Actually, hello.
On the agenda - a review of the spice mill with the original grinding mechanism.
Briefly - the device is suitable. Details by letter.

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Disclaimer - the review is written under the Sales Review heading, therefore it cannot be objective by definition. All feelings, emotions, epithets and conclusions from the use of the product are the result of a deal concluded by the author with the devil, who lives somewhere in China. Persons who are hypersensitive to this kind of writing should immediately close this page and listen to at least three in order to achieve the lost spiritual harmony. Others may continue reading solely at their own peril and risk.
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Despite the significantly thinned ranks, let's try to continue.
Even without being a certified specialist in turning raw meat into fried meat, the author understands the importance of adding the right spices to the prepared dish in a timely manner. And grinding spices, of course, is best just before use.
In my kitchen, spice grinders are available in this assortment - several Ikea ones (for cloves, fennel, and Sichuan pepper), ordinary, bought offline (for a mixture of peppers, mostly black). The reviewed one that has now appeared, I believe, will complement the pepper mill as desktop version, but more on that later.


All mills, except for the one under review, have not only a drawback, but rather a feature - they can be used strictly with two hands, and nothing else. For the surveyed, one is quite enough, which can sometimes come in handy.
The mill arrived in a typical Chinese box, there were no revelations. Although people who are not devoid of aesthetic taste will certainly note that it is quite possible to give it even instead of a diamond ring, and without additional decoration. She (the box) is so beautiful.


The piece of iron itself, in my humble opinion, also looks pretty decent, it’s not a shame to put it on the table if there are Dear Persons in the house as guests. Special admirers of the observed object of high art can put only a pepper pot on the table, so as not to disturb the harmony created by worldly dishes.


Disassembled it looks like this:


The device is simple, there is nothing to break. Every detail is beautiful, the inner world of the pepperbox is worthy of external perfection. The material is stainless steel, none of the parts (except for the washer) showed attraction to the magnet. There is no doubt about durability, unless of course you decide to grind titanium balls.


Next, we will conduct a comparative grinding test. The opponent is the Ikeev mill with a tightly screwed regulator nut (that is, set to fine grinding), sawdust from it in all the photos is on the right, sawdust from the monitored mill is on the left.

Test results

In my, again, humble opinion, there is not much difference. Except for the fact that in conventional mills the coarseness of grinding is regulated, but not in the monitored one (the reason is simple - the existing grinding is perfect and is suitable for all cases in exactly the same way).
In the process of using it, I got the impression that the mill will bring maximum benefit not on the desktop, but on the dining table - its grinding is fine, the amount of spice from one press allows you to accurately dose the grinded product. Yet again - appearance it is quite disposed to put the device on public display, without being embarrassed at all.
Verdict - I personally am satisfied with the free mill. "One-handed" design, simple reliable mechanism, quality materials, nice appearance. The lack of grinding adjustment and low productivity can be written down as disadvantages - but these disadvantages are a continuation of the advantages, because when using the mill as a handy, the lack of grinding adjustment turns into compactness, and low productivity turns into dosing accuracy.
The most important issue is the price, and here, of course, everyone is free to decide for himself. Ikeevskaya mill costs, for example, 230 rubles. Considered - exactly twice as expensive. On this occasion, I will not give any advice, because ... see the disclaimer at the beginning.

Coupon for two bucks

For those who want to decorate their home with a genuine masterpiece of Chinese culinary thought, there is a coupon that reduces the price by 2USD: yzzwww170222 valid until March 10th.

I borrow everything.
Hurrah, comrades!

A couple of years ago I got a spice grinder. IKEA 365+ IGERDIG. I don’t like semi-finished products and ready-made takeaway food, so I have to cook tasty and not long.

Ready-made spice mixes from the store are not so interesting, they are mostly made from cheap ingredients in incomprehensible proportions and you can’t always guess the quality. The last time I took the seasoning "Mix for Chicken" - the composition turned out to be 90% from Curry, and the rest of the herbs from the list on the packaging were insignificant. Did not like.

Spice grinder:

reviewed a lot different options in other stores - either made of plastic or wood and the contents are not visible. Prices are several times higher, so nothing better than a manual spice grinder from Ikea could not be found.

She has a glass transparent jar, on which the upper part containing ceramic millstones is wound. All parts of the “grater” are disassembled and easy to wash.

Grind pepper at home:

It allows you not only to compose the mixture yourself, suitable for your favorite dish in the right proportions, but also gives a brighter flavor, thanks to fresh grinding, directly during cooking. I liked the ready-made mixture of 5 peppercorns or 4 Kotanyi peppers - not expensive and the composition is fragrant.

Before you grind the pepper, you can choose the degree of grinding by adjusting the clamping mechanism in the lid.

Price: 200 rubles

Vendor code: 303.751.39

Outcome:

You can always collect a mixture of spices to taste, you can collect from the same store bags with whole grains and dried flowers. This saves money and the cat is no longer in the bag.

Advice:how to make spices

It is easier to buy ready-made, but tastier, spices - those in which there are no dyes and flavor enhancers.

It is quite possible to collect the composition of spices from what has grown in the country. We chop the garlic, dry it on a viscose rag (preferably on a heating radiator for 2 days), hot chili peppers and carrots are dried there. After that, chopped with a knife, mixed with coriander seeds.

A disposable grinder for pepper or other spices has a non-removable lid, so after using all the spices it is simply thrown away, since it cannot be refilled. At the same time, her millstones have an unused resource, they may well grind pepper further. Despite the fact that the manufacturer made the mill disposable, there is still a way to open it and fill it. This, firstly, will allow you to save 10 times by simply buying spices in bags, and secondly, it will protect environment from additional plastic waste.

What will be required:

• a pot of boiling water;
• napkin;
• 2 packets of pepper.

Dismantling and refueling of the mill

The trick of the disposable mill is that the manufacturer made a special fixation of the millstones so that they could not be removed without breaking. But it is possible. It is necessary to partially immerse the mill with the plastic part in boiling water for 10 seconds. Located in hot water the clamps on the neck soften and expand more than the glass vial.

After that, the burrs are easily removed without rotation with almost no effort. Dry them with a napkin or rag by removing the lid.

If moisture remains, it will soak the spices. In addition, ground pepper will stick together and get stuck in lumps.
After soaking up the water, you can proceed to dressing with spices. In order not to do this often, it is better to immediately pour 2 packs of pepper into the mill. You can make a mixture of your favorite spices and then immediately grind them together.

After refueling, the millstones are simply put back. It is enough to put pressure on them with your hand or slam. They will rise without heating, since the latches in this direction do not interfere.

This toy consists of a pepper mill attached to the end of a gun that looks like a silencer.

The trigger, when pressed, turns on the electric mill, and next to the fuse there is a switch responsible for light, sound and vibration.

Ready to bring pepper justice to this world? Then let's start assembling an electric pepper grinder!

Consumables:

• toy electric gun (mine cost about 200r)
• new SPDT switch
• stranded thin wire
• heat-shrink tubing
• clip
• plastic funnel
• wooden rod (I used a wooden spoon)
• black paper

Tool:

• dremel
• soldering iron
• wire scissors
• pliers
• hot glue gun
• sharp knife
• sandpaper
• square

It is obvious that this mill has a very unusual appearance and it is better not to take it out of the house.

Step 1: Dismantling the Pepper Maker

I bought the windmill from the DX site. The top of the case is easily unscrewed so that you can easily replace the battery. Once you unscrew the top of the windmill, you will have access to the battery compartment and motor. The spice compartment will also become available for unscrewing.

The battery compartment is connected by reins to the chopper motor using two small clips. By pressing on the clips, you can disconnect the motor and the battery compartment. Next, using a soldering iron, you can solder the wires from the motor.

Flipping the battery case over reveals two copper strands that form the original windmill's switch. Since we will use a different type of switch and it will be located in a different place, these wires can be soldered for later use.

The battery compartment at this stage should be a simple case for 4 AA batteries with two wires and no switch. Now let's put the windmill aside and come back to it after we modify the toy gun.

Step 2: Gun Analysis

I found my gun in a cheap store. When the trigger is pressed, the diodes on the gun light up and it makes a very pleasant “boom bang bang” sound. And it vibrates too. The toy was assembled into 15 small screws, after unscrewing which the gun is disassembled in half, revealing the internal electronics. A simple spring on the trigger acts as a switch, and the battery sits tightly in the handle.

The idea is to use existing gun electronics and incorporate a pepper grinder into it. Below is the completed diagram.

Step 3: Embed the Mode Switch

I wanted the windmill to work both with and without the effects built into the pistol, so I decided to add a switch in the form of a pistol safety to allow you to easily select one of the modes. The pistol was designed in the likeness of the MP5 and, like most pistols, its safety is located near thumb. In this toy, the fuse is static and nothing can be done with it.

I added my own fuse in place of the toy's fuse. I cut the wires from the toy gun battery and soldered a 15cm wire to each end. Each new pin was attached to a SPDT/SPST switch, then I insulated everything with heat shrink tubing.

With a sharp knife and a dremel I made small hole under the safety of the toy gun, placed the switch there and secured it with hot glue.

Step 4: Second Contact

Since I wanted the trigger to operate both the gun and the mill, I decided to modify the existing trigger by adding an additional spring contact to it on the other side. The original design of the toy was that when the trigger spring is pulled, it makes contact with a contact and completes the circuit. Using the existing trigger as a guide, I bent a new trigger spring out of a paperclip.

Where the end of the spring makes contact when the trigger is pulled, there is a post on which the wire spool rests. My coil was too big so I cut it to half size and made a new connection. A spacer was installed between the two coils, allowing each circuit to be closed simultaneously and separately. The new coil was connected to battery mills.

Step 5: Shelf for Second Trigger

After I got both circuits closed when the trigger was pulled, I enlarged the spring shelf on the trigger so I could fit another spring on the other side.

When the glue stuck, I formed with pliers plastic shelf so that it is a reflection of the existing spring shelf on the other side.

Step 6: Support for the Mill

The mill does not weigh very much, but support is needed to use it in a pistol. The wooden kitchen spoon I found was perfect shape- A thin body that fits snugly against the barrel of a toy gun and a curved end that can be connected to a windmill will provide good stability. I added a black funnel to the design, it will create a smooth transition between the body of the windmill and the barrel of the toy gun, and also hide the wooden spoon.

The funnel should be pulled over the spoon to a level where the wide part of the spoon does not completely rest against it. The handle of the spoon must be measured to the depth of the gun. With a marker, I marked the places where the handle should be split and where the wide part of the spoon meets the edges of the funnel, with a dremel I made two clean cuts.

Then I made a cut in the wide part of the spoon, in which the mill was firmly fixed in place, I also cut a channel for the wires in the handle of the spoon. Using hot glue, I attached the spoon and the mill motor, and the wires were placed in the cut channel.

Then I put the funnel back on the spoon and advanced it to the junction of the spoon and the mill, made a mark on the inside of the funnel where the mill body meets the spoon, and then cut the funnel with a dremel to right size. To secure the funnel, spoon and mill, I glued everything with a layer of hot glue.

Step 7: Decorating the Silencer

To give the device a finished look, I decided to wrap the muffler in a decorative black cardboard cover. This cardboard will hide the transition between the funnel and the mill and give the muffler a neat look and make the whole device look like a real firearm.

Is a pepper and salt grinder a necessary item in the kitchen? The question will be answered in the affirmative by housewives and cooks who love and understand the intricacies of cooking. Grinding aromatic spices with your own hands gives confidence in the authenticity of the product, makes the dishes especially tasty.

It would seem that stores are replete with an assortment of seasonings, why waste time making them? There are reasons.

1. Confidence in the naturalness of the product. Sophisticated manufacturers often mix cheaper ingredients into real spices - herbal dust or ground husks.
2. Product freshness means good taste meals, and savings. Less spices are needed.
3. The process itself is pleasant. This is a kind of ritual that gives a feeling of culinary magic.
4. decorative effect. Among the huge selection of mills, there is a suitable kitchen design. It can be a nice detail and decoration.

There are several types of mills:

• disposable;
• manual (mechanical);
• electrical.

Disposable - require a minimum of effort. They already have the mixture in them. After grinding them, the device is thrown away. Made from plastic or glass. Hand mills have an opening top, right amount seasonings fall asleep there on their own. The design is varied. They can be glass, ceramic or of stainless steel. Electric ones are the most durable, have complex structure and a range of additional features.

How it works, selection criteria when buying

Before proceeding with the choice of a mill for, it will not be superfluous to understand its structure and principle of operation. The pepper mill, both mechanical and electric, has a similar design. It consists of:

• containers in which spices are stored;
• millstones;
• container where the ground mixture enters.

The hand mill can be equipped with a handle. As a rule, it looks aesthetically pleasing, has interesting design. The principle of operation is the “scrolling” of the upper half of the body for grinding spices with millstones.

The electrical device is equipped with a start button, runs on a battery or accumulator. Advantages: fast speed with a minimum of manual labor, the possibility of choosing the degree of grinding (the parameter is set on a special scale).

When choosing a mill, it is important to know the material from which the millstones are made. If it is plastic, the device will fail very quickly. Ideally, if the millstones are metal.

Attention! It is undesirable to choose a mill with a wooden case. The tree absorbs aromas, after a few "grindings" the smell of the next mixture of spices will be doubtful.

How to make a reusable mill from a disposable mill

If you don't want to buy finished mill for pepper, do it yourself. The first way - you can turn a disposable grinder into a reusable one. The second is to carve from a tree, providing a grinding mechanism.

The first option is pretty simple. First you need to cut the ring that secures the top cover of the case. Actually, in this part there are millstones. Next, you need to carefully remove the upper part of the mechanism. A container opens where you can pour the desired spices for grinding. It is difficult to say exactly how long such a mill will last. It all depends on the strength of the millstones. Although you can’t count on durability, because the mechanism is usually plastic.

Attention! The holder ring can be removed without cutting by holding the top of the mill under boiling water.

DIY mill

It will not be difficult to make a mill according to the second method for craftsmen who have the skills to work on lathe. It can be carved in the form of a pyramid, flask or matryoshka, it is enough to turn on the fantasy. The same with the size - the longer the conceived mill is, the more seasonings can be placed in it.

The internal parts that make up the mechanism are available in online stores. You will need:

• several rings;
• springs;
• kernel.

Advice. To speed up the manufacture of the mill, the size of the body is selected taking into account the length of the rod.

You can make your own and electric car for grinding spices. Of course, it will look more losing in terms of design, but many times more reliable. What is needed for manufacturing?

1. Take manual frezer- it will serve as a working mechanism.
2. Attach a jar with a capacity of 1 liter to the base of the router, the lid must be screwed.
3. Make a hole in the lid, insert the rod into it. In its role will be a steel bolt with a thread.
4. Knives are made from small steel plates. Attach to each other crosswise.
5. Seal the cover with a rubber gasket.

Pepper mill - nice and practical thing among kitchen utensils. And dishes seasoned with fragrant fresh spices are especially fragrant and tasty.

Do you buy already ground spices or use a grinder?

Spice grinder: video