Salt and pepper is ubiquitous at restaurants. They are the fundamental spices in American cuisine. From fine restaurants to dive bars, salt and pepper are everywhere. Most restaurants buy salt and pepper pre-ground, but higher-end restaurant still grind salt and pepper the old fashioned way by using a mill.
Salt is sometimes ground from a mill, but pepper is ground far more often. A pepper mill, or pepper grinder, does several things to break peppercorns down into those little flakes we all love. First, a screw mechanism cracks the peppercorns to make them easier to grind. Then the material falls between two rotating plates. A screw sets the distance between the plates. This sets the grind size. The closer the plates are, the finer the grind.
Peppermills have been around since the 1800s, and add an attractive, high-end feel to your restaurant. A skilled waiter turning a large peppermill to add just the right touch of pepper to your pasta is a common sight at good Italian restaurants.
At Restaurant Supply, we sell two types of pepper mills. The Winco model is an all-in-one unit that has a chamber for salt. The Update International models are more traditional. They use high-carbon steel for grinding. It is best not to use salt in these mills because it could trap moisture and rust.
