# I am so sick of having to grind my own pepper. And now my SALT?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 14, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846 "2015-08-14T16:28:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/21 "2015-08-14T18:58:26Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> To be fair, pepper grinders have a clear purpose, as pre-ground pepper does lose some flavor after being ground for a while, just like any spice.
>
> Salt grinders are just moronic pretense; all they do is reduce the size of the salt pieces. There is absolutely no flavor or aroma difference from grinding your salt a-la-minute vs. getting some that was ground up/crystallized a decade ago, as long as it will still come out of the salt-shaker.
So pretty much exactly what I said in post #10 (short the moronic pretense part)
> [@](#):
>
> But having a salt grinder and pepper grinder must appear more sophisticated or gourmet to the unaware, so that’s what a lot of restaurants go with, instead of a salt shaker and pepper grinder.
I don’t think I’ve seen many salt shakers that can handle the larger grains like most Kosher or Sea Salts. They are normally filled with iodized salt. I like to be able to choose the size of the grain and better control the portion size. I found a salt grinder almost 20 years ago (before they were trendy) and fell in love with it for the table. I don’t really consider myself to be “unaware.”
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/22 "2015-08-14T19:07:23Z")
> [@grude](#):
>
> I guess it was the sick of part, if some foodie weirdos wanna grind salt crystals hey have fun. But again why does the OP have to do it?
Last year my gf went to a _salt tasting_. High end expensive salts, like the one she bought which has essence of truffles mixed into the salt. Interesting, funny, definitely not worth $19.99 for the teensy jar of salt, though.
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### Author:  [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/23 "2015-08-14T19:14:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> …essence of truffles mixed into the salt. Interesting, funny, definitely not worth $19.99 for the teensy jar of salt, though.
I sampled some in a trendy kitchenware store, and I agree. It tasted fantastic, but was not worth the price. Then I found a different brand of the same stuff, in a slightly larger jar but only $12, at Bed Bath and Beyond of all places. For that price, I could justify buying it. And that jar is going to last me a very long time.
(Try sprinkling a little on sushi instead of soy sauce.)
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/24 "2015-08-14T19:14:40Z")
I can see a justification for a pepper grinder; freshly ground pepper does have more flavor than pre-ground pepper.
But there’s no reason for grinding salt at the table. It’s a mineral. It’s not going to get stale.
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/25 "2015-08-14T19:47:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> But there’s no reason for grinding salt at the table. It’s a mineral. It’s not going to get stale.
Do I really have to say it again… a salt grinder has nothing to do with taste or freshness… it has everything to do with regulating the grain size and more easily controlling the amount dispensed.
Some things, like a steak, I want a coarse salt grain. Others like asparagus I want a fine grain. Most salt grinders I’ve used, even the ones you can get as disposables at the grocery can be adjusted. It does make a difference to some of us, although I wouldn’t say it makes or breaks a meal. But for the few extra seconds of twisting rather than shaking… give me the grinder every time.
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### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/26 "2015-08-14T20:03:08Z")
> [@Spud](#):
>
> . . . Unless of course the OP is adding a full tablespoon of salt or more to their meal.
Doesn’t everyone?
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### Author:  [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/27 "2015-08-14T20:22:27Z")
Dummy Glad Hands?
Hmmmm, vedy interestink…
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### Author:  [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/28 "2015-08-14T20:36:00Z")
Pinching kosher salt from a bowl beats grinding or shaking. Exact amounts, minimal work.
I cook with salt though, but I don’t add it in later at the table. The rare times I do, the salt dissolves into whatever I’m eating with a quick stir, so I’m not sure why grain size matters.
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/29 "2015-08-14T20:55:49Z")
> [@DrCube](#):
>
> Pinching kosher salt from a bowl beats grinding or shaking. Exact amounts, minimal work.
>
> I cook with salt though, but I don’t add it in later at the table. The rare times I do, the salt dissolves into whatever I’m eating with a quick stir, so I’m not sure why grain size matters.
I also use a bowl for cooking. Most restaurants however don’t just put a bowl on the table and invite everyone to take a pinch. The health department may frown on that.
I also cook with salt… but I like to fine tune it on the plate. I’ll make a steak with seasoned salt and pepper, but when I’m ready to eat it I like a pinch or so of coarse grain salt. That baked potato I made is pretty hard to salt on the inside so I want to add a bit to that… maybe a medium to fine grind. That Asparagus that I either steamed or grilled I think tastes better with the salt added at the end and needs a fine grind.
Same when I grill corn… I do it in the husk so it is hard to salt in advance.
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/30 "2015-08-14T21:02:48Z")
If only there was a machine that would do everything for me so that I didn’t have to.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/31 "2015-08-15T00:12:42Z")
There is a reason to grind pepper: once ground, its essential oils start to evaporate. The result can be pretty flavorless; pepper shakers in restaurants are often only good to put a pattern on the food.
But there’s is absolutely no reason to grind salt. Salt is rock; there are no essential oils to evaporate, and salt can be millions of years old, anyway. It’s pure pretension.
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/32 "2015-08-15T01:39:39Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> There is a reason to grind pepper: once ground, its essential oils start to evaporate. The result can be pretty flavorless; pepper shakers in restaurants are often only good to put a pattern on the food.
>
> But there’s is absolutely no reason to grind salt. Salt is rock; there are no essential oils to evaporate, and salt can be millions of years old, anyway. It’s pure pretension.
Are you serious or are you just messing with me? Do people even read the thread before posting.
Please read posts 10, 12, 21, and 25
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### Author:  [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/33 "2015-08-15T01:54:08Z")
> [@Spud](#):
>
> Are you serious or are you just messing with me? Do people even read the thread before posting.
>
> Please read posts 10, 12, 21, and 25
Pepper begins losing its flavor and potency the second it is ground. Some sit so long it’s like not using pepper (though I will use coarse ground black pepper for my rubs). 🆒
I have both a peppermill and a salt mill with adjustable sizes. I only use the salt mill as a finisher, as the large crystals really pop the flavor, allowing one to get more salty goodness with less salt. I use a very coarse sea salt in it. Kosher and table salt are for seasoning before cooking and/or while cooking. We have no salt or pepper shakers in the house.
As for the problem with having to grind one’s on salt, that is too trivial to even dismiss it as a _first world problem_.
ETA: My guess is that restaurants that use table grinders will soon change away. Things not nailed down walk, and it gets expensive. Hell, some things that are nailed down walk too. I remember reading a Bobby Flay story about a customer trying to walk out with large potted plants near the entrance.
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/34 "2015-08-15T02:04:20Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#):
>
> Pepper begins losing its flavor and potency the second it is ground. Some sit so long it’s like not using pepper (though I will use coarse ground black pepper for my rubs). 🆒
>
> I have both a peppermill and a salt mill with adjustable sizes. I only use the salt mill as a finisher, as the large crystals really pop the flavor, allowing one to get more salty goodness with less salt. I use a very coarse sea salt in it. Kosher and table salt are for seasoning before cooking and/or while cooking. We have no salt or pepper shakers in the house.
>
> As for the problem with having to grind one’s on salt, that is too trivial to even dismiss it as a _first world problem_.
Thank you… I was starting to think I was losing it and was the only one who appreciates that some dishes need a coarse grind and some need a fine grind, and rather than having multiple shakers (although I’ve never seen one that can do a course grind) it is easier to have a mill that can do it all.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/35 "2015-08-15T02:24:33Z")
> [@Spud](#):
>
> Do I really have to say it again… a salt grinder has nothing to do with taste or freshness… it has everything to do with regulating the grain size and more easily controlling the amount dispensed.
>
> Some things, like a steak, I want a coarse salt grain. Others like asparagus I want a fine grain. Most salt grinders I’ve used, even the ones you can get as disposables at the grocery can be adjusted. It does make a difference to some of us, although I wouldn’t say it makes or breaks a meal. But for the few extra seconds of twisting rather than shaking… give me the grinder every time.
Is grain size an issue? Salt just dissolves in any food that contains liquid.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/36 "2015-08-15T02:28:59Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#):
>
> As for the problem with having to grind one’s on salt, that is too trivial to even dismiss it as a _first world problem_.
Sorry. But once you’ve expressed concern about having inappropriately sized salt crystals on your meal, you’re permanently banned from directing the phrase “first world problems” at anyone else.
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### Author:  [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/37 "2015-08-15T02:30:13Z")
I love fresh grinded pepper better than that canned stuff. I don’t use a lot of salt , I had the same box of salt for years .
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### Author:  [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/38 "2015-08-15T02:45:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Sorry. But once you’ve expressed concern about having inappropriately sized salt crystals on your meal, you’re permanently banned from directing the phrase “first world problems” at anyone else.
I do that for my home cooking. Having either a salt shaker or a salt grinder at a table or in another’s home is not a problem. I also won’t complain if one seasons ones mashed spuds with black pepper, when white pepper is more visually appealing, because it isn’t a problem. If I were to complain about it, then one could dismiss it as a first world problem.
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/39 "2015-08-15T03:11:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Is grain size an issue? Salt just dissolves in any food that contains liquid.
Fine grain salt dissolves quickly, but the larger grains you can get from a grinder will lay on top of the food and give what many consider a better taste. I love some course salt on a good steak.
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### Author:  [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-sick-of-having-to-grind-my-own-pepper-and-now-my-salt/727846/40 "2015-08-15T03:19:50Z")
Salt doesn’t need to be freshly ground. It’s a mineral and doesn’t lose its flavor. Pepper, on the other hand, gets old. I was recently in a high-priced restaurant and used the pepper. It had no flavor at all- it reminded me of all those shakers we had at church with decades-old pepper in them. A place like that restaurant ought to spring for a $2 pepper grinder on each table!
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