Pepper Mill Care

“Care & Feeding” for Millworks Salt & Pepper Mills

The following guidelines are suggested for the proper care of a new Morgan-Millworks Salt or Pepper Mill.

Care:

·      Some of our Mills are turned from 3-inch thick wood blanks that may not be uniformly dried.  As a result, a small amount of shrinkage may occur after finishing and delivery. 

·      Our mills are delivered with an internal thin-wall plastic liner.  The liner will isolate the peppercorns from any moisture in the wood, or aromas from uncured finish.  We recommend that you leave it in place.

·      Some woods are prone to cracking during the drying process (with the Ebonies being an example where small surface cracks are almost inevitable.)  If the problem is severe, we will gladly replace the piece

·      Brightly colored tropical woods are often sensitive to UV rays and may fade or darken over time.  Avoid direct sunlight (especially outdoors) whenever possible to delay this process.

·      All woods are sensitive to humidity changes, so try and minimize dramatic changes in humidity or temperature.  Tropical woods are dense and oily by nature and will better tolerate brief exposure to moisture so cleaning with a damp cloth will not harm our mills.

·      Use of furniture polishes and/or waxes to preserve the finish is not necessary but will do no harm.  Natural sebaceous skin oils are similar in molecular weight and chemistry to many finishing oils, and normal handling will develop a nice patina over time.

·      All of our mills are marked with a paint pen on the bottom as follows:  Morgan Millworks/Year and Design/Wood Species.

·      Our mills carry a Lifetime Warranty for functionality.

Use:

·      When filling your Mill, do not fill closer than about ½” from the top.

·      The grind adjustment on our Mills comes from the top adjustment knob.  The more you tighten, the finer the grind.  If you tighten the knob all the way down the teeth may mesh together and it will not turn at all.

·      Output will generally be greater with a coarse grind than a fine one.

·      Store peppercorns in an airtight container in a cool place.  Our zip-lock Value-Packs are ideal for storage.  Never use peppercorns that are damp or soft.  If you get your peppercorns wet, try drying them in a microwave or put them in direct sunlight to dry.  Do not wait to do this or they may spoil.

·      Please note that rose and green peppercorns are too soft to grind well by themselves, but will grind acceptably when mixed with white and black peppercorns.

·      If your Peppermill is not grinding well it probably needs cleaning.  The primary symptom other than a low output is a low resistance to turning as though the peppercorns are not reaching the mill.  The cause is a clogged outer grind ring.  Damp peppercorns can be one cause, but highly flavorful (large and oily) peppercorns are also more prone to plug a pepper mill.

·      The fast and easy way to clean a Pepper Mill is to remove the peppercorns and replace them with uncooked white rice.  Grind the rice until you no longer see brown particles exiting the bottom, and replace the rice with pepper.  The performance should be much improved.

·      If the procedure above does not help it may be necessary to disassemble the lower mechanism with a #1 Phillips screwdriver and use a nutpick, safety pin or dental tool to clean the grooves in the outer mill ring COMPLETELY.  Reassemble the unit; add some fresh dry peppercorns and the problem should be solved.

·      Avoid using your mills over steaming pots or storing in a damp area or you may risk clogging the mechanism as described above.  Similarly, avoid letting your mill sit in standing water or on a damp surface for long periods of time.