Peugeot P35402 Bali FONTE Pepper Mill, cast Iron, Black, 8 cm

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Skeppshult’s products carry a 25 year guarantee on their cast iron parts, so this mechanism isn’t covered - but Crushgrind mechanisms are still great quality, and built to last. If you were to use this pepper grinder five times a week for 20 years, it would cost 1.25p per use. That’s exactly the same as the short-lived disposable grinder - but you only have to buy it once. 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. Peugeot is a French brand that originated in 1810 as a manufacturer of coffee mills and bicycles. Over the years, the company has diversified its portfolio and ventured into various sectors, including automotive, industrial, and household production. Today, Peugeot is widely recognized as a symbol of elegance, precision, and reliability. The five twists test yielded an impressive amount of pepper, ground to an even texture. I like the action of twisting the base instead of the lid, though you need to get a firm grip. When it came to adjusting the coarseness, I found the knob on the Peugeot grinder a little easier to use than the plastic dial on this one. However, this grinder seemed to have a slightly wider range of coarseness.

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. I’ve bought a fair few of these grinders in my life (or ones like them). These particular ones have a top that can’t unscrew, so once the pepper is used up, in the bin it goes. They’re not even recyclable due to the mixed materials. I’ve also had similar ones where the top can come off, but that often happens mid-grind, causing all the peppercorns to flood out onto your food. Soup ruined.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 Peugeot family has been making salt and pepper mills since 1874, regarded by many as the best in the world. The Peugeot brand means different things to different people. For some, cars come to mind, for others, bikes. At Borough Kitchen, we think of salt and pepper mills. The mills are made in Alsace, France, using European wood. Peugeot mills are known for their consistent grind and sleek design, looking perfect in any home, kitchen or restaurant. Frequently Asked Questions 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. Although it’s much shorter than our other grinders, the Bali Fonte’s stout shape can still hold a good amount of pepper, and the wide opening also makes for much easier refills than the Paris. Incidentally, its shape means you can also get a good view of the crushing mechanism inside, pictured above. You can see how that neat little double helix holds peppercorns and guides them towards being crushed. The Bali Fonte carries a lifetime guarantee on the grinding mechanism, and although it’s a bit pricier than the Paris, its sturdy build does inspire confidence in its durability. If you were to use this grinder five times a week for 20 years, its would cost 1.05p per use - somewhere in between the Paris and the disposable grinder.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.

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. Restaurants love Peugeot mills because they know how remarkable the mechanism is for extracting flavour (and how durable they are).’

The Peugeot pepper mill, creativity at work

A style icon and a symbol of renewed ingenuity, the Peugeot pepper mill expresses an exceptional know-how and contemporary design that is admired by food enthusiasts, epicureans and the most revered chefs worldwide. Including acrylic salt mills, olive wood salt mills and electric salt mills, each model has been designed to Peugeot's high standards of innovation and expertise in expressing the full flavour. The electric salt mills in the Paris, Alaska, Zeli and Onyx collection ooze with contemporary catwalk style and can grind salt crystals to a range of precision settings with a cool touch of the finger. The Bistro, Palace and Mignonnette lines on the other hand celebrate the elegance of vintage fashion and traditional cooking while the Madras, Daman, Nancy and Mahé salt mills are distinctly futuristic with their touch of transparency and stainless steel. 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. Instead of crushing peppercorns with cast iron or stainless steel, this one uses a ceramic grinding mechanism, made by the reputable Danish company Crushgrind. This mechanism also features an adjuster knob in the base to set the coarseness. 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.