How do you turn your pepper mill?

[Morning Glory]

I can't believe I'm posting this - it seems so trivial. But I will carry on regardless! Today, it occurred to me that I might be using pepper and salt mills incorrectly. I've always turned pepper and salt mills in one direction; clockwise.

Today, for some reason I started to doubt this was correct. Images of attentive Italian waiters with tall pepper mills poised for action, came into my head. How did they turn the pepper mill? I seemed to remember that it was a backwards/forwards motion - so clockwise then anti-clockwise. This could, of course, be a false memory... but I wondered if I might have been doing it wrong all these years.

How do you turn your pepper/salt mill? Is there a right and wrong way?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Ours only work one way (with the new ones). They really are directional. My old ones were different. One was and one wasn't. I'm not home so can't tell you which way it is right now.

 

[cookieee]

Sorry MG, mine is battery operated. It turns itself. lol

 

[Morning Glory]

Sorry MG, mine is battery operated. It turns itself. lol

Does it just go in one direction though?

 

[rascal]

Battery powered here as well, just the one direction. But hand ones , I only turn clockwise, I have no idea why?? Just habit I guess?? And small ceramic ones I just tip upside down

Russ

 

[GadgetGuy]

I turn mine from the bottom, fill it from the top.

 

[TastyReuben]

I'm ambi-pepper-ous. I crank it both ways. I don't even know why.

I've seen plenty of folks on cooking shows doing either on, and vaguely remember a chef chastising someone for not doing it the "right" way (the rapid back and forth).

Honest to god, I don't care what it is, though, some self-appointed expert will find some way to dictate a "right" way to do anything. As long as my peppercorns come out ground, I'm ok.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Ours only work one way (with the new ones). They really are directional. My old ones were different. One was and one wasn't. I'm not home so can't tell you which way it is right now.

I've double checked now that I'm home and our new ones only produce anything if cranked clockwise though I do vary whether I crank the top clockwise and hold the bottom or hold the top and crank the bottom anticlockwise. It depends on which hand is being dominant at that moment in time.

My other mills crank both ways but are more effective clockwise (cranking the top).

 

[Morning Glory]

I'm ambi-pepper-ous

My only thought was that by going back and forth it might stop peppercorns getting trapped. I may do a little experiment...

 

[Morning Glory]

I turn mine from the bottom, fill it from the top.

The question was - do you turn it always in one direction (at the bottom)?

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Mine looks like these (the red one, to be exact); they operate by rocking the handle on top from side to side:

So, minimal risk of carpal tunnel syndrome from that rotational motion. But, I can't imagine that rotating one way vs. the other way makes any difference to the grind. It might be that the head of the grinder gradually unscrews if you keep going in the same direction?

I also have battery-powered salt and pepper grinders, but - as cool as they look - they blast through so quickly that they're not useful...I can't gradually add seasoning, but I suppose I could use them as a time-saver if I know I have to grind several tablespoons of either.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

. But, I can't imagine that rotating one way vs. the other way makes any difference to the grind. It might be that the head of the grinder gradually unscrews if you keep going in the same direction?

This is why they only go one way effectively. That's more to the design that people realise.

My old salt mill... easy to see why it's one way only

My old pepper mill. Not as easy to show, but I've taken it apart in the hope I've made it cleared.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

All 3 sets that I've owned in my life time have been the same/similar design and is clear (to me) that it is the design that makes them directional. Even my new (this last Christmas) set is of similar design which is just visible without dismantling them. Hubby will kill me if I do! Sadly it is not visible enough for me to show in a photo.

 

[Morning Glory]

Looks like I'll be dismantling my pepper mill today....

Those are excellent clear big close-up photos. Did you use the Samsung Galaxy? I can't seem to get clear macro shots using mine.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Looks like I'll be dismantling my pepper mill today....

Apologies if I've started something. I only stayed with the dismantling years ago when my first set stopped working properly. Cleaning them up helped but it wad clear what the problem was, hence buying the newer ones 2 decades ago. Those being the green ones. As you can see, 2 decades plus of use have ground the edges down and they don't look that good anymore. The salt doesn't get dismantled if I can help it now because the holes for the screws are being problematic and something 1mm wifey in diameter is now needed. The salt mill in particular doesn't have that available all that readily. The peppery mill is in better condition, the working edges though even on that are badly ground down from what they used to be. I just hope the metal was edible. Perhaps that's why my husband's ferritin levels were so high

Did you use the Samsung Galaxy?

Yes, I've <cough> mis-located my camera... must find it tomorrow to get the batteries charged for my 'holiday'.