# What kitchen mortar?



## Matus (Mar 23, 2014)

This is a piece of kitchen equipment that we do not need often, but I got sick of mincing cloves (or similar spices) with knife.

My grandma had a big heavy brass mortar with big heavy brass pestle - it was quite loud too . Today it seems that wood, ceramic, or stone mortars are more common (indeed the technique is a little different too).

So - what do you use? What material/shape/size?

thanks


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## berko (Mar 23, 2014)

i have recently bought a skeppshult mortar and can only recommend it. its made of cast iron and works better then any mortar i have used before. it even shreds full anis(stars? how do you call it in english?) in only a few seconds. id suggest you get one of these!


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## Matus (Mar 23, 2014)

Now that one looks interesting. The description says that the surfaces that do the shredding/grinding are rough - doesn't that release iron particles during the process?


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## berko (Mar 23, 2014)

havent noticed that yet. but maybe.


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## Robert (Mar 23, 2014)

Buy a stone mortar and stone pestle if you use it for making a pasta of garlic or brake pepper etc. with it,Buy a clay one with wooden pestle if you need to bruise vegetables with it;both are at the Chinese shop for little money.


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## Mucho Bocho (Mar 24, 2014)

Matus, I'll go on a limb and say that traditional Thai M&P are the best. in an M&P, weight is your friend so buy the heaviest one you can afford. I have the 8" and its perfect for anything that you could through at it. Also, the technique isn't banging the ingredients, its more like holding the pestle upright and swirling it around the bowl in a grinding and crushing manner. Pounding up and down will only cause dry spices to splash out.

as we all know the M&P is a very old tool that was originally made of stone and its design hasn't been improved since. These materials suck unless using them for: Marble--good for crushing pills, wood, good for bruising veg (papaya salad), cast iron, sounds good but for me would required additional care with all the water and acidic ingredients. Stainless, ceramic... "marketing BS."

Also, I'd stay away from a Molcajete too. The pestle is not heavey enough and it will kill your wrist when pounding tough ingredients like lemon grass, long peppers or dried shrimp.

This decision is a no brainer and for $35?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NVVUO6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Zwiefel (Mar 24, 2014)

Why not grind them with a coffee grinder? cheap, fast, easy. (Yeah, I know it's not the same as a M+P, but for most applications I don't think it makes much difference.)


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## Namaxy (Mar 24, 2014)

I'll second Mucho on this. I have the large Thai from his link...works great. I have the Emile Henry M&P and it's close to useless...way too small and light. On the other hand, I'll disagree somewhat on the molcajete....depending on size. The one I have must weigh 30 lbs., and the pestle alone is well over a pound. It works well but isn't practical.


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## Mucho Bocho (Mar 24, 2014)

Neil, fair enough about the molcajete but wasn't thinking most folks would have a thirty pound rock crusher in their kitchen. Hard core! 

Z, as a man that appreciates detail, the advantage of the m&p is that it mashes the ingredients creating heat and drawing out the oils in spices.


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## Zwiefel (Mar 24, 2014)

I wonder how this compares to dry-roasting, then frying, then grinding (whirly-blade style). 



Mucho Bocho said:


> Z, as a man that appreciates detail, the advantage of the m&p is that it mashes the ingredients creating heat and drawing out the oils in spices.


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## Mucho Bocho (Mar 24, 2014)

I still toast spices before grinding them in the M&P. it gives you more control over the texture of your products too. Plus it's good ole fun grinding and mashing with a 2lbs stone in a rock bowl


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## toddnmd (Mar 24, 2014)

I have a Thai granite one and I'd recommend it as well.


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## jackslimpson (Mar 24, 2014)

I got this one a few years back. It's great, but I wish it were bigger. That's what I learned, you can make a little in a large mortar, but you can't make a lot in a small mortar. Go big.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/prod..._src=mortars-pestles||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

Cheers,

Jack


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## Namaxy (Mar 24, 2014)

Mucho Bocho said:


> I still toast spices before grinding them in the M&P. it gives you more control over the texture of your products too. Plus it's good ole fun grinding and mashing with a 2lbs stone in a rock bowl



Plus 1 to this.


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## Matus (Mar 25, 2014)

Now that is some great info! Thanks a lot. That granite Thai M&P looks good - I have to think about that 8" size. While I agree that the heavier the better (well, within limits) I need to make sure I will be able to fit it in our kitchen  - 

Now I will try to locate one here in Germany as I guess shipping cost from US would be higher that the price 

thanks again


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## daddy yo yo (Mar 25, 2014)

Hi,

I once bought a wooden mortar with some steel pestle. It was a design object: Function was poor, the surfaces were too even... 

Then I ran into a rough stone (granite?) mortar with pestle for cheap money (15-20 Euro). This thing is perfect! It looks like this: http://www.gewuerze24.com/onlineshop/gewuerzzubehoer/steinmoerser.php


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## Matus (Mar 25, 2014)

Thanks. It looks like the "Goliath" model that is available via amazon.de Just the weight of 4.7kg makes me unsure ...


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## daddy yo yo (Mar 25, 2014)

Matus said:


> Thanks. It looks like the "Goliath" model that is available via amazon.de Just the weight of 4.7kg makes me unsure ...


That's pretty much the P&M I have! And the weight is about correct... It is HEAVY !!! But hey, nothing worse than a mortar wandering around your worktop when you want to make some pesto...


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## WarrenB (Mar 25, 2014)

Got this cheap granite one, works really well http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/granite-pestle-and-mortar-set-108383


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## WarrenB (Mar 25, 2014)

WarrenB said:


> Got this cheap granite one, works really well http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/granite-pestle-and-mortar-set-108383



Sorry guys, sometimes forget this isn't a UK forum:O


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## Zwiefel (Mar 25, 2014)

WarrenB said:


> Sorry guys, sometimes forget this isn't a UK forum:O



I'm going to assume this is a compliment and be very pleased.


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## WarrenB (Mar 25, 2014)

Zwiefel said:


> I'm going to assume this is a compliment and be very pleased.


Yep definitely take it as a compliment:doublethumbsup:


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## Grunde (Mar 25, 2014)

Totally agree with Mucho Bocho too. 
Big granite is the way to go. You can pick one up at any decent thai store. I can't imagine that it would even be possible to prepare a proper thai curry on anything else.
It won't just smash the lemongrass, it grinds even the small fibre of the lemongrass to nothing which makes the curry as smooth as any fine curry should be.


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## toek (Mar 29, 2014)

berko said:


> i have recently bought a skeppshult mortar and can only recommend it. its made of cast iron and works better then any mortar i have used before. it even shreds full anis(stars? how do you call it in english?) in only a few seconds. id suggest you get one of these!



I have had mine for years it's a great piece. Very high quality.
http://www.icahemma.se/mortel-gjutj...unner&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pricerunner


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## jimbob (Mar 29, 2014)

Im in the big ass granite boat. Big ones can do small jobs but not the other way round. Doing things like thai curry pastes with lots of ingredients means its not spilling over and weight helps. Your in germany? I found one in a kitchenware store quite cheap in oz, im sure they are around in germany. Save on postage too....


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## ChefCosta (Mar 29, 2014)

I agree with Mucho Bocho as well. Thai granite is the way to go. The only exception is for grinding toasted saffron threads. For that you want an absolutely smooth mortar and pestle. Ceramic, finished wood and marble work well for that extremely specific application. For virtually all other spices Thai granite is awesome. The big ones are great for guacamole and those awesome crushed Thai vegetable salads. The only spices that I prefer cutting, either with a knife or with a whirring blade style coffee grinder are pink peppercorns and certain varieties of relatively soft, oily dried chilis (like Urfa and Marash from Turkey).


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## Grunde (Mar 30, 2014)

Agreed. For small batches ofsaffron, dried mushroom, roasted lobstershell and other small dry ingredients I can use a marble apothecary P&M, but mostly everything gets pounded with bedrock.


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## WarrenB (Mar 30, 2014)

Hi Matus, Ikea Germany have these if they are any use to you?http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/60201251/


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## Matus (Mar 30, 2014)

WarrenB said:


> Hi Matus, Ikea Germany have these if they are any use to you?http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/60201251/



They say it is made out of marble and I have read elsewhere that it is not as suitable material for a mortar as granite.

I have no doubt that the big Thai granite mortar is the way to go, price is not problem either. The weak point here is that unless we will change our home cuisine (like making home made pesto, etc.), it will get used very little. And being a big hefty beast it will take a lot of space. So it is being considered.


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## WarrenB (Mar 30, 2014)

Matus said:


> They say it is made out of marble and I have read elsewhere that it is not as suitable material for a mortar as granite.
> 
> I have no doubt that the big Thai granite mortar is the way to go, price is not problem either. The weak point here is that unless we will change our home cuisine (like making home made pesto, etc.), it will get used very little. And being a big hefty beast it will take a lot of space. So it is being considered.



Thought it might be an option as you might be able to get one locally rather than paying really high shipping costs, didn't actually notice that it said it was marble, looks like a lot of people use marble and granite, maybe people get them confused as they can look very similar if you don't know what to look for?


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## Mucho Bocho (Mar 31, 2014)

Matus, the M&P is used for much more that pesto. If you buy whole spices, nothing better to grind them with than the M&P. If you think the eight is too large get the smaller one. I have a smallish kitchen (14'X12") and the only thing on my counters are the coffee pot/grinder, microwave oven and the M&P. The beauty of the M&P is that thye clean up super quick, definitely an advantage over a motorized grinder/processor/blender. Some uses:

1.) garlic paste (smooth and creamy), grinding confit lemons, anchovie paste...
2.) Whole Spices (be sure to toast in dry pan, the cool before grinding)
3.) Grinding coffee beans
4.) using the pestle to bruise rosemary or woody herms
5.) smashing salted shrimp, lemon grass, galangal...

They're like a good thermometer, once you get one you find uses for it! My $0.02


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## Grunde (Mar 31, 2014)

Sorry, did I write marble? I meant porcelain.
I actually had a marble one on display at my shelf for years, until I decided to try out David Thompson's Thai Food. I tried it once and went straight to the store and bought an excellent granite one for 40-50 bucks. I don't like chewing marble.


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## loves2cook (Mar 31, 2014)

I picked up a 8 1/2 heavy mortar at Costco today for $14.99. This is the one.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FYC5F4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Grunde (Apr 1, 2014)

That one looks great for pesto and salads and stuff.
For making wet curries a narrower bowl is better. It keeps the matter more consentrated and considerably less splashing.


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## loves2cook (Apr 1, 2014)

Grunde said:


> That one looks great for pesto and salads and stuff.
> For making wet curries a narrower bowl is better. It keeps the matter more consentrated and considerably less splashing.



Thanks for the heads up. I seasoned it last night and its ready for business today in the kitchen. I'll give it a try with some pesto sauce.


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## Grunde (Apr 1, 2014)

Mmm.. Home made pesto... !
That's it! Tomorrow is pasta&pesto day, and I don't care what anybody says.

Glad to help. And if you eventually decide to make proper thai, just get one of those no-brand P&Ms from your local thai store. Doesn' cost much and will outlast your grandchildren.


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