We recently fell upon Cole & Mason which offers stylish and high quality products for the world of spices. They started in 1919 so have been around for awhile and based in England, which was once my second home for many years. In other words, I’m a fan.
They started out with one mill and today, have expanded their line to include speciality mills, spice racks and oil and vinegar pourers. Let’s start with the product (which they tout as a gift set) that drew us in initially during some of our research around salt and pepper mills and spice racks.
Cole & Mason Oldbury Salt & Pepper Mill Gift Set
First of all, we LOVE the classic dark walnut stain, highlighted by the brushed stainless steel cap which looks so elegant. We also love the fact that you can use this set for more traditional plate ware or modern styles.
And, how cool is this? The mill has 6 pre-selected settings for pepper and 3 for salt to achieve fine to coarse grinds during and after cooking. For example, when you’re cooking steaks, you can use the coarse grind, a mid-setting for pizzas and a fine setting for soups and sauces.
Each mill features a push top cap making it so much easier to refill than a lot of the more traditional salt and pepper mills.
They’re known for their Gourmet Precision mechanism which is one of the aspects we were really keen to test out. They refer to it as their precision mechanism because it does not crush peppercorns but instead, it strips them to consistently release the maximum amount of flavor with each turn. So much wow in this set.
These mills feature a hardened carbon steel mechanism for pepper and diamond sharp ceramic mechanism for salt and they come with a lifetime guarantee as well. Bravo! You can get this set easily on Amazon as well.
Cole & Mason Herb & Spice Mill
For spice lovers, far beyond salt and pepper, their Kingsley Herb and Spice mill is such a great option for foodies who love to work with fresh ingredients and in particular, appreciate the option to blend their own spice creations. We couldn’t wait to try this with at least a half dozen spices we use regularly when we whip things up nightly.
We have a lemon pepper blend that we tend to grind manually or simply using our hands and some unique Caribbean and Indian spices we were keen to put into this grinder. Let’s just say – WOW, what a difference!
This mill will grind most dry spices and even oily seeds, with its powerful carbon steel mechanism. We love the versatility of it and ease-of-use.
If there’s an herb and spice combination that you use all the time, simply keep it in the grinder, as there’s a fresh stainless steel lid that will keep your favorite spice fresh. The adjustable grind on the mill enables greater control of the output from fine to coarse, not unlike the flexibility of the salt and pepper mill.
You can use it to create dry rubs, marinades, flavored popcorn and salad toppings pretty easily. We’d recommend going with a few of them if you cook frequently and it is also available over on Amazon.
Cole & Mason Granite Mortar & Pestle
Lastly, who doesn’t cook frequently and not use a mortar and pestle? If you don’t, you should, particularly if you cook with a lot of spices like we do.
Because we have a passion for all kinds of foods from around the world and as a direct result, the spices that different cultures use, we love the simplicity of using a mortar and pestle.
The Cole & Mason version is a high-quality granite Pestle & Mortar designed to maximize the surface contact between the two elements, improving the grinding and pounding performance of herbs and spices.
We had a wooden one from a specialty shop in Boston and a pure granite one we picked up in London years ago, that we typically use, so we tested them side by side.
We love the polished exterior of the Cole & Mason model, which makes for easy cleaning. It also has a ridged base for an optimized grip, which makes it great for use with spices for guacamole, hummus and salsa as well as preparing dry rubs and marinades. Truth be told, we love the way it looks as well! Oh so elegant and chic, sure to go with any style kitchen and it’s also readily accessible over on Amazon.
Their website which previews all of their products is https://www.coleandmason.com.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
