Customer Reviews

Magnum Peppermill - 6-Inch

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read about this mill in Cook's Illustrated or someplace, and despite my frugality and cheapness, I decided to treat myself to it. Three years later, I am very impressed by this mill's powerfulness:

Very ergonomic, and you don't have to exert yourself too much to make it work.

Very easy to fill - the easiest one to fill. (I will NEVER go back to the traditional mill!) In a few years, there will be made in China imitations of this one (made in Italy).

Black plastic does not look plasticky, rather, looks modern, hefty and elegant, and easy to wipe clean.

Again, I think if you wait a few years, there will be a cheaper, good-enough imitation to buy, and you will save money. But I doubt that the knock offs will have the heft, the workmanship, and the beauty of this one.

Believe me, I looked for a copycat, but this mill is pretty special!

Very good mill, but the direction of rotation of the grinder is the same direction as the same as that needed to open the fill port. You can open it and spill if not paying attention, or if too much vino has been consumed.

I also purchased this mill based on a review in Cook's Illustrated. It worked well for a couple of years, although I also experienced the design flaw with the filler opening that can easily open when you don't want it to. The disappointment came when the plastic cracked around the axle of the grinder mechanism, rendering the mill useless. It shouldn't be necessary to discard and replace a tool after only a couple of years of moderate use.

This is the best peppermill I have ever used. One quarter turn is all you need to crank out a large amount of pepper. The parts fit together well so there is no wiggle--this product feels solid.

Don't let this simple looks of this pepper mill fool you. It is by far the best pepper mill I've ever used! I've bought many pepper mills including a Peugeot, always looking for a better one. This one is the last one I'll ever buy (OK, maybe I'll buy a couple more like it for other kinds of pepper) because it's so good.

The grind is easily adjustable from very fine to very coarse (how I like it) and it holds a large quantity of peppercorns. The output is also remarkable you get more ground pepper in one turn of this mill than in 3-4 of others. Filling is also very simple and quick.

Every one who uses a pepper mill should have one of these!

I grudgingly give this peppermill 3-1/2 stars. I say grudgingly because, as far as its grinding performance, this peppermill is absolutely incredible, the best I've ever used! The range of grind sizes, from powdery fine to barely cracked, is sufficient for pretty much any dish you can imagine. But best of all is the ease-of-use and speed! Grinding a significant amount of pepper for a recipe is often quite tedious--and even painful--when using most pepper grinders, but not when using this one. This peppermill has a very smooth operation and puts out copious amounts of freshly ground pepper in no time. It grinds so quickly and effortlessly that you really have to watch what you're doing or you could quickly end up with way too much pepper in your food!

My only complaint, and the reason for my 4-star rating, is the poor design of the filling hole and its cover. Here's the basic design: Near the top of a hollow peppercorn chamber there is a large hole, which is used to fill the grinder with peppercorns. This hole is covered tube-shaped piece that lies on top of the grinder's body. To close this filling hole, the solid part of the tube is rotated so that it blocks and covers the filling whole; to open, the tube is rotated so that a matching hole in the tube is aligned with the filling hole.

There are two problems associated with this design: 1) to grind pepper, you turn the top knob clockwise; to reveal and open the filling hole, you turn the covering tube clockwise. This is a problem because 2) the top knob and the filling hole cover tube are right next to each other. It's very, very, very easy to be grinding pepper (turning clockwise, remember), have your hand slip down a fraction of an inch and touch the filling hole cover, and accidentally turn that tube clockwise as you're grinding.

The extent of the resulting disaster depends on how full your peppermill is. If the peppercorn level is below the filling hole, nothing happens. If it's filled above that--or worse yet, is completely full--then you just opened a peppercorn dam, and dozens or hundreds of peppercorns spill out. It's happened to me in some terrible situations, such as grinding pepper into a pot of soup, having the filling hole open, and spilling (literally) hundreds of peppercorns into a pot of soup.

Cleaning up the spill resulting from this design flaw is a nightmare, and it also results in wasted peppercorns, which can be quite expensive. When deciding on my rating, I was having a hard time choosing between 3-1/2-stars and 4-stars. I decided on 3-1/2-stars, all because of this fill hole problem. Giving a 1-1/2-star deduction to a product that actually performs its designated task flawlessly shows that this is a huge problem caused by a truly unfortunate design flaw. I should also add that I've had my grinder for about 5 years, and this remains the only issue I've ever had with it.

All the reviews were right. This is the best pepper mill I've ever bought. It grates the pepper corns very fine the way I like them and is very easy to fill. I think that it's well worth the price I paid.

I couldn't decide between the Unicorn Keytop and the Unicorn Magnum, so I bought one of each. After a week of testing, here's my verdict: I prefer the Keytop. Its smaller gear teeth are capable of a finer grind than the Magnum, important for delicate dishes and when you want the pepper to be tasted but not seen. The Magnum does have several advantages. Its grinding mechanism is larger than that of the Keytop and produces more pepper per rotation, but even so, the Keytop produces plenty of pepper with little effort. The Magnum may also prove to be more durable than the Keytop. It's heavier and features a metal screw for adjusting the grind vs. the Keytop's plastic screw. And I wish the Keytop came with the Magnum's useful little dust collection tray. But if you're looking for a peppermill capable of a very find grind (as well as coarse and everything in between), I'd recommend the Keytop. They are both top notch, though, so I'm giving 5 stars to each. Ergonomically, both models are easy to fill, grab, and use. By the way.... If you call the company, they'll send you a pepper-dust collection tray for your Keytop for a few extra bucks.

This is the best of the best! I have used these grinders for years! I have wasted money buying other grinders, trying to save a buck... and it is senseless. Bottom line is you don't need to keep looking. The grind can be adjusted for your preference, it is fast, and it has many years behind it. I still have one after 15 years! It is used daily! (restaurant use) If it can stand up to this!...you can be assured that it will last for your home! I would not buy anything else!

This is the best peppermill I have ever seen. The ability to make fine adjustments and the volume efficiency of the mill are great features.

A great product!