Selecting the Best Pepper Mills

Author:

Ron McKinney
Pepper mills will never reach the complexity of iphones and androids so the effort required to select the best of the lot is not that difficult but as with everything a certain amount of caution is wise, particularly if you are planning to spend a great deal of money. In the pepper mill world one can easily part with two to three hundred dollars for one or four to six hundred dollars if the purchase is for a set which generally includes a pepper mill and a salt mill. And six to eight hundred dollars can easily be spent if we were to add in a salt cellar or salt box as it is sometimes called. A salt box is generally kept near the stove and is used to salt the food as it is cooking.

Shopping for these items can be broken down into essentially two ideas and those are the commercial grade mills manufactured by commercial companies such as William Bounds, Peugeot, Trudeau and others. These mills are excellent value for your money as these folks have been making them since the 1800\'s and have by now perfected the manufacturing process and therefore they are proficient and cost effective with most of their products costing less than a hundred dollars. You probably cannot go wrong purchasing one of these.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a handcrafted mill this area is one to be wary of. Over the last 8 years or so many woodworkers have taken up building wood pepper mills in a variety of shapes, sizes and woods, including exotic woods, due to the popularity generated by their appearance on the Sara Moulton Cooking Show on Food Network and one episode by Oprah Winfrey.

Handcrafted pepper mills can be broken down into two main categories. These are solid wood versus laminated pepper mills. Some say only go with solid wood, which is usually cut from a 3 inch by 3 inch piece of wood and turned down to 2 3/4 inches. They say there is no fear of the mill coming apart as there might be with a laminated one. The laminated mills usually consists of different woods and even veneers glued together to create a fascinating pattern that looks absolutely gorgeous when turned. By the way, 'turned' means placing the square wood on a lathe and cutting it to the shape desired. It is true that if not sanded and glued properly with the right glue and the right environmental conditions and given the proper time to cure a laminated mill could come apart and this is why it is essential to pick an individual who has perfected this skill. It is also true that done properly a laminated pepper mill is stronger than a solid wood one!

Another area of concern is the actual grinding mechanism. There are many cheap brands out there that simply will not hold up over time to the constant grinding of peppercorns. Peppercorns are not rocks but they do offer a great deal of resistance to the grinding mechanism so it is essential that the woodworker has installed the best. Without question, the best grinding mechanism on the market is made by Chef Specialties so always look to see if the woodworker uses the Chef Specialties brand for his mechanism.

The final thing to look for in a handcrafted pepper mill is the finish. While some woodworkers use a simple oil finish, or a polyurethane finish, without a doubt, the best looking and best 'feeling' finish and the one that will hold up over time is a lacquer finish. You want the craftsman who has taken the time to put ten or more coats of a spray lacquer finish and then worked and polished that finish to a piano like luster. This type of finish will hold up and look beautiful under normal use and will last for many years to come.

In my mind, the handcrafted wood pepper mills created by a master artisan is by far the best pepper mills to purchase.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/selecting-the-best-pepper-mills-4121727.html
About the Author
Ron is a retired engineer, a husband, father and grandfather. He is a woodworker, a part time writer, website builder and promoter and a cook.

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Peppercorns - The Great Motivator

Author:

Ron McKinney
It has been said that Helen of Troy was so beautiful that she launched a thousand ships but her impact on history pales in comparison to the lowly peppercorn. To fully understand why men (and women) down through the ages have so valued peppercorns is not something that anyone can express with words. I can tell you the simple facts that peppercorns have been in use since prehistoric times and every generation of man has eagerly sought after them but to truly appreciate why, you just have to do this. Throw together some olive oil, cracked pink, green or black peppercorns, garlic, salt and herbs.  Rub this mixture on a couple of sirloins and let it marinate for a while. Then grill to your liking, sit down and devour! The exact recipe is on the web site listed below.

If you have never enjoyed a peppercorn steak you are truly missing out on one of the joys of life. In fact, there is a whole host of recipes for peppercorn chicken, peppercorn pork and a variety of others that you simply must put on your bucket list. When you have experienced these joys you can now count yourself among many historic figures and events.

Black peppercorns have been found in some of the most ancient caves of the Neanderthal and Cro Magnon humans. They were found in the sarcophagus of Ramesses II. Peppercorns were known and enjoyed by the Greeks as early as the 4th Century BCE. The trade routes of the time were so difficult that the pleasures of peppercorns were probably enjoyed only by the rich. However, by the time of the Roman Empire and particularly the conquest of Egypt regular trade routes to and from the Malabar Coast of India brought the tastes of peppercorns to the masses of Rome. While these trips took a year to complete and possessed a level of difficulty unheard of today the people of Rome were more than willing to pay a steep price to enjoy this unique spice.

After the fall of Rome trade battles erupted between the Arabs and the Europeans for control of the trade and by the end of the dark ages the land routes ofthe spice trade were firmly under Islamic control. However, once the spice was into the  Mediterranean the great maritime powers of Italy, most particular Venice and Genoa, commanded the lion share of the trade and from this trade their great city states evolved.

The exorbitant prices charged by the Italians to the rest of the Western Europe for the enjoyment of this wonderful spice was the primary factor that motivated men such as Vasco Da Gama and Columbus. Da Gama as history teaches us was the first to sail around the horn of Africa in search of a sea route to India with the primary goal of searching for 'Christians and Spices' as his representative stated when ask why they had come to India. Columbus, of course, decided to go west in his search for a sea route to the land of spices and the rest is the history we all know.

Helen was indeed probably a beautiful woman and many have fought battles and died for beautiful women but not even female beauty has motivated the mind of the human race and so changed the course of human history like that of the King of Spices, the peppercorn. Think about that the next time you sink your teeth into a juicy peppercorn steak!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/peppercorns-the-great-motivator-4100860.html
About the Author
For more information go to Gourmet Peppercorns

For recipes go to Peppercorn Recipes

To purchase go to Peppercorns

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What to Give Your Sweetheart for Valentine's Day updated Thu Jan 20 2011 2:12 am CST

What to Give Your Sweetheart for Valentine's Day updated Thu Jan 20 2011 2:12 am CST: "What makes for a Special Valentine's Day Gift?

Chocolates are nice, but why not think of something out side of the normal. For instance take a look at some of our ideas here.

But First a Little Valentine's Day History

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it 'From Your Valentine'. Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.

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From the Finest Peppers available from India, Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia.
Read our Gourmet Guides to see the best Pepper to use in your cooking!

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