Spice Grinders and Mills

• Several spices, such as cardamom or cumin, come whole and require grinding or milling before use. Pepper often comes in a mill or grinder to increase the fresh taste of the pepper.

Salt Mills

• Salt mills work by crushing the salt through one of several crushing chambers. The result is a finely crushed salt, with the size depending on the setting determined by the user.

Salt Grinders

• Salt grinders, while similar to mills, finely grind the salt by running it through one grinding mechanism.

Materials for Salt Grinders and Mills

• Salt can easily corrode metal, so many salt grinders and mills are made of plastic. However, these do not hold up over long use. Higher quality models use ceramic or a corrosion-free metal.

Differences

• Salt mills are best if you want more control over the chopping process; they use more sophisticated mechanisms and produce higher quality results. Grinders, however, still achieve a finely ground salt, and these are useful for most household needs.