[Sca-cooks] mortar and pestle questions

[Kingstaste]

Speaking as someone that has about half a dozen mortar and pestles, I think
I like my marble ones best.  They are polished smooth on the outside, and
left smooth but unpolished on the inside.  They grind things to a powder
easily, and I have different sizes - small ones for things like pills and
seeds, larger ones for chunkier objects.  I got my big one on my honeymoon,
it weighs about 4 pounds and has a bowl that holds not quite 2 cups.  
I just acquired one that was someone's grandfather's, she says he used it
for peppercorns mostly.  It looks like it is made from lava/igneous rock,
and it is very porous.  I tried grinding a few black beans in it (because
they were there, not because I needed ground raw black bean powder for
anything) and I am still trying to get stuff out of the pits in the rock
surface.  Cute, but not something I'll use often.  I have smooth wooden
ones, they aren't good for much but crunching up very crispy things.  I have
a Japanese one with grooves on the bottom which is good for making a paste
of certain wet herbs/vegetables, as well as another daikon shredder with
points on the bottom, but that are for grating rather than pulverizing. 
I've also worked with porcelain bowls, they grind well but tend to be more
fragile.  
Happy hunting, and you KNOW you won't stop at just one!
Christianna 

-----Original Message-----
From: sca-cooks-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:sca-cooks-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of rene chaisson
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 11:54 AM
To: sca cooks list
Subject: [Sca-cooks] mortar and pestle questions

I'm on the hunt for a good mortar and pestle set and need advice. What is
better for practical uses? Wood, porcelain, stone? What about size? Would a
smaller one grind more completely, and would a larger one just stir things
around without really grinding them?
Tia



      
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