Our spicy take on the best pepper grinders for your kitchen.
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A can of preground black pepper is convenient, but grinding your own peppercorns is an easy way to improve the flavor of your dishes. A pepper mill, also referred to as a pepper grinder, passes peppercorns through burrs to grind them into fragments, releasing oils and aromas that deliver a fresher and more potent pepper flavor. This popular kitchen gadget also allows you to choose your grind size from fine to coarse so you can select the best texture whether you're making a classic steak au poivre or a unique cocktail, like the Bees Knees.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we tested 15 pepper mills from top brands to find the best of the best.
Our picks include manual and electric models so you can find the right style for your kitchen. Read on for details on how we test pepper mills as well as tips on what to consider when shopping for a pepper mill.
Thanks to its compact and intuitive design, this grinder performed well in our Lab tests. Though the fine setting was not the finest in our testing, we liked that there is a differentiation between the fine and coarse grinds. The five settings to choose the grind size are clearly marked and easy to select. It holds 62 grams (about 1/2 cup) of peppercorns, which is an efficient use of space for a grinder of this size.
This pick was one of the easiest to refill in our test: The bottom unscrews, allowing access to a wide mouth. It then grinds from the top, which means no mess when you set the grinder down after use. The clear body lets you see when it’s time to reload, but take note that it does expose the peppercorns to light, which can degrade their potency over time.
If you need or prefer to push a button rather than use a twisting motion, this electric grinder is for you. It's designed with two chambers so you can keep salt and pepper ready for use. The unit is rechargeable: Simply store it in the charging base — which includes a removable crumb tray that catches loose grounds for easy cleanup — and an indicator light will let you know the grinder is ready. The grind size is adjustable from fine to coarse, but the dial does not include preset grind sizes.
The clear spice holders let you see when it’s time to refill. It includes a one-teaspoon cap to make grinding to measure easier, but in our tests, we found that the slow grinding meant it took a fair amount of time to hit a teaspoon.
The cannon name is accurate! The output dwarfed the others in our test, with the weight of the coarse grounds more than twice the next highest weight. This means it's easy to season large dishes and to generate amounts needed for recipes. The Pepper Cannon also has noteworthy nuance in its grind sizes: The coarse is very coarse, and the fine is very fine — the finest in our test — so you can crust a steak with large cracked pepper or dust on a powdery grind.
Despite the center post inside the mill, we found it easy to fill with a push-bottom release on the lid and a wide mouth. It includes a cap on the bottom for mess-free storage as well as for collecting grounds for sprinkling by pinch or from the lid itself, which holds up to 1/3 cup ground pepper. It's somewhat slippery since it's all metal, so it's not the most ergonomic, but the tradeoff is that you won't need to produce as many turns to get the pepper you need.
FinaMill's grinder stood out for its versatility. It's designed as a universal motor housing that you click onto different pods that hold peppercorns, salt or some other types of spices, such as cumin seeds and dried rosemary. It's very easy to fill, since each pod unscrews and you simply add the spices to an open cup. The interchangeable pods in this set allow the grinder to work for two seasonings without affecting the flavor of either. You can also purchase pods separately if you want more options.
We like how easy it is to change pods — press down to release the current pod, then press the empty handle onto the next pod. And the single-button, battery-operated motor makes it easy for cooks of all kinds. The downside is that there's not a lot of differentiation in coarseness levels, and it's not always easy to dial back to fine from coarse. Also take note that it requires two AA batteries but does not include them.
Given that Peugeot invented the pepper mill back in 1874, it's no surprise that theirs has a classic silhouette, making it perfect for kitchen-to-table use. It's carved from beechwood that's sourced in France and has a smooth, matte finish, so it looks and feels good. It's engineered with a two-stage grinding process: first, sharp teeth crack the whole peppercorns; then, a smaller set of teeth mill the cracked peppercorns. According to the brand, this allows a more uniform output, and we did find in our tests that the finest setting was very fine, and the coarse setting was nicely coarse.
It has six fixed grinding settings that are easy to select and clearly labeled on the base of the mill. The grinding action was smooth. But it was somewhat difficult to refill, since it's designed with a center post to drive the grinder, and you must add the peppercorns around it.
If you're looking for a more rugged model to season foods while cooking outdoors, Peugeot's new BBQ All-Terrain mill has a handle so it can hang from your grill and includes a built-in, automatic LED light for low-light conditions and rubber bumpers to make it more impact-resistant.
We tested 15 pepper mills for this story. We filled each grinder to determine its maximum capacity and noted the weight of the full grinder. We compared the performance by grinding each mill for a controlled amount of time on the fine, medium and coarse settings. We weighed the output of each setting to help gauge how long it would take to season foods and measure for recipes.
We then evaluated the ease of returning to the fine setting from the coarse setting, which can be a challenge for many grinders: The coarse grounds can get stuck and make the adjustment difficult.
We assessed whether there was a differentiation between the size of the fine, medium and coarse grinds for each as well as how the sizes compared across models.
We also considered the ease of operation — whether the model was difficult to turn, if applicable, or slippery — and whether the grind sizes were preset or manually selected.
✔️ Manual vs. electric: To use a manual pepper mill, you'll fill a chamber and then turn a portion of the mill to grind the pepper. For electric grinders, you’ll fill a hopper and then push a button to grind. An electric grinder can be a good choice for those with dexterity or hand-strength issues, as the repetitive motion of grinding can get tiring with manual models.
✔️Grind size settings: Being able to adjust your grind size is important so you can control the seasoning and texture in your dishes. Some pepper mills are designed with a dial that sets the grind size; you adjust it by rotating the base or by tightening or loosening a pin or screw. This gives you control, but you'll sacrifice consistency. Other pepper mills have preset settings: This ensures you’ll get the same grind results each time, but it lacks nuance. Electric grinders may also have preset settings or a dial that lets you swing between coarse and fine.
✔️ Capacity: Mills are often sold with a height measurement listed. Generally speaking, a 12-inch mill will hold more peppercorns than a 6-inch mill. This affects how often you need to refill, the storage space required and how comfortable it will feel in your hand. Larger mills and grinders are often heavier as well, so if you have limitations, you might opt for a smaller model.
✔️ Ease of refill: Some mills and grinders have a narrow opening that makes it harder to smoothly funnel peppercorns into the chamber. Look for models with a large and easy-to-open access point.
✔️ Versatility: Consider the material of the grinding mechanism. If it doesn’t absorb odors (ceramic, for example), you may be able to switch between pepper and, say, cloves without mixing or tainting flavors. (But our pros recommend dedicating the grinder to pepper to ensure clear flavor.) Be careful when using a pepper grinder for salt — salt can be corrosive, and some salt-specific grinders are a better choice for the task.
✔️ Opacity: Like olive oil, peppercorns are sensitive to light, and exposure to light can degrade the oils, and therefore flavor, over time. Opaque grinders protect the peppercorns, but it's harder to tell when to refill, and it can be heavier. Grinders with a clear body expose the peppercorns but show you how much pepper you have left. If you choose a grinder with a clear body, opt for something smaller so you can use the peppercorns more quickly.
Yes. Whole peppercorns contain volatile oils that are released when the peppercorn is cracked. Because those oils dissipate quickly, the flavor diminishes over time (meaning the preground stuff in the can isn't very flavorful). Just as you'd use a coffee grinder for the boldest coffee, you'll want a good pepper mill to capture all the spicy, complex flavors and aromas in your peppercorns.
Many pepper mills are also opaque, which protects the peppercorns from light, which can degrade their quality over time. If you use your pepper quickly and keep it out of direct light, a pepper grinder with a clear body won't do too much harm to your experience. But if you prefer only a light sprinkle of pepper on your foods and it takes longer to use what's in your mill, you should opt for an opaque model.
Sarah Wharton is a deputy editor for the Good Housekeeping Institute. She conducted the testing for these pepper grinders and has led the testing of kitchen gear such as fish spatulas and grill thermometers. She has worked as a recipe developer and holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education). She also grinds a lot of pepper in her personal life thanks to a love of cacio e pepe.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor for the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).
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