The 11 Best Pepper Mills of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

How We Tested

Each of our selected pepper mills was tested thoroughly by our product tester for the most authentic results. We rated these mills based on design, size, performance, ease of cleaning, and overall value. We considered the grind mechanisms and coarseness settings of the mills, assessing how fine the pepper grounds were and whether it was consistent each time. Some of these pepper mills were also sent to our editorial staff at Dotdash Meredith to gather more home testing results.

Other Options We Tested

• Dreamfarm Ortwo One-Handed Pepper Mill: Dreamfarm, known for clever and quirky product names, has named its pepper grinder the Ortwo because it can be used with one hand or two. When one hand is busy or messy, grab the Ortwo and squeeze the handles to dispense pepper where it’s needed. Two-handed, grasping one handle in each hand, squeezing can be much faster for grinding a larger quantity of pepper to fill the mise en place bowl or to generously pepper steak. It sounds lovely, but our tester found the innovative pepper mill doesn’t function quite as promised. While it is incredibly easy to fill, thanks to the wide glass mouth on the container, said container does not adequately attach to the handles. As a result, the pepper-filled glass container is always a small nudge away from crashing down. What’s more, the entire thing is incredibly top-heavy and awkward to hold.

What to Look for in a Pepper Mill

Grinder Material

Pepper mills work by using a combination of gravity and sturdy mechanisms that grind the peppercorns. The best pepper mills are made of either ceramic or high-carbon steel, because they’re strong and will not flake into the food. The acrylic grinders found in grocery store pepper mills tend to be weaker and inconsistent, and they can shred particles into the food. It’s important to note that salt mills are only made of ceramic, because salt can oxidize and corrode steel, so don’t add any salt to a steel grinder that you might have lying around. That said, salt mills are not entirely necessary, because salt tastes the same whether it’s been pre-ground or freshly ground. (After all, it is a rock. Peppercorns are completely different and significantly benefit from being freshly ground.

Because stainless steel products can be subject to corrosion, ceramic is the ideal material. It will stay sharper ten times longer than a stainless steel blade (ceramics are second to diamonds when it comes to sharpness) and you likely won’t need to replace it, while you may need to sharpen stainless steel. When it comes to the consistency of grind, ceramic produces a slightly less consistent grind than steel because of the grinding mechanism.

Body Material

In addition to the material of the grinder mechanism, the material of the body can affect how your pepper mill works. While it may seem advantageous to have a transparent (typically plastic or glass) body because you can see when you’re getting low on peppercorns, you should keep in mind that spices need to be kept in a cool, dry place. Keeping your clear pepper mill on a kitchen counter that receives sunlight can cause the peppercorns to lose their flavor and aroma more quickly than if they were inside a wooden or opaque body.

Size

Pepper mills can be as small as three inches to sometimes 24 inches in height. The size that’s right for you depends on the space you have in your kitchen and where you plan on storing the mill. Of course, a pepper mill that’s two feet tall is more on the unpractical side, although it may be a fun kitchen piece to admire. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. The bigger the mill, the more peppercorns it can store (which means you’re replacing peppercorns less frequently), but keep in mind that if they sit too long in a mill, they will lose their freshness.

It may sound silly, but holding a few mills in your hand and cranking it is a great way to decide which mill is for you. Some cooks prefer an hourglass shape, while some may prefer something more cylindrical. Grinding pepper is a lot about feel and comfort, so if the size doesn’t work with you, it’s not going to feel right.

Refilling Mechanism

While all pepper mills rely on gravity and a grinder to mill the peppercorns, the way you refill the peppercorns varies, depending on the mill. Some have a screw-off top that requires you to remove the head in order to refill the body with peppercorns. In others, there may be a chute that pops off to the side, allowing you to refill without completely dismantling the head from the body. Some mills have their grinding mechanism at the top of the (so you have to turn it upside down when you go to grind pepper), and the refilling apparatus is at the bottom, allowing you to prop the mill upside down and refill it that way.

Coarseness Adjustments

Some models offer a dial at the bottom of the mill that allows you to set how coarse you want the pepper to be milled. That gives you the option to crank out pepper so chunky that you can feel it between your teeth, or so fine that you can barely see it in your dish. In some models, you can still adjust the coarseness; however, the mill might not have a preset dial, thus requiring you to tinker with the knob at the top of the head and keep grinding until you’ve achieved your desired texture. This can require a little bit of a learning curve, but with enough practice, you will understand how to achieve the coarseness that you’re looking for.

Price

You can find a pepper mill for less than $10, or you can spend upwards of $100. A good benchmark for a pepper mill that will last you a lifetime is around $40. You want a mill with a sturdy grinding mechanism so that you’re not constantly replacing it. Typically, brands like Peugeot and Fletchers Mills offer lifetime guarantees on their grinding mechanism, so it might be worth it to opt for a pricier brand given the warranty program. Anything pricier than $40 is usually just for aesthetics. Remember, you want something that is rustic and durable enough to keep up with you over a hot stove or a crowded kitchen, yet something that you can also place on the table without it being a complete eyesore to all of your guests.

Types of Pepper Mills

Battery-Operated

Electric pepper mills can be pretty divisive. Peppercorn purists might argue that relying on a button, rather than grinding or cranking by hand, can take some of the magic out of fresh pepper. Electric mills tend to have a slower output than if you were to do it by hand, produce inconsistent grinding sizes, and are more susceptible to breaking down or needing repair. Not to mention, you’ll not only need to replenish peppercorns, but you’ll need to stay on top of batteries (up to six). They also tend to be a bit noisier than manual mills. 

Some electric models have coarseness settings, so you may need to tinker with them a little before you start grinding, to find your desired coarseness. Because of their design, electric models are usually much heavier, which can be slightly annoying in the kitchen (especially if you accidentally drop it). It’s not uncommon for an electric model to have an LED light at the bottom, which gives you a better idea of how much pepper you’ve ground. Many home cooks find this feature to be unappealing, distracting, and straight-up unnecessary. While you can still find an electric model that’s cheaper than a manual, it’s important to consider these drawbacks. These mills can be a nice tableside option or a solution if you want to go a bit easier on your hands and wrists, but for the most part, they are not very desirable.

Knob Twist vs. Crank

This is another design option that comes down to personal preference, but most home cooks opt for a classic knob twist. Cranks can be slightly more difficult and yield less pepper per crank. Not only are knob twists simply more aesthetically pleasing, but they’re also way more stable and generally easier to use than a crank. That said, if the crank models feel more comfortable for you, then they’re a perfectly practical choice.

Brands

Peugeot 

Not only was this the first brand to create a pepper mill, but still today it is one of the most desired brands when it comes to both performance and design at the benchmark $40 price point. Known for its unmistakably consistent grind and sleek yet practical look, this is certainly the pinnacle of pepper mills. Peugeot's pepper mills are also known for churning out the most freshly ground pepper with the least work possible.

Oxo

With products ranging on the cheaper end of the spectrum, this is a great budget option. It offers many mills with transparent bodies, in case seeing how many peppercorns you still have left is important to you. Its signature mill also has its grinder at the top of the body, so you don’t have to worry about a ring of ground pepper gathering wherever you place the mill down on your counter.

Maintenance

Like any well-loved kitchen tool, pepper mills are going to get dirty. Get into the habit of occasionally wiping down the exterior with a hot, damp cloth, and if it’s extra greasy and dirty, go ahead and scrub a little dish soap on it, too. You’re likely going to be grabbing this thing with sticky, greasy hands, so stay on top of the cleaning.

If you’re planning to use any colored peppercorns, it’s a good idea to throw some black ones into the mix in order to avoid any jams around the grinder. Never add salt to your stainless steel pepper mills, and make sure to keep any moisture far away from the grinder (thatcan lead to oxidation and rust). When it comes to re-filling the mill with more peppercorns, be mindful not to fill it up to the brim, because that makes it harder for the mill to grind the pepper and can lead to jams.

FAQs

Can you grind salt in a pepper mill? 

You should never grind salt in a pepper mill. The grinding mechanism for pepper mills is designed differently from their salt grinding counterparts. Salt will corrode a metal pepper mill grinder, causing it to rust and break.

How does a pepper mill work? 

Inside a pepper mill are two grooved disks, or grinders, that turn opposite each other when you turn the pepper mill crank. The peppercorns get lodged between the grinders, snapping open the shells and grinding the peppercorns into pepper. Once the pepper reaches the desired coarseness setting, it will fall through the opening at the bottom of the grinder.

How do you clean a pepper mill? 

Pepper mills can and should be cleaned regularly, ideally after every peppercorn refill. To clean a pepper mill, open the pepper mill, and dump any leftover peppercorns, shells, and residue. With a very small dry brush or pipe cleaner, you can wipe out any remaining residue. If the pepper mill is very dirty, it can be rinsed out with warm water. Allow the pepper mill to dry thoroughly to prevent pepper caking and rusting before adding new peppercorns and reassembling. The outside of the peppermill should be wiped down regularly. Use a warm, damp cloth and a vinegar/water mix. "For cleaning, I never use water to clean the mechanical parts," says culinary instructor Sylvain Girard. "Use compressed air occasionally if you have that option. Water can ruin the grinding mechanism if not dried properly."

What is the difference between a pepper mill and a pepper grinder?

"Pepper mill" and a "pepper grinder" are both terms for the same type of product, but mills and grinders are two different types of machines in the larger food production world. Grinders process foods the way most of the pepper mills outlined here do. Food mills, on the other hand, process food by pressing it through a sieve to puree and strain it (without necessarily grinding it first). Most of the pepper mills outlined here have coarseness options that are provided by an internal strainer of sorts that only lets the correct pepper coarseness through. Basically, most pepper mills are actually grinders with strainers, but the terms can be used interchangeably in this scenario.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Food writer and product tester Donna Currie is an expert on all things food, from cookbooks to cooking gadgets. She's written her own cookbook, Make Ahead Bread, and loves to test out her favorite kitchen gadgets and appliances when it comes to developing her own recipes. She also has an extensive blog where she details said recipes. She interviewed Sylvain Girard, a high-school culinary instructor, on what to look for in a good pepper mill as well as tips for cleaning and maintenance. Donna personally tested two of the options on this list.

Sara Tane wrote the Buying Guide portion of this article. She has written for numerous food publications and has contributed to The Spruce Eats since October 2020. She not only holds a dual bachelor's degree in food studies and global studies from UNC, Chapel Hill but also earned a culinary degree from the Institute of Culinary Education.

This article was later updated by Brigitt Earley, a freelance writer who has spent nearly 15 years researching the best home goods and kitchen items for various digital publications, including The Spruce and Good Housekeeping. She tested several models of pepper mills to find the best ones. Brigitt also frequently contributes to parenting sites like What to Expect.