This is very much down to personal preference, as there are a wide variety of styles and aesthetics to choose from. However, the appearance of a mill can have a few practical pros and cons too. Depending on your needs or preferences, you might want to manually adjust the grind of your pepper. Typically you’ll need a coarser grind for something like steak, while a finer grind allows for a more even distribution for salads or soups. You can buy mills with just one setting, but a pepper mill with adjustable grind settings offers more flexibility. When you’re ready to invest in a kitchen tool that you’ll use every day for the rest of your life, you need to know how to look after it. Pepper grinders are in general pretty low-maintenance, but you’ll want to bear a few things in mind to keep them in top shape.

Our second Skeppshult pepper grinder has a more lightweight design, with a body made of beech wood - though it’s still fairly weighty at 0.7kg thanks to iron parts. It’s an elegant, functional design, keeping that modern Scandinavian simplicity. Unlike the other grinders, this one is twisted from the bottom, and the lid is affixed with a natural cork stopper.For example, the bonus of having a pepper grinder with some form of transparent element means you can see when you are starting to run out. But if these are left in well-lit spots, the sun can begin to affect the flavour. Since 1840, Peugeot Mills have been an essential instrument of taste for gourmets and great chefs alike and set a benchmark for exceptional quality and expertise. From coffee mills to manual and electric salt, pepper and spice grinders, they have become kitchen and tableware icons. Their sleek and elegant design is easy to admire and their range of distinctive shapes and unique colours make them a pleasure to use. Thanks to the strength and durability of the materials, along with their ever more innovative mechanisms, Peugeot mills come with a lifetime guarantee and endless satisfaction. Okay, so hopefully you’ve guessed that this isn’t one of ours. I’m including it because I want to demonstrate the real differences between everyday throwaway products and their buy-for-life counterparts. While the external shell of the mill can be made from a range of materials, it’s important to buy a grinder specifically designed for pepper, as the mechanism that grinds the pepper needs to be tough enough to break down the peppercorns. The best materials for this are ceramic and stainless steel, as they’re tough enough to get the job done. Though if you opt for a stainless steel grinder, you should avoid using it for other spices or salt, as they can corrode the metal. How fine do you want your pepper to be?

The first Buy Me Once pepper grinder I’m demonstrating is this beechwood number by Peugeot. That’s Peugeot as in the car manufacturer - did you know the lion in their logo originally symbolised the crushing jaws of their grinding mechanisms? Peugeot have actually been manufacturing pepper mills in France since 1874, long before they made their first car. The main design flaw here is the grinder material, which unsurprisingly is just a fairly thin plastic. When the mechanism itself isn’t very hard, it’s going to struggle to squash a tough little peppercorn. This also results in the grinder being difficult to twist, for not much reward.The Bali Fonte grinder uses the same mechanism as the Paris, and it also has the knob on top to adjust the coarseness of your grinding. So it’s not surprising that both Peugeot grinders were very efficient at creating evenly-ground pepper. Like the Paris, the Bali Fonte was slightly more difficult to twist on the coarse setting, but I liked that the bumpy surface provided a bit of grip. The Peugeot pepper mill has been reinventing itself for over 160 years. With its historical savoir-faire and craftsmanship in the manufacture of steel, and its desire to enhance everyday objects with beauty and elegance, Peugeot has combined functionality and refinement in mechanisms designed to make every task a joy. Manufactured in steel, with the u'Select patented adjustable grinding system, wear-resistant and guaranteed for life, the Peugeot pepper mill benefits from a specific treatment that protects it from corrosion and preserves its cutting edge which chops the peppercorns rather than crushing them. It offers a grind that can be adjusted, from coarse to the finest, to bring out all the intensity and character of the aromas of pepper and reveal the subtlety of its flavours. All in all, If you’re a serious home cook with some stretch in your accessories budget, then the MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon will make for a very worthy addition to your kitchen setup.

The Peugeot pepper mill has been reinventing itself for over 160 years. With its historical savoir-faire and craftsmanship in the manufacturing of steel, as well as its desire to enhance everyday objects with beauty and elegance, Peugeot has combined functionality and refined style to bring joy to everyday tasks. The Peugeot pepper mill benefits from a specific treatment that protects it from corrosion and preserves its cutting edge mechanism, which chops the peppercorns rather than crushing them. The patented u'Select grinding system can be adjusted to produce a grind that ranges from coarse to fine depending on your needs and preference. Regardless of which you choose, each grind will reveal the full intensity and character of the aromas of pepper, along with the subtlety of its flavours. Because this grinder twists from the base, this means that there isn’t a metal shaft running through the body of the grinder from the lid. This makes refills a little easier, because that shaft isn’t in the way of your pouring. I liked the cork stopper - it was a tight fit, but much less fiddly than unscrewing parts. As a note, my grinder is nearly two years old, and has seen a lot of use in the meantime. Oily cooking hands have turned the walnut lid dark and shiny, but it still works just as well as the day I got it. Let’s put it to the test. The expert functionality, ergonomics and technical prowess of each salt mill will easily stand the heat in any kitchen, making it the perfect companion for hearty homecooked food as well as sophisticated fine dining, cosy homes or Michelin-starred restaurants. At the table, the Peugeot salt mill stands proud, willing everyone gathered around to experience their own enjoyment of seasoning food to personal taste. If you don’t like the idea of a heavy pepper grinder - or perhaps if you have young children who might pull it off a countertop - this one might not be for you. But if you love feeling the weight of a properly-made product in your hand, it’s exceedingly satisfying and simple to use.

The Palace mills feature a beechwood wooden body with an antique finish and hallmarked silver-plated metal. If you really don’t want anything heavy, the Paris grinder by Peugeot will be your best option. It’s a classic design that looks great in any kitchen, and the hardened stainless steel mechanism works brilliantly.

Ease of Use and Maintenance: Peugeot pepper mills are designed to be user-friendly and hassle-free. Their intuitive grinding mechanism ensures effortless operation, while their easy-to-maintain construction guarantees long-lasting performance. With a textured cast iron body, this distinctive pepper mill looks like a chess piece (no salt version is available). It comes filled with Sichuan peppercorns. The Elis electric mills are ergonomically designed to make it simple to grind pepper and salt thanks to the incorporation of touch-sensitive technology. Tap the touchpad on the top and hold the body of the mill to dispense the right dose of pepper/salt. The mills have an adjustable grinding system and come with the Peugeot mechanism that is guaranteed for life.Firstly, for adjustable grinders, don’t over-tighten them. Forcing the peppercorns to be crushed through too small of a gap can damage the mechanism. You may find that the grinder loosens over time (to a coarser grind) and needs to be tightened every so often, which is normal.