or electric. However, their basic construction hasn’t changed much since they were first introduced by Peugeot (the same company that later made cars) in the mid-1800s.
The most common type of pepper mill has a knob at the top that attaches to a spindle, which spans the length of the shaft. Gravity guides the peppercorns down the shaft into a set of burrs (the grind mechanism) located at the base. (The burrs, which look like a grooved cone set inside a grooved ring, are similar to the conical burrs of some coffee grinders.)
The burrs act kind of like a drill bit with several rows of teeth—first the peppercorns get cracked in half by large teeth; then they are crushed again between smaller rows of teeth into finer pepper, as they travel down between the inner and outer burr.
A small adjustable screw at the top or bottom of the mill tightens or loosens the spring that brings the conical burr nearer to or farther from the outer ring of teeth, changing the coarseness of the pepper.
Here’s what we looked for when choosing models to test:
Sharp and durable grind mechanisms: The best grinders have mechanisms made from ceramic, or high-carbon or case-hardened steel. They’re more expensive but worth the extra cost since they’ll likely provide you with a lifetime of use. We’d avoid acrylic mechanisms, as mentioned above, since they’re not as strong and could potentially flake off into your food.
Easily adjustable coarseness settings with a consistent grind: With many mills, you adjust the coarseness of your grind by tightening or loosening a screw at the top of the mill. It’s common for these mills to have a hard time keeping a consistent grind, because the movement required to turn the knob often loosens the screw at the top, widening the space between the burrs and causing the mill to grind more coarsely.
In our testing we looked for models with tight-fitting screws that held their positions well. However, even if the screw stays in place, this style has some drawbacks. It can be hard to gauge how much you have to turn the screw in order to get the exact-size grind you want. And the top nut is easy to lose—if it falls and rolls under your stove, you’ll probably be very unhappy.
Our favorite designs (like our top pick, the Peugeot U’Select Pepper Mill) instead allow you to adjust the coarseness of your pepper by twisting a band on the body, which has markings denoting various levels of fineness. Models with this feature are very precise and take the guesswork out of finding the desired coarseness setting. However, these are less common, so we tested grinders with both styles of adjustment.
Easy-to-fill chambers: Most pepper mills have relatively narrow openings for filling the grinder; this can make refilling a pain (though we have tips for making this process easier).
Some models have pop-out chutes that can be refilled from the side, without needing to unscrew the top. Other models can be filled from the bottom under a screwed-on lid. But after testing these styles, we think traditional mills that allow you to remove the head to fill the shaft are the easiest to fill.
We also prefer mills with plastic braces that secure the spindle in place because this makes filling the shaft easier. If the spindle is off-kilter while you’re filling the mill with peppercorns, the rod won’t align properly with the head.
Some mills have see-through bodies made of acrylic or glass, which can be helpful for determining whether you’re running low on peppercorns. However, with these you trade convenience for spice deterioration.
According to McGee in On Food and Cooking, “Pepper is best stored tightly sealed in the cold and dark. If exposed to light during storage, it loses its pungency because the light energy rearranges piperine to form a nearly tasteless molecule (isochavicine).” But we found this feature hard to avoid in electric pepper mills, including the Eparé Battery Operated Pepper Mill we recommend.
A comfortable shape with decent capacity: We limited our testing to pepper mills measuring between 5 and 10 inches in height, since this size will fit in most cabinets. The advantage of using a 10-inch mill is that it can hold several tablespoons of peppercorns, so you don’t have to refill it constantly.
If you go much larger than that, however, your peppercorns will just go stale as they wait to be ground. Super-tall pepper mills (like those you might see at a restaurant) make a dramatic show, but they’re precarious and too easy to accidentally knock off your counter.
We also took into account the diameter of each mill we considered for testing. If a pepper mill is too wide, it can be difficult to grip, especially if your hands are greasy. Besides, we’ve found that wider grinding mechanisms don’t necessarily translate to faster output.
Since not everyone can use a traditional hand-crank pepper mill, we also looked at electric models. But the experts we spoke with were lukewarm about them. The chief complaints: They have slow output, are more prone to breaking, require batteries (up to six), and make considerably more noise during use.
That said, some people with hand-strength issues or chronic hand pain may find an electric push-button pepper mill easier to operate. Electric mills can also be used with one hand, which can be beneficial for those with certain injuries or disabilities.
A reasonable price: Pepper mills can cost anywhere between $8 and $200, but we tested only models under $60. Eventually, more expensive models reached a point of diminishing returns, offering nothing better than models costing considerably less. We think the sweet spot is between $30 and $50.
A generous warranty: Most pepper mills offer very long or even lifetime warranties on the grinding mechanism. However, if this particular tool is used properly, longevity and breakage don’t seem to be big issues.
