I need a new pepper grinder.
My last one survived 3 years of acceptable functional use, and then the last two years of being verbally abused and physically throttled…alas, to no great peppery avail.
Should I look for a nylon or a ceramic grind mechanism? I want a coarse grind that I want to last for TEN years…and I don’t care what it costs.
I needs my pepper.
My parents bought a ceramic one from David Jones which cost $100. It’s still going strong a year later ;). I’ve got a Marlux I bought when I left home at 17 which is, ummmmmmmm, 24 years ago and it’s still good. It’s got a lifetime guarantee.
I like my mortar and pestle for coarse pepper though.
Peugeot(spelled like the car, which I think I may have just misspelled) peppermills hold up forever. Mine’s going on 20 years now, and never been in the shop. They make a salt mill as well. Those tall copper/brass mills, imported from Turkey[?] also go the distance. I keep two mills, one for black peppercorns[Tellicherry is my favorite] and the other, smaller one for white peppercorns. Grind on!
Looks like this might be to low class a solution, but they make disposable pepper grinders w/ a full amount of peper in them now.
No wisdom to impart, but I feel your pain. Also, we both live in M-town so do post about what you go with and where you bought it as I’m in the market also.
Usually available in any cookware store, runs from $19.99 to $60.00, roughly speaking. Produces an excellent coarse grind, fast, very adjustable and damned durable…I’ve had mine for 15+ years, and every other one I’ve had, including expensive models, has broken.
Mortar and pestle for really coarse/crushed pepper, though…
Cook’s Illustrated rated the Magnum Plus as the best pepper grinder out there. I’ve had one for about 4 years now, and the only thing I don’t like about it is the look - I wish it were metal or wood. But damn, the grind makes it worth it. It’s really great, and easy to use, too.
I’ll second this recommendation. I’d love to have a Peugot, but don’t want to fork out the bucks. The Magnum is inexpensive, efficient and simple.
We have a Chef’n pepper mill. It’s a one-handed mill, which can be very useful when one hand is gooey or holding something. It adjusts from coarse to fine. It looks like a clear plastic sphere with a pair of plier handles sticking out the top. You squeeze the handles together to make it work.
The Magnum Plus by Unicorn is recommended by Alton Brown’s Gear For The Kitchen, and also by Gourmet magazine. The grind is adjustable, and the rate of delivery is very fast.
Fine Cooking magazine just rated pepper mills in their December issue. Here is a picture of the cover and table of contents. Doesn’t look like the article is online, though. I saw this issue in Barnes and Noble today, so you may still be able to get a copy there or at a library.
These folks http://www.wmboundsltd.com/ have the ticket. It was founded by an aero engineer who came up with a different grinding mechanism that kicks butt for grinding pepper coursely without making a bunch of powder. I got mine 8+ years ago, use it 3 meals a day for 2 people & it’s good as new.
They’ve recently grown a bunch & have added a lot of models to their line since then, so you ought to find something you like in both style and price.
I have to second this. Peugeot salt and pepper mills are not only gorgeous, they pretty much last forever. Mom’s had hers for 25 years and they still look great and work like a dream. They can be a bit pricey but I think they’re worth it.
I have had my William Bounds peppermill for twenty-two years. It has a quick-dial top that adjusts the grind from fine to coarse (though Mrs. Uvula and I rarely dial it away from coarse) and the milling grinders are carbon steel.
I first saw the Peugeot mills at the hotel I was staying at in Germany and I was really impressed how nicely they ground the pepper. The mall in Frankfurt had a wide selection of Peugeot pepper and salt mills and I’m sorry I didn’t pick one up.
Thanks for all your responses folks. I’m going to head into one of the fancy-schmancy cookware stores to check out the Peugeots and the Magnums and the William Bounds, if they’ve got them down here.
I’m definitely going to inspect a Turkish coffee grinder as well. That just sounds so neat.
I’ll get back to you in a few days with my ultimate decision (and critique). 
David Jones is a good place to start. They have a good range of upmarket kitchen stuff. Have fun!
I like it too, but the fine/coarse grind adjustment on the bottom of it doesn’t hold its position (it loosesn up quickly). I tend to like really fine pepper grind for a lot of foods, so I constantly have to grab it, twist the adjustment knob down tight, and then grind, 'lest I get pepper rocks in my eggs. 
Actually, it holds just fine. It’s ME who changes it back to a coarser grind, silly.
Inspired by the recent thread on pepper grinders , I thought of asking all of you for advice on where I can find a high-quality manual (non-electric) egg beater. My mother had a great one (40 years ago) and I have been looking for years without success. Everything I’ve found has been very cheaply made.
I’d prefer flat blades (rather than the heavy wire blades) but would consider anything that has a sturdy gear mechanism, a sturdy handle that won’t fall apart, and has no sharp edges on the blades.
Any advice?
Oops, sorry, I meant to start a new thread! I’ll do that now…