Customer Reviews

Stone (Granite) Mortar and Pestle, 7 in, 2+ cup capacity

5 star:		(142)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love pesto. My boyfriend insists on making it the traditional Italian way, with a mortar and pestle, because Marcella Hazan recommends it that way. I didn't think I could ever make pesto myself, because I don't have enough strength in my arms to grind away with the mortar and pestle my boyfriend had. It was porcelain and small and inconvenient for making pesto in larger quantities for when we had guests over. So I decided to get him a new one, bigger and better.

I searched several mainstream kitchen stores and was unhappy with the selections they had. If the mortars weren't too small, the pestles almost always were. They seemed painful to work with as I worried my boyfriend would bang his fist around while grinding. Then I found this one at Sur La Table. Their price was comparable to the one offered here.

I got the biggest size mortar and pestle. At first, I was hesitant because it didn't come in any packaging and so I couldn't check who the makers were or what material its made of and other such information. It really was just "what you see is what you get". It did have a "Made in Thailand" sticker, but I had no idea if Thailand was famous for its mortars and pestles. I did think that to ship something this heavy all the way from Thailand would be expensive, which I really don't think is reflected in the price. Also, the material (which I now know is granite) seemed to have some imperfections. For example, the handles on the side are just for show and serve no function and they weren't identical. I wondered if this was some kind of "tourist trap" item made in Thailand that was imported.

I finally decided to get it because it was the biggest and sturdiest mortar and pestle I had found. I could also return it if my boyfriend didn't approve of it. It also looked so pretty. We wouldn't have to put it away as it would make a great display/conversation piece in the kitchen. What I also loved about it was that the mortar and the pestle each were made in one piece. Nothing could possibly break off or loosen up.

My boyfriend loved it upon sight! He agreed it was a great display piece. And more importantly, big enough to grind enough pesto for a large dinner party. But the real test was actually trying it out to make pesto in it. My goodness! What used to take my boyfriend 20 minutes to make now takes him 5 minutes. Better yet, as heavy as that pestle is compared to others, I could grind pesto now with little effort! It's such a pleasure to make now, as I witness a miracle taking place in the mortar. Just a few grinds and swirls makes basil leaves become the required paste. It practically makes itself!

Yes, its heavy! I thought that would be a drawback, because then we couldn't hold it while we were grinding. But there's no need for that! It's so heavy that it won't move around the counter top while grinding, and it does the job so efficiently and quickly that there's no need to hold it for shoulder and arm joint relief. We also found out that some granite grit would come into the food. Some online research revealed that grinding some uncooked rice in the mortar, throwing it out and repeating the process until a batch of rice remained white instead of gritty would solve the problem. I know this sounds like a hassle, but if you're looking for long-term satisfaction as a serious cook, this is it. No two ways about it.

Now I know that the imperfections in the granite are natural. Considering that it is extremely difficult to chip away granite, I wonder how they carved out handles and all in the first place!

I love it!

P.S. My boyfriend has used it to grind spices for curry and said it worked great for that as well.

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying using it. Why this mortar? Granite is heaviest. This one is smooth and cleans out well without leaving any smell residues. I love garlic paste with little oil and salt that comes out of this mortar. Put it on tomatoes and mamma mia! It is one of the best purchases I ever made. It's been around for so long and it seems only now we (western society) are discovering that food mashed are not the same as when you cut or grind them. You got a have this one!

I got one of these as a gift, and I just love it. The heavy granite is perfect for bashing peppercorns. I don't even have a grinder anymore; when I want fresh pepper for soup or cooking, I put a teaspoon of peppercorns (usually a gourmet green and black mix) into the mortar and in only a few seconds I either have crushed pepper for roasts, or I grind it down for fine pepper for soups. You can control the grind extremely well; from dust-fine to coarse.

Garlic is heavenly, mashed with butter, and if you use allspice, it is so much better in whole form, crushed just before use. Allspice seems to lose its potency in ground form, so I only by whole spice. Same goes for coriander seeds.

This also makes good wet herb pastes (like gremolata with parsley, lemon zest and salt) or nut pastes for stuffing under chicken skin before roasting. It's fast to use, attractive on the kitchen counter and easy to clean. If you like to use fresh spices and herbs in your cooking, this is a must.

Considering it was coming from a Thailand importer, I was pleasantly surprised that it arrived in only about a week. It was quite heavy, very hard (it is granite after all), smooth and very well made for it's purpose.

The brief note included with it said to place it on folder towel or something to prevent marring your counter tops. I actually went a step further and got a thick rubber mat (just under 1/4" thick, 6" wide roll, at Home Depot or Lowes, don't recall which), which I think was designed as a drawer liner or something. I cut it to fit the bottom of the mortar, and permanently adhered it to the bottom with construction adhesive (so it would survive washing without coming off).

It works perfectly now, grips the counter securely without marring it, and there's no hint of it even trying to come off. If the seller wanted to make this product perfect, I'd suggest adding a similar rubber grip base as I added. Other than that, it is a perfect mortar and pestle.

I make Thai curries occasionally, and the mortar and pestle I was using was tiny. I would have to grind up all the spices in batches to avoid them from spilling out. I finally broke down and looked for a larger set and found this one. I debated between the 2 and 3 cup version, because I didn't have a good feel for how big they really were. I ended up getting the 2 cup version, and I love it. It is very large - plenty big enough for making a good size curry paste. Its also very heavy, because, as advertised, is made of a solid chunk of granite. It also looks great, attractive enough to leave out on the counter, and people constantly comment on it when visiting. Mine doesn't look quite like the picture on amazon. The outside of the bowl (mortar) and the top half of the pestle appear to be polished in the picture, which is not the case for the one I received. Very heavy and solid - a great purchase..

I was so surprised that the actual product in my kitchen product has blown my expectations through the roof. This thing is HUGE! And very very heavy. ( do not drop onto stone or wood floors and certainly not your feet. ) I paid a little under $30.00 and I thought I was gonna get some tiny little contraption that was barely useful but boy was I wrong. I love it and I'm very pleased with it. I'm a Trinidadian and we use alot of natural ingredients land spices to prepare our foods and most if them require some sort of pounding or grinding inorder to release those natural flavors into the food. My grandmother used one when I was 3 years old and I thought that the mortar and pestle was a thing of the past. I could not believe that I found it on amazon. Great buy but before use I would scrub the inside of the mortar thoroughly with some vinegar or lemon and warm water and then pound some white rice( cooked soft ) using the pestle. This is to ensure the all the natural dirt from the stone is gone. If the rice looks a little grayish rinse the mortar and add fresh rice and try again. Do this until rice appears to be white when you are finished crushing it into a paste.

I got this mostly for spices, knowing I would use it rarely but that it would be indispensable when I needed it. I've used it slightly more often than I expected -- for spices, garlic, and even just for cracking black pepper with greater control than a mill can offer. I love how it looks, and how solid it feels. The weight of the pestle makes the actual mashing easier than in lighter sets I've used.

The weight also makes pouring from the mortar a bit of a chore, especially if I'm pouring into something relatively small and need to hold the thing steady for accuracy. I'm small and allergic to push-ups, so this might be more of an issue for me than for others. The weight is not great enough that it's ever deterred me from using it.

When I'm not using it, it sits in a display cabinet (on the bottom shelf!) and looks beautiful. Amazon shows different pictures for the 1.5-cup and 2-cup models. My 2-cup model looks like the 2-cup picture -- both the mortar and pestle are solid granite -- no wooden handle on the pestle -- and the outside of the mortar is a little rough and very slightly polished, while the inside is smooth but unpolished. I was a little worried at first about it being porous enough to hold flavor and bacteria, but that doesn't seem to be an issue.

I gave this four stars because even though I love it, I'm not completely convinced it's perfect -- although I'm not sure I could articulate why. I think the walls and base of the mortar could be slightly thinner, I guess. And I kind of wish the inside of the mortar was a little shinier. Those things might not warrant the deduction of a full star, but Amazon doesn't do half stars. Oh well.

Good size, heavy. You'll need some felt pads on the bottom if you don't want it to scratch your countertops.

I purchased this item as a gift for my roommate. I acquired her favorite salsa recipe and wanted to give her a means for grinding the peppers. This is awesome!

When it arrived I was just pleased with how beautiful it is. We leave it out on the counter just to show it off. It also is large enough for a lot of peppers and grinds them perfectly.

[...]

I have the 8in 3+ cup model. It is glazed outside and the entire thing has a fine finish. Definitely one piece of granite and very solid. The actual product is precisely what was advertised. I bought straight from Importfood due to ordering a 2+ cup here on Amazon(not from Importfoods but through them, like middle/middle-man) and that didn't arrive even now after weeks. I got the big one and a notice that the smaller unit just shipped same day pretty much, guess that doesn't even bother me with the quality of the item. I would opt for the 8in if buying just one now that I have it. This is one product where size matters. The larger the bowl the less the arc angle will be on striking, allowing more surface area contact and thus force can be transferred to a larger portion of the material being crushed. This means time savings to you (as long as the pestle arc is matched to the mortar arc in the main usage area).

I just finished pounding a handful of dried Japones chilies into flakes. I've had these chilies for about 6 months. I toasted them beforehand. Yet after all that, pounding in the mortar still produced an oil sheen in the bottom. When everyone says that a food processor cant even compete, this is what they are talking about. You cannot produce this oil by a fast chopping method. You must bruise and pulverize the chili/herb. These oils provide a more powerful flavor that can't be gotten with modern means in a home kitchen. Besides, I just sat in my recliner with the mortar in my lap and pounded away while watching a Family Guy rerun. Nothing lost, something gained. The sides of the unit end up vertical but you can still have stuff escape although it doesn't lose much. I pulled a few seeds off the chair and that was it after 20 minutes of pounding.

So.... this is a near perfect product. I can't find anything I would change, but I'm not perfect.

Edit Post 02-OCT-2010

I finally received the 7 in, 2+ cup mortar. It came with the glazed outer and the upper handle of the two(why?) pestles I received were glazed as well. In other respects it is much like the larger version I bought directly from ImportFoods.com. The unit is still solid and looks nearly the same. I think the bottom on this one is a bit more rough and unlevel. All in all, the actual difference isn't that great between 7 and 8 cup, however, try working something with not enough space and then see how you feel. To me, its worth the extra to go larger as there is no down side. Either one is weighty, so you aren't going to gain in that factor. The finish inside and out is nearly identical; the insides are both finished well as are the pestles of both. Oh, and don't blow the remains of crushed dried hot chilies out of these unless you want 30 minutes of eye burn(yeah, I'm a regular genius).