Unicorn Magnum Plus Pepper Mill 9-in.

After reading a review for this in Cooks Illustrated, I decided it was the pepper mill for me. A few years ago I tore the ligaments in my wrist, and it's never healed right. When I want a few grinds of pepper on my salad, I'm fine, but if I need any more than that my wrist acts up.

I've tried electric grinders, but they inevitably meet a particularly ornery peppercorn and the motor burns out. Normally OXO products are comfortable for me to use, so I tried one of their pepper mills with a large crank on top. It's easy on my wrist, but it's an all day process to get a tablespoon of pepper out of. It also doesn't hold much pepper to begin with.

The Unicorn Magnum Plus hold plenty of pepper, so you aren't constantly refilling it. And a single grind of pepper (spinning the top about 1/2-way around) yields almost 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. So, I can certainly get a full tablespoon before my wrist gives out. The amount will vary depending on the coarseness you select, of course. In fact, the output is almost too fast to use at the table, unless you like a lot of pepper. That's fine for me. I'll be keeping it in the kitchen, as I have a nice matching set for the dining room.

Like others have experienced, however, the ring you turn for refilling the mill turns in the same direction as the top and sits immediately below it! It's quite the design flaw for an otherwise impressive pepper mill. I will, as one user suggested, put a piece of electrical tape over it to stop the accidental hailstorm of peppercorns. I debated whether this was enough to justify a one or two star deduction. If only Amazon allowed 1/2 stars. Since I'm able to compensate for the flaw, I went with only a one star deduction.

We bought this on Amazon and have used it for years now. It was recommended by the editors of Cook's Illustrated and they were right. It produces lots of well ground pepper. Some people wish it were made in a snazzier material than black plastic but we are fine with it.

I've loved fresh ground black pepper for a long, long time. I use a lot of it - generally enough to raise eyebrows from heathens that don't know the pure love of Pepper hehe.

It always bugged me how long you'd have to grind grind grind to get a decent amount of pepper on your dish. It'd take forever and sometimes I'd just give up and settle for less than I wanted.

Along those lines, ever had a recipe call for 2 TBS of fresh ground black pepper? Holy Cow! Talk about some marathon grinding! It'd be tough to get to the mark and super annoying because I'd just as soon add extra pepper most of the time.

THIS pepper mill solves both of those problems and has an added 'stop annoying me' benefit too.

It puts out copious amounts of ground pepper every turn so you can pepper up your prepared dish in a real jiffy. It puts out enough pepper that grinding to produce recipe level and more is no longer a 2 break, shake it out affair.

You don't have to adjust it every 2 seconds either to keep the grind consistent. I'd rate that aspect almost as high as the huge output because the annoyance having to stop and screw that little brass thing on the top every 3 or 4 turns is a real pain and adds another layer of 'ah screw it, I'll just use the pre-ground stuff' thinking. While I don't mind the occasional just cracked not ground up pepper corn it can detract from the dish. I've never had to adjust my mill and I've owned it for about 3 years I think.

As a note, if you've read some of the other reviews, I personally haven't ever had a problem with the fill hole. I've never had it come open and spill out. It is nice and big and as easy as a 'top loader' to fill up. Ah, this mill holds a lot of pepper corns.

It is worth the money. You like fresh ground pepper and you use fresh ground pepper all the time? Buy it.

Darin

I have gone through a LOT of pepper mills in my day and this one is the best I have EVER used. I am buying one for most people for Christmas presents. I have not had a problem with the hole opening when I use it.

If you like fresh ground pepper and lots of it this is the peppermill of your dreams.