By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Best salt and pepper grinders 2025: tested and reviewed by experts
The best salt and pepper grinders produce both fine and coarse-ground spices, are easy to fill and simple to use.
We tested popular manual and electric salt and pepper grinders from brands including Joseph Joseph, Le Creuset, Oxo and Peugeot, costing from £12 upwards. Our testers tried every set of mills and assessed them on the grind consistency, the filling process, how easy they are to use with wet hands, and more.
Four salt and pepper mills were worthy of our Best Buy recommendation, and we have one cheaper Great Value pick.
How our tests find you the best
Time taken to grind
Sick of sore wrists while seasoning? We measure the time taken to grind a teaspoon of pepper to find the most efficient grinders.
Ease of filling
Don’t get stuck picking peppercorns off your countertop while your dinner goes cold. We highlight the easy-to-fill grinders to save you time and effort.
Ease of use
Always washing your hands while cooking? We test all the grinders with wet hands so you know which ones are still easy to grip and use.
We also test...
the consistency of both the fine and coarse-ground pepper, as well as how easy it is to switch between the two.
The salt and pepper grinders we tested
The biggest brands and the most popular 10 salt and pepper mills are listed below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the salt and pepper grinders test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.
| Salt and pepper grinder | Price | Score | Fine grind consistency | Ease of filling | Speed* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time. Already a member? Log in | 90% | ||||
| 85% | |||||
| 84% | |||||
| 83% | |||||
| 79% | |||||
| 79% | |||||
| 78% | |||||
| 75% | |||||
| 75% | |||||
| 75% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations
Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time.
Already a member? Log in
Dates tested: January 2025, August 2022 and September 2021. Page last checked: November 2025. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available. We've tested 20 salt and pepper grinders, but the table shows our top picks only.
*Measured by the time taken to grind a teaspoon of pepper
A selection of the salt and pepper mills we tested is listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the salt and pepper grinders from our tests
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Addison Ross Bobbin Salt & Pepper Mill
Available from Addison Ross (£62)
Most recently tested January 2025
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 23 x 7 x 7cm
Colours Multicoloured, navy, white, yellow, grey, red, black and many others
Cole & Mason Napoli Salt & Pepper Mills
Most recently tested January 2025
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 12 x 6 x 6cm
H&S Salt and Pepper Grinder Mill Set
Most recently tested September 2022
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 14.5 x 7.7 x 7.7cm
Joseph Joseph Milltop No Spill Salt & Pepper Mills
Most recently tested January 2025
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 17 x 7 x 7cm
Colours Grey, blue
Le Creuset Mini Salt and Pepper Mills
Most recently tested August 2021
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 12.1 x 5 x 5cm
Colours Volcanic, black & white, cerise, Marseille blue, satin black, soleil (yellow)
Accurately measure your spices with our pick of the best kitchen scales
Menu Bottle Grinder Spice Mill two-pack
Available from Nordic Nest (£56)
Most recently tested September 2022
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 20.5 x 8 x 8cm
Colour Ash-carbon, blues, nudes, hunting green-beige
Oxo Salt & Pepper Grinder Set
Most recently tested August 2021
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 14 x 5.6 x 5.6cm
Peugeot Paris Salt and Pepper Mill Set
Most recently tested September 2022
Type Manual
Size (HxWxD) 18 x 6 x 6cm
Colours Antique, chocolate, graphite, natural, olivewood
ProCook Electric Soft Touch Salt & Pepper Mill Set
Available from ProCook (£11)
Most recently tested August 2021
Type Electric
Size (HxWxD) 22 x 5 x 5cm
Tower Duo Electric Salt and Pepper Mill
Most recently tested January 2025
Type Electric
Size (HxWxD) 22 x 7 x 7cm
Colours Black, white, grey
Need to know Requires six AA batteries
More salt and pepper grinders from our tests
Here are the rest of the salt and pepper mills we've tested, listed in alphabetical order.
| Salt and pepper grinder | Price | Score | Fine grind consistency | Ease of filling | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison Ross Chubbie Salt and Pepper Mill | Addison Ross(£54) | ||||
| Cole & Mason Bridgewater Mills | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50019342 | ||||
| Cole & Mason Clear Acrylic Salt & Pepper Set | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50000283 | ||||
| Cole & Mason Marlow Contemporary Wood Salt & Pepper Mill | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50000275 | ||||
| Dunelm Acacia Salt and Pepper Mill Set | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50000278 | ||||
| Olympia Light Wood Salt and Pepper Mill Grinder Set | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50000274 | ||||
| Peugeot Duo Boreal | Peugeot(£84.99) | ||||
| Robert Welch Signature Salt and Pepper Set | John Lewis(£58) | ||||
| Russell Hobbs Salt & Pepper Grinders | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50019401 | ||||
| Salter Electronic Salt and Pepper Mill Set | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50019341 |
Dates tested: January 2025, August 2022 and September 2021. Page last checked: November 2025. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
*Measured by the time taken to grind a teaspoon of pepper
How we test salt and pepper grinders
We select the bestselling salt and pepper grinders from popular brands and retailers and put them through our tough tests. We buy and pay for every set of mills we test.
We regularly revisit the salt and pepper mills on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing, and when we find them, we do so.
Ease of filling
- We rate each grinder on how easy it is to fill up with salt and peppercorns.
- Some fill up with no mess, while others leave peppercorns scattered all over the work surface.
Consistency of grind
We set each mill to its finest and coarsest setting, then assess the size and consistency of the grains on each. The best mill sets are brilliant at both, but most favour one size of grain over the other.
Ease of adjusting the coarseness setting
- We assess each grinder on how easy it is to adjust the size of the grains.
- It can be really tricky, and we found that the coarseness setting would even change midway through grinding on some of the poorer mill sets.
Ease of use
We rate each mill on how easy it is to use with wet hands. The traditional mill shape has some drawbacks when using it with wet hands and can be slippery.
Time to grind a teaspoon
A good grinder will produce a lot of grains quickly.
- We time how long it takes each grinder to produce a teaspoon of spice.
- The best took 15 seconds, and the worst more than a minute and a half of constant grinding.
Durability
We knock each set off a kitchen worktop 10 times. Some didn't survive.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Should I buy an electric pepper mill?
While electric pepper mills may seem like they'll make your life easier, many of them are tricky to fill, require a lot of batteries, and aren't as efficient as you may think.
We found only one set that we thought was good enough to recommend. See our best pepper grinder results to find out which one.
Fancy drinking softer, fresh-tasting filtered water? See our round-up of the best water filter jugs
How to refill a salt and pepper grinder
Most salt and pepper grinders are relatively straightforward to fill. While there are variations, traditional mills tend to work in the same way.
1. Loosen and remove the knob on top of the grinder by turning it anticlockwise.
2. Pull off the lid and pour salt or pepper into the holder. You can use a folded piece of paper to create a spout and pour the spices in through this.
3. Replace the lid and knob and tighten it to your preferred grind setting.
Find the best knife sharpeners to keep your cooking knives razor sharp