If you follow Master Chef Ina Garten, you surely know that she always grinds her pepper. No grey powdered and bagged pepper for her! And while the peppermills she uses do look very stylish on her cooking show and on social media (if we do say so ourselves), that’s not the reason she grinds her pepper.
Why, you ask, should you grind your pepper like Ina Garten?
4 Reasons to Always Use a Pepper Mill in Your Cooking
1. Freshly Ground Pepper Delivers Better Taste
Powdered pepper that comes in bottles in your grocery’s spice section may have been ground months ago. While the packaging does it’s best to preserve the flavor and aroma, it’s just not the same. Once ground, the volatile substances from the essential oils in pepper (which is what gives spices their delectable aromas) begin to oxidize soon after grinding, and they can lose their potency and complexity.
Peppercorns (pepper for grinding) are similar to coffee in this way. You can buy already-ground coffee, but the specific flavor notes are lost over time. That is why coffee shops and coffee connoisseurs will only use freshly-ground coffee.
If you have a peppermill at home, you can have the gourmet cooking experience in the comfort of your own kitchen.
- You Have a Choice of Pepper for Grinding
Already-ground pepper usually comes in two options: white or black. If you have a pepper grinder, you can use blends of peppercorns that contain green peppercorn and pink berries (pink peppercorn) in addition to traditional black and white peppercorn. Each peppercorn offers a very specific taste; white pepper works well in white sauces, pink peppercorns can be used in sweeter foods.
The variety of peppercorn offers a more complex taste to your cooking and will surely impress your guests and family alike.
- You can choose between finely and coarsely-ground pepper
When you have a peppermill that allows you to adjust the coarseness of the grind, you can choose between very well-ground pepper to course cracked pepper. Fine ground pepper blends well into sauces, while coarsely-ground pepper is great for seasoning meats.
- Greater Health Benefits
Peppercorns contain several components that boost your health. Peppercorns contain antioxidant vitamin C, vitamin A, flavonoids, and carotenoids that have the ability to fight free radicals that may cause cell damage, and even cancer. Black peppercorns contain a component called piperine, which also help to fight free radicals. Many of these health-boosting elements are lost when it is ground and then stored before use – another point for the peppermill!
Conclusion: What is the Best Pepper Grinder to Use?
It’s also super easy to load, and the clear cup on the bottom helps to catch fresh pepper grinds so no precious peppercorns are lost.
