Finding the right electric pepper mill is about both preference and performance. Of course, you could always get a good manual pepper mill, and they serve similar purposes. However, if you’re looking for the best in uniformity, function and aesthetic, then electric is definitely the way to go. Considering the massive number of electric pepper mills out there, it can be hard to find the perfect one for your needs.
Here we will go over what makes a great pepper mill truly great, and give our four top suggestions for the best electric pepper mill so that you know exactly where to start.
What to Look For
- Loading: How easy is it to load the pepper mill? Is it a simple affair of just twisting off the top and pouring in your raw peppercorns? Or are there complicated steps that make it difficult? Simplicity is ideal here, and that is what we will strive for in our best recommendations.
- Capacity: How many servings can you get out of your peppercorns? Bigger is typically better here, as no one wants just one or two servings before having to reload the mill. While capacity is rarely the only factor to consider, you should never get one that holds too few peppercorns.
- Grinding: What is the grinding mechanism? Does it use a simple blade at the bottom, or are there rows of teeth that munch up the peppercorns and deliver them in uniform slivers? Uniformity is key here, so grinding mechanisms that are more accurate and elaborate tend to be best, but sometimes simplicity is good as well (as long as it’s not too simple).
- Usage: Along with grinding, how do you make the unit start grinding? Since we’re only talking about a pepper mill, you want the usage mechanism to be easy. Soft buttons that are easy to locate and push are ideal, with more complicated methods or stiff buttons being inferior.
- Aesthetic: This is all up to preference, but it’s one of the best things about electric pepper mills. How do you want it to look? Do you want something that looks like a traditional wooden pepper mill? What about metallic, or glass and metal? This is one area where electric models really show their difference, and it’s all dependent on what you like.
Best Recommendations:
iBunny Premium Stainless Steel Electric Pepper Grinder
We’re going to start strong here with the iBunny Premium pepper mill. Aesthetically this looks like a metal cylinder with a small bit of glass near the bottom where you can view your peppercorns. In terms of usage, capacity and grinding, this unit scores a perfect 10 out of 10.
The grinding mechanism is made from ceramic, which is both stronger and more durable than metal grinders. This gives you the ability to grind up anything from peppercorns to hard Himalayan pink sea salt or anything else you’d like to grind. Not only that, but you can easily change coarseness by adjusting the button on the top.
Speaking of the button, it’s very easy to push and will make grinding a breeze. However, there is something else special about the grinding with this mill. When you start it up, a bright light will shine on the area you’re seasoning. This makes it very easy to see how much is really on there. Some might find this annoying, but it’s really a handy feature to ensure that you got everything covered properly.
The capacity is about ¼ a cup, which should be perfect for most people. Loading is fairly easy, just twist off the bottom, load the new peppercorns and twist it back on. Perhaps the only thing that makes it somewhat difficult is that the unit doesn’t stand straight when it’s turned over, but that’s common for most mills.
Gravity Electric Salt Pepper Grinder
It might take a little while to get used to this unit, but only because it does things a little differently than other electric pepper mills, and we mean that in the best way possible. Aesthetically this pepper mill scores relatively high. It has a good acrylic window on the bottom for viewing peppercorns, and the top is a black or silver stainless steel with an edged opening near the top.
Grinding is done with ceramic teeth to ensure that even the hardest ingredients can be properly ground up, plus it ensures uniformity. Coarseness can be changed by turning a dial on the top. Loading is also rather typical, just untwist the bottom to open the loading area and put in your pepper or salt. It can hold 2.75 ounces of pepper.
What makes this is different is the usage mechanism. There are no buttons to push, none at all. Instead, you just turn the mill over and it will automatically start grinding from the top. This makes it incredibly simplistic, and even necessary for those with arthritis or other hand problems. Also, a bright blue LED light shines when you turn it over, ensuring that you can see the whole area that you’re spicing.
Vina Electric Automatic Salt and Pepper Grinder Set
All of the other pepper mills on this list use steel as their primary aesthetic device, but this one is a little more traditional looking. The body is primarily made of bamboo, making it look a little more like a traditional pepper mill, which is perfect if you want to keep that aesthetic.
The grinding mechanism is made from ceramic, so you know it won’t break and it can last forever grinding even the harshest of ingredients. Usage is also very easy. There is a soft button on the top that you simply push down to start grinding. When grinding, there is a bright LED that lights the area and ensures you can see where you’re spicing.
Adjusting coarseness is simple. Twist the knob at the bottom and you can change how big or small the pieces are. Filling it is just as easy. Just untwist the area, fill it up and twist it back on. Perhaps the only bad thing about this unit is that the capacity is a little low at 1.23 ounces of peppercorns, but that’s not too bad. You should still get plenty of uses between refills.
Cuisinart SP-2 Stainless Steel Rechargeable Salt and Pepper Mills
When it comes to electric pepper mills, there is one thing that most of them share in common: they need batteries. This one solves that problem by giving you a rechargeable base so that you’ll never have to change batteries, making it ideal for those who hate going out and buying AA and AAAs.
The grinding mechanism is a strong metal that will last for many years, and it does a great job of grinding up your favorite pepper or salt. Coarseness can be adjusted simply by turning the bottom, and loading the grinder is just as easy. As usual, just untwist and reload.
The button is located on the side and pushes in with ease, so you’ll have no problem activating the grinder. The aesthetic is somewhere between new and traditional. The shape is reminiscent of manual pepper mills, but it has a metal body with acrylic at the bottom. This is truly a great pepper mill if you don’t want to change batteries but still reap the benefits of an electric pepper mill.