# Shakers, Mills or Cellars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846 "2019-08-18T19:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/41 "2019-08-19T16:08:11Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Shaker, had to look up cellars, don’t recall hearing that term before. > Do they have a special purpose? They’re just more convenient next to the stove, particularly in a restaurant setting. Ain’t no cook got time for a salt shaker in that environment. Of course, that’s a much larger container than for a home cook. Good cooking (in my opinion, of course) requires an astonishing amount of salt, and a shaker just isn’t up to the task. I like to be able to just reach over and either grab a healthy pinch, or to just pick up the bowl and shovel some into a pot of pasta water. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/42 "2019-08-19T18:51:09Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Salt shaker. > > It’s not a pepper mill. It’s a pepper grinder. Thank you. > [@Chefguy](#): > > I The cellar contains half Jacobson Sea Salt (locally made on the Oregon coast), and half iodized table salt (for the iodine). > > Yes, I’m a snowflake. Teak salt mill and pepper grinder, bought at Harrods. [Brabantia](https://www.brabantia.com/int_en/salt-and-pepper-crusher-set-matt-steel/) salt and pepper crushers, each of which can be operated one-handed. We were told only to put black peppercorns, even though the picture shows multi-colored peppercorns. Stoneware salt and pepper shakers, which match our tableware. Various salts (pink, black, sea, etc.) received as a gift. Currently don’t have any Jacobson salt, but I’ll be closer to the source next month. Special snowflake, dontcha know. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/43 "2019-08-19T20:09:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Daily use is a salt cellar and a pepper mill This is me. Salt is invisible coming out of a shaker. I can’t understand how people judge how much salt is going on the food. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/44 "2019-08-19T20:56:47Z")
For cooking there’s an old gelato container full of kosher salt by the stove. I used to use shakers there, but they kept disappearing. No one has ever taken off with my gelato “cellar.” I very much prefer fresh ground pepper, so I have a pepper mill near the stove too. Sometime soon though, I’m going to have to give in and get an electric one. On the dining table there are mills for both, and a special shaker for my “fake” salt. While there is a substantial difference between a food mill and a food grinder, pepper mill and pepper grinder CAN be used interchangeably. I had one once that was technically a shaver - it shaved the corns into incredibly thin slices. That thing was the bomb, but it finally died, and I’ve never been able to find another one. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/45 "2019-08-20T01:14:46Z")
Well, my wife found the old pepper grinder in the garage, and told me, “don’t give it away!” Anyone have any suggestions of what I can put into it that isn’t pepper? The new pepper grinder delivers prodigious quantities of pepper that the old one doesn’t. Should I fill it with salt? Is that compatible with a pepper grinder? Or maybe, cardamom? Definitely not nutmeg or cassia. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/46 "2019-08-20T04:37:20Z")
Forgot about the margarita salt. Seems that many bars are trying to get away with using normal table salt on their margaritas. Homes standards are a bit higher.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/47 "2019-08-20T14:09:27Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Well, my wife found the old pepper grinder in the garage, and told me, “don’t give it away!” > > Anyone have any suggestions of what I can put into it that isn’t pepper? The new pepper grinder delivers prodigious quantities of pepper that the old one doesn’t. Should I fill it with salt? Is that compatible with a pepper grinder? Or maybe, cardamom? Definitely not nutmeg or cassia. Toasted coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice, maybe toasted cumin seeds, but they’re small. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/48 "2019-08-20T15:26:58Z")
I use salt and pepper mills. I have a few different sets. I would like a salt cellar for the counter near the stove but I haven’t found one I like yet. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/49 "2019-08-20T16:30:45Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Toasted coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice, maybe toasted cumin seeds, but they’re small. Cumin! That’s the ticket. I’ll experiment with them; hopefully they won’t jam up the clockwork. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846/50 "2019-08-22T01:02:06Z")
Freshly-ground pepper is just nicer than the preground stuff in a can, so a pepper grinder. And I’ve actually gotten into the habit of using a salt grinder as well because it’s a finer grind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakers-mills-or-cellars/838846.md?page=2)