Season Your Foods Like a Pro with These Chef-Recommended and Expert-Tested Spice Grinders

Our Favorite Spice Grinder

After a side-by-side comparison of spice grinders tested in our lab and kitchens and recommended by professional chefs, we named FinaMill's Pepper Mill & Spice Grinder our winner. We love how it simultaneously crushes spices and releases grounds onto foods. For a versatile manual model that lets you grind smaller quantities by hand, we recommend the Dreamfarm Ortwo Manual Grinder.

How We Tested Spice Grinders

Between our various grinding tests (coffee grinders, pepper mills, spice grinders, and mortars and pestles), we've tested 68 grinders in all, including both manual and electric models. Though our testing methods varied with each individual category, there were a few attributes we made sure to look out for in each test.

• Design and ease of use: While testing each product we made note of its overall design, as well as any features that made it easier or more difficult to use. If there were elements of its construction that prevented it from being as useful as it could be, it lost points in this category. However, if it had features that enhanced its practical use, such as a comfortable handle, one-handed operation, or interchangeable spice pods, then it rose higher on our list.
• Overall performance and grind consistency: The most important factor we tested was how well each product could actually grind spices. We assessed this based on the range of grind sizes each machine could produce as well as how consistent the grounds were at each setting. If the pieces were more varied than uniform, that took its score down a few notches. Inconsistent grounds mean uneven flavor. After all, no one wants to bite into a chunk of poorly ground pepper.
• Versatility: Versatility was an important factor during our tests because we tried out a variety of products, many of which weren't intended solely for grinding spices. As such, it was important to assess how well those types of grinders could handle switching from task to task. If a grinder had removable or interchangeable cups, it definitely won points in this category.
• Ease of Cleaning: The last step in each of our tests involved assessing how easy or difficult each product was to clean. Grinders of every kind have a bit of a disadvantage in this area because of how easy it is for ground-up bits to get stuck in hard-to-reach nooks and crevices. The best models for grinding a variety of spices are those that make it easier for you to clean them and switch between spices without causing too much cross-contamination.

We chose our favorite spice grinders based on these attributes and how well the grinders performed in each category. Although some candidates performed well overall, they may not have ended up on our list due to being outperformed by other products for this specific use case. Ultimately, we chose our overall winners based on how well they work for grinding a variety of spices and ingredients.

Factors to Consider

Manual vs. Electric

Depending on what you are going to use it for, both manual and electric grinders have their benefits. For example, mortars and pestles are better for marinades because the grinding process releases more oils. However, electric grinders are better and quicker for creating finer and more consistent grinds in larger quantities.

If you're only grinding a small amount of peppercorns, for instance, using a handheld pepper mill is best. But if you have an assortment of spices that need to be blended together at once, a mortar and pestle or electric grinder could come in handy. Manual grinders also give you more control of your grind size when compared to most electric grinders, so if a range of consistent grind sizes is important to you then that's something to consider. However, if you plan on making large batches of spices at once, opt for electric an electric grinder.

Removable or Fixed cup

Depending on what kind of grinder you have, you'll want to know if it has a removable or fixed grinding cup. Some electric models have removable cups, while others have fixed ones. And most manual grinders you find will likely have a fixed cup. This is important for a number of reasons. A removable cup, whether it's on an electric or manual grinder, makes cleanup much easier. Plus it also helps with adding spices into your food or transferring them into a jar.

If you purchase a model that comes with multiple cups (or has some that you can purchase separately), it also makes it much easier to switch between the spices you're grinding or even lets you grind them directly into the vessel you plan to keep them in. Fixed cups aren't all bad. However, since they aren't removable, the care and maintenance of models with fixed cups is a bit more tedious and complicated. Plus, it can be limiting if you want to use your grinder for multiple different spices, as fixed cups allow for more cross-contamination.

Size and Capacity

Size matters when it comes to how much space your grinder will take up in your kitchen, and when it comes to the quantity of spices you're planning to grind. Electric grinders that look similar to coffee grinders (or double as one) are best for crushing big batches of spices due to their large bowl sizes. They work great for preparing rubs for hearty cuts of meat and storing large quantities in airtight containers to use later.

If you want to grind spices and herbs directly on your foods, consider a model like our best overall pick that's smaller but more functional for daily use, or a small manual grinder. For mortars and pestles, we recommend going larger rather than smaller since you can grind the same amount of spices with a large mortar and pestle as you can with small ones, and you can use them for other tasks, such as making curry pastes.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The frequency of cleaning and maintenance your spice grinder requires will likely vary depending on its style and how frequently you use it. And whether or not your grinder can be disassembled will have the biggest impact on how easy or difficult it is to clean. Electric models with removable cups usually only require you to wash the cup and blade, while the machine itself can simply be wiped down with a dry or damp cloth. Models with fixed cups require a bit more care when cleaning to make sure that none of the electrical components get wet.

Manual models can be more in-depth when it comes to cleaning because they usually have more moving internal parts where grounds and oils from the spices can get stuck. If your manual grinder doesn't come apart or have a cup that can be removed for cleaning, it's best to avoid using water at all, as it can get stuck inside and damage the machine. Mortars and pestles are more simple when it comes to cleaning because you can usually wash and dry them like any other dish. However, the most important thing when it comes to any style of spice grinder is to make sure it is dried thoroughly after cleaning to avoid damage. And always follow the manufacturer's instructions to be sure it's receiving the proper care.

Other Spice Grinders We Tested

Strong Contenders

KitchenAid Blade Coffee and Spice Grinder ($60 at Amazon)

This grinder came highly recommended by Top Chef alum Jeremy Ford, who uses it at his Miami restaurant: "I use the KitchenAid one at Stubborn Seed because it's so durable. It can withstand the roughness and wear and tear of daily use in a real restaurant kitchen."

During our own tests, we loved this electric grinder's sleek design and convenient interchangeable bowls so you can switch between grinding coffee and spices seamlessly (and they even come with lids for storage!). However, it fell just short of our top picks due to its slightly messy operation and somewhat inconsistent grounds.

VEVOK CHEF Manual Grinder ($59 at Amazon)

This model is advertised as a coffee grinder, but it can also work really well as a manual spice grinder. When we tested it, we were impressed by its easy and smooth operation, its range of grind settings, the consistency of the grounds produced, and its removable glass jar (which is about the same size as your average glass spice jar, so it's easily interchangeable). The only downside we noticed is that it is difficult to clean the burr blade thoroughly without taking the whole mechanism apart.

Kuhn Rikon Essential Adjustable Ratchet Grinder (Amazon)

During testing, we loved how consistent the Kuhn Rikon's grinds were at every setting from coarse to fine. Its one drawback is that we found the back-and-forth motion of the ratchet mechanism to be a bit uncomfortable to use. Plus, it's worth noting that this manual grinder is a good option if you're only looking to grind one specific spice. However, since it doesn't come apart for thorough cleaning, you would likely get a lot of cross-contamination if you used it to grind multiple spices.

OXO Good Grips Radial Grinder ($23 at Amazon)

This OXO Radial Grinder performed pretty well during our tests, and we loved how comfortable it was to hold and use. Plus, it comes at an incredibly affordable price. However, much like the Kuhn Rikon Grinder, this one doesn't come apart for cleaning, which hampers its versatility when it comes to grinding a variety of spices.

Latent Epicure Battery Operated Grinder Set ($41 at Amazon)

These battery-operated grinders are super convenient and easy to use — not to mention sleek and incredibly durable, making them perfect to leave out on the counter or kitchen table. They also produced fairly consistent and even grounds during our tests, and they can fit a fair amount of whole spices inside. With their convenient one-handed operation and long-lasting battery life, there isn't much we can complain about. However, our top pick, the FinaMill Grinder, simply outperformed this set due to its innovative interchangeable spice pods.

Le Creuset Pepper Mill ($46 at Amazon)

It's no secret that Le Creuset is one of our favorite brands by far, but there are some occasions when it doesn't take the top spot. Truthfully, this is one of our favorite pepper mills. However, when it comes to grinding other spices, the Männkitchen Pepper Cannon beats it out with points for versatility, since that one is well-suited to grind more than just pepper. We still love this Le Creuset Pepper Mill, but it's probably best used for pepper only.

Vasconia Granite Molcajete Mortar and Pestle ($40 at Amazon)

You can't go wrong with a classic mortar and pestle, and this Mexican molcajete is a favorite with James Beard Award-nominated chef Timon Balloo. "Sure, when I'm in a rush, it's easier to put spices in an electric grinder, but it's not as therapeutic and rewarding as using a manual version. [This one] is wide enough to use large circular motions or pound," Balloo says.

It also became one of our favorites during our mortar and pestle tests. However, it was outperformed by a few of our other picks when it came to spices. Since molcajetes are more shallow and wide than most traditional mortars and pestles, spices were a bit more difficult for us to grind during our tests, and some ended up flying out of the bowl.

What Didn't Make the List

We tested out numerous grinders of every kind, including more electric, battery-operated, and manual models — and even a few more mortars and pestles. There were few grinders with such glaring deficiencies that we would shy away from them altogether, but minor flaws in their design or performance ultimately kept them off of our list. Some common issues we saw were inconsistent grinds, a lack of range in grind settings, and poor design choices that made them difficult, messy, or cumbersome to use. Since we tested a variety of grinders in different categories, some were simply better suited for different uses and didn't make it onto this list.

Our Expertise

• Clarissa Buch Zilberman is an acclaimed food writer with nearly a decade of experience.
• She tapped more than a dozen chefs and experts to get their input on the best spice grinders, including Jeremy Ford, Nina Compton, Ryan Pera, Donatella Arpaia, Kelsey Youngman, Tarik Fallous, Timon Balloo, Maneet Chauhan, Ryan Pera, Rob McDaniel, Brian Whale, Reem Assil, Adrienne Cheatham, Eric See, Einat Admony, Akira Back, Marc Gomez, and Cyle Reynolds.
• Arnesia Young is an Associate Commerce Editor for Food & Wine, and she updated this piece with expert insights from our rigorous lab and real-world testing.