Ceramic or Steel? Salt Mill Reviews for a Working Kitchen

Salt does more of the work in a kitchen than any other seasoning. It goes into the water for the beans, onto the carne asada before it hits the grill, over sliced jicama with lime, and into a salsa a pinch at a time until it tastes right. Most of that salt comes from a box or a bowl, and it should. A mill earns its place for the other jobs: the last seasoning of a plate, a coarse crunch on top of something, and a salt that comes in crystals too big to pinch.

Salt is harder on a mill than pepper is, and that is the reason for these salt mill reviews. Our pepper pages sell the pepper mill; this page looks only at the salt side: nine manual and electric mills from Cole & Mason, Peugeot, OXO and Kyocera, compared on the mechanism inside, the grind range and, the detail most buyers miss, which salts the maker actually says you can put in it.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a salt mill, the makers’ own specifications and the details on each Amazon listing.

Quick verdict: which salt mill to buy

Read the line about salt type before you buy. The handsomest mills here are also the fussiest about what goes in them.

Five salt mills compared

One pick for each kind of cook, with the mechanism, grind settings and salt each maker or listing states.

Product images from Amazon. Details are as stated by each maker or listing; “not stated” means we could not find it there. Few makers give capacity, so it is left out of this table.

Our salt mill reviews, one by one

The nine mills below cover the main types: ceramic twist-top mills, Peugeot’s steel salt mechanism, a small jar mill and two electric mills. Each review says who the mill suits, what the maker states, and one honest reason to skip it.

Ceramic or steel: why a salt mill is not a pepper mill

A pepper mill cuts a dry, brittle peppercorn. A salt mill has to break a hard crystal, and that crystal sits against the mechanism for months. So makers build the two differently, even when the mills look identical on the outside.

Ceramic is the common answer. Cole & Mason makes this plain on its own listings: its salt mills have a ceramic mechanism that does not corrode, and its pepper mills have a carbon steel one. OXO and Kyocera use ceramic too, and both say it will not take on flavors. Because ceramic does not corrode, a ceramic mill can move between salt and other dry spices, though we would keep each mill to one job.

Salt-grade stainless steel is Peugeot’s answer. It uses a separate mechanism for its salt mills, with stainless gears that it says are not sensitive to salt corrosion. That mechanism comes with a firm condition, though: dry rock salt only. Peugeot’s FAQ says damp grey sea salt such as Guérande has enough moisture to corrode the mill, and warns against wet sea salt even after drying. It sells a specific mechanism for damp salt, which is not on the mills reviewed here.

Do not put salt in a mill built for pepper unless its maker says you can. Our pepper mill reviews cover the other half of the pair, and the best pepper grinder page has more mills for the other side of the stove. If you want an electric pair, see the best electric pepper grinder guide.

Moist sea salt: what to do with it

Damp, grey, hand-harvested sea salt is lovely, and it is the one salt that none of these nine mills is promised to handle. No maker here says its mill takes wet salt. Cole & Mason’s Derwent listing names sea salt without saying wet, OXO fills its Accent with sea salt, and Peugeot rules sea salt out. Peugeot’s own sites also differ: its UK page says wet salt will not grind and suggests air-drying it for 24 to 48 hours, while its US FAQ says not to use wet sea salt even dried. We follow the stricter line.

Our advice is simple. Keep moist salt out of the mill and use it by the pinch from a small bowl; our guide to the best salt cellar covers what to keep it in. Put dry, free-flowing, coarse crystals in the mill. If you would rather shake than grind, a salt and pepper shaker is the simpler route, and crushing salt with chiles or garlic for a paste is a job for the best molcajete.

How to choose a salt mill for your kitchen

Start with your salt. Check what the maker allows before anything else. If you buy sea or kosher salt, look at ceramic mills such as the Derwent. If you are loyal to a dry rock salt, the Peugeots are fine.

Mechanism. Choose ceramic for flexibility, or a salt-specific steel mechanism if the maker has built one and you follow its salt rules. Never assume a steel mill is salt-safe because it looks like one that is.

Grind range. Salt needs less range than pepper, because most of what you want is a fine grind for food and a coarse one for the top of it. Three levels is enough for most cooks. Six presets, as on the Peugeots, are for people who want exact repeats.

Capacity and refilling. Most makers do not state capacity. OXO’s Accent (4.76 oz) and the Kyocera (2.6 oz) do. A clear body or removable jar shows you when to refill.

Power. Battery mills leave one hand free for tongs or a spoon. The Hampstead does not come with its six AAA batteries; the Elis Sense does.

Where it lives. Peugeot says not to expose its mills to humidity, and that is sensible for any salt mill. Keep it away from the steam of the pot, and season from the side rather than directly above a boil. Follow each maker’s care advice: Peugeot says a soft dry cloth, Cole & Mason a damp cloth for the London and a dry one after. Only the Kyocera’s jar goes in the dishwasher.

How we put these salt mill reviews together

We started from how a Mexican kitchen uses salt: by the pinch in pots and salsas, and a fine or coarse finish at the end. Then we looked only for mills sold as salt mills, or stated as suitable for salt, on Amazon in the United States, from makers we could identify, and left out the pepper twins already covered on our other pages. We checked stock with Amazon’s product data before writing. Specifications come from each Amazon listing and from Cole & Mason’s and Peugeot’s own sites. Where neither states a detail, we say so. We did not grind salt in these mills ourselves, and we did not read a Wirecutter or other independent salt mill test for this page, so we do not repeat any reviewer’s verdict. Our ranking rests on the mechanism and on what each maker allows.

Salt mill questions, answered

What is the best salt mill?

For most cooks, the Cole & Mason Derwent, because its listing names sea, kosher and Himalayan salt and its mechanism is ceramic. Choose the Peugeot Paris u’Select if you only use dry rock salt and want six preset grinds.

Do I need a salt mill at all?

Not for everyday cooking; a box or a bowl of salt does that job better. A mill is useful for finishing, for a coarser crunch, and for salt sold in big crystals. Fine table salt does not need one.

Is a ceramic or stainless salt mill better?

Ceramic is more forgiving, since makers say it does not corrode, and Cole & Mason lets you use a coarse salt of your choice. Peugeot’s stainless salt mechanism has more presets, but Peugeot limits it to dry rock salt.

Can I put sea salt in a salt mill?

Dry, coarse sea salt, yes, in a mill whose maker allows it, such as the Derwent or the OXO Accent. Peugeot says not to use sea salt in the mills here. No mill on this page is promised for damp grey salt.

Can I use the same mill for salt and pepper?

A ceramic mill can grind either, and Kyocera and OXO sell theirs that way. Pick one job per mill, though, or the two will mix. A steel pepper mill should not get salt at all unless its maker says so.

What does Wirecutter say about the best salt mill?

We did not read or use a Wirecutter salt mill review for this page, so we cannot tell you. The comparisons here come from maker statements and Amazon listing details.

Our pick for the salt mill by the stove

Buy the Cole & Mason Derwent if you want one mill that takes the salts most cooks buy. Choose the Peugeot Paris u’Select for exact grinds with dry rock salt, the OXO Contoured for a simple ceramic mill, the Cole & Mason Hampstead for one-handed grinding, and the Kyocera if you want a jar you can wash.

Salt also makes the rim of a margarita; for that job, see the best salt for the rim of a margarita glass. And if you would rather someone else did the seasoning tonight, see the menu or call to order.