There are some many pepper grinders sold today that researching one might not seem like it’s worth the effort. Most of them are at least OK and they usually last for a few years… so why bother? If that’s what you thought you wouldn’t be here reading our findings though, so let’s go ahead and track down the best pepper grinder for you.
Best Pepper Grinders Under $50
These are affordable, reliable pepper grinders that you can’t go wrong with. A sub-$50 pepper grinder should last you at least 5 years but it won’t be repairable. There will be a number of plastic parts as well as some inevitable design flaws and quirks. These are great choices overall, but don’t expect the design mastery you’d see in a high-end pepper mill or a classic, like the Peugeot Paris.
OXO Pepper Grinder
OXO’s standard mill is a very standard pepper grinder from a very respected manufacturer of OK kitchen gear. It has five settings, is very easy to adjust, is easy to turn, and has an upside-down design in order to reduce mess. The build quality is good enough but there are some issues (see the next entry for more).
This is a good grinder for a very good price (about $15). What you’re chasing here is value, not prestige, style, or longevity.
- Speed: Very good
- Adjust-ibility: Moderate (5 settings)
OXO Good Grips Mess-Free Pepper Grinder (Old Design)
This OXO Mess-free grinder is a tool that lasted me about 5 years. It was great for 2 years and then for the last 3 I needed to have pepper refill door taped shut. This grinder is cleverly upside down, which means no pepper dust collects on your counter when you are not using it. The downside if that if the door at the bottom opens then all your hundreds of tiny peppercorns will spill out all over the floor in the most annoying way possible (which happened to me at least 5 times before I upgraded to a Perfex.)
The OXO Good Grips still makes the list though since it has a good price (usually about $20) and a very comfortable design.
- Speed: Very good
- Adjust-ibility: Moderate (5 settings)
Bonus: These are available in a much less common, but much cooler looking, blacked-out set.
Note: This is an older design than the OXO grinder above.
Best Pepper Grinders Over $50
Let’s face it, pepper grinders can get expensive. If you are looking for a gift, registry item, or something that last most of your life that price might not be an issue, but we realize it’s not the right fit for everyone.
Perfex Pepper Mill
The Perfex Pepper Mill is a beautifully designed, all-metal pepper grinder that is built to last. This French grinder rebuild-able if any of the parts were to fail and it can take a drop onto hard tile better than almost any other pepper grinder in this list.
Additionally, the Perfex mill is beyond cool looking. It has an industrial aesthetic that is impossible to match, if that’s your design style.
Many sources had said that this is the world’s best pepper grinder, and while that’s a hard claim to make, it’s definitely in the running.
- Speed: Moderate
- Adust-ibility: Very good (from dust to cracked pepper)
Peugeot Roellinger
This is probably the classiest pepper grinder sold today. This 5-inch square pepper and spice grinder was designed by French chef Olivier Roellinger with inspiration from Peugeot’s classic box-style grinders. The body of the grinder is wood while the rest of the hardware is stainless steel. It’s sold in a handsome red and as well as a chocolate color.
The handle at the top turns while the pepper collects in the drawer. The draw can then be opened and removed for using the pepper. The pepper is held inside the chromed dome at the top. The adjustment mechanism is right at your thumb, directly below the handle. The drawer has a well for the pepper that is concave, so the pepper collects in the middle for easy scooping and pinching.
- Speed: Excellent
- Adust-ibility: Good, but not as finely adjustable as most