Cole & Mason 5.5-inch Granite Mortar & Pestle - Unpolished Stone Mortar & Pestle for Kitchen - Small Grinding Bowl for Herbs and Spices - Black, 8 pounds

I use a mortar and pestle daily (I'm a compounding pharmacist, so I use them to make custom mixtures)...and so I can say authoritatively that most mortar and pestle sets sold for kitchen use are decorative but useless junk. They don't grind well at all, and the pestles often do not fit the mortar properly (if the convexity at the pestle base is the wrong size, you won't get an even particle reduction). Some mortars are too shallow and everything spills out, or too narrow and it's hard to grind in them and difficult to get the spices out of them...etc., etc. But this sucker means BUSINESS. I wouldn't use it at work, because the surface inside is a bit too rough for pharmaceutical mixing...but that makes it *perfect* for grinding seeds and spices, and it does so very quickly and with ease. There's enough weight to the set that the mortar doesn't slide around and the weight of the pestle helps you grind your spices. I ground up some whole spices for a curry powder and it was like, "Grind—grind—holy cow, it's done already?!?" It's quick and efficient. It's also gorgeous. Looks great on the counter....and it's heavy enough to make an effective weapon of defense. I can hear the "Clue" game now: "Mrs. White...in the Kitchen...with the Granite Mortar." < SMACK! > Seriously, though, I'd be careful where you put it, so it doesn't get accidentally knocked over and break your toe. Just don't perch it on the edge of the counter, set it to the back. Just one more thing would make it perfect: if it came with a mortar card. Those are little plastic scrapers we use at the pharmacy to clean material out of mortars. You can use a rubber scraper, but a mortar card works better. You can get them at pharmacy supply stores, but they come 50 to a pack (check "Total Pharmacy Supply dot com", "small mortar cards"; they're $12.50 for 50 of them). Or maybe your local compounding pharmacy would sell you one? You can always call and check! But if you're looking for a good kitchen mortar, this is it.

I searched and searched for an awesome Mortar and Pestle, that'll last for years, while also looking quite nice left out on the counter. This one is perfect! I was considering a couple of marble ones, because of their look, but they just don't have what it takes to function as a true Mortar and Pestle, since they're too smooth. The roughened granite interior of this, however, is great for grinding up herbs, spices, and such, while the polished exterior is simply classy. This is the best looking one I found for its price range, and it works great. Cumin seeds ground up in this have an amazing flavor that the powder you buy in stores will never have. So much flavor is lost, the longer ground up spices are stored. If you love that extra bit of flavor in your food, I highly recommend getting your own Mortar and Pestle. Oh, and just an FYI, before the first use, wash and air dry. Never use detergent. Then you'll need to "season" it, in a sense. Grind white rice, in handful portions at a time, until the rice no longer discolors. After that, grind 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon peppercorns. Discard mix, then wash again. It's good to go, after that. Shouldn't have any little bits of granite in your spices. A nice book to buy, along with this, is: Alchemy of the Mortar & Pestle by D. & P. Gramp

After using mortar and pestles that were too small, too smooth, or too ineffective, I finally found one that suits my needs. For example, I grow and grind my own herbs, love garlic crushed with a bit of salt, use dried herbs and seeds that should be ground immediately before using to get maximum flavor, and frequently make avocado on toast or my own guacamole recipe (it's large enough for 1 big avocado). Finally, I've found an aesthetically pleasing mortar and pestle that's versatile, well designed, fast, easy, perfectly weighted, and large enough to be useful. Although I took the precaution of "curing" it with dried rice, salt, etc., it was already "clean" so the process was fast. Washing is a breeze; rinse it in hot water (no soap recommended) and air dry. This is an excellent value that I can highly recommend.

I'm a 6 foot 4 large man and was constantly fighting using these teeny morter and pestle that are 15 bucks EVERYWHERE. I really needed something more my size. I can say I didn't consider fit and finish as much as the size but can honestly say I am stunned HOW EASY it is to use. This grinds up spices with absolute ease compared to my old one and not because it fits me, but because of the quality of the finish and form. The fact that it fits me is a super huge bonus. For those ladies reading this scared it's too big, it's not! I had my 10 year old grind up some fennel seed and it took him very little time with very little effort. At first when he said there you go dad I rolled my eyes because he'd only just started, but it was done! I can speak highly enough about this for both its perfect size (big enough you can make nearly anything in a decent quantity and also spices don't go flying when pounding ) but it's super comfortable to use!

This is sizeable and takes up some space but very sturdy and efficient for tougher hand grinding jobs. We use to grand a tea that is made of tougher grass like leaves. I would have liked to see a thin skid proof rubber or similar protective sheet on the bottom surface to protect whatever you set it on. Overall does what we need and pleased with product.

I was not sure if I wanted a mortar and pestle or not, I've been cooking for 30 some yrs without one. But in reading about them, I wanted to try one. I am so impressed. To be fair, My first impression was fear--I tried to grind dry rice to clean the mortar. I was not strong enough, and I was afraid I had something that would be no better than a doorstop. My husband was kind enough to grind the rice for me, but I was afraid that other things I wanted to grind would be too hard for me. Not at all. When I began to use it, peppercorns and other spices crush right up. I think the crushing brings out more flavor than using a spice grinder. I like my pesto because it maintains a better texture than it does when using a food processor. I can't really compare to other mortar and pestles, but this is comfortable with a good amount of roughness inside and an attractive exterior.

The quality of this is very high. It's heavy, the right size, and looks really good. This is the first time I've owned one of these and have wanted one for a long time. I didn't realize that before it can be used, a new pestle must be seasoned. I also didn't realize how much work it is to season one. It will be worth it in the end, but my goodness, does it take a lot of work. I'm about 4 hours into it and believe it's about ready. Just know what your committing to :)

Had this for almost two years, and after using it again today, felt like it was time to review. First of all, it is very attractive, and well constructed. Works as intended, and super easy to clean. I would and have recommended to anyone that grinds things down for cooking or likes to make homemade salsas.

Cole & Mason Granite Mortar & Pestle, Gray The photos make this set of pestle & mortar look like a good size. When I checked the size it said: 4 pounds. I subsequently saw 13 X 13 x 8 cms . I ordered the pestle mortar set as Cole & Mason is a reputable brand. I purchased this set from US Amazon. The item arrived today. Aesthetically it looks nice but the functional inside part of the mortar is only 9.5cms. The whole thing is too small for my needs. Unfortunately, I can’t even return it to the seller US Amazon.

This was a beautifully made pestle and mortar with great performance. I had no issue grinding down spices and herbs until the pestle accidentally rolled down my counter top and snapped in half :( My husband used super glue and flex tape to hold it in place. It's not the same as when I first got it but it works

Sturdy and heavy, good size for small portion pounding.

My mother had been searching for a durable mortar and pestle in the local market...There were many usable products available locally that can be purchased for less than 10% of the price for this product. But in the end, all this money seems to be worth...Been using it for more than 2 years now and is very easy to use and clean...No signs of crack

Me encanta 🤩, no solo se ve como una hermosa pieza artesanal, sino también es muy funcional, molí un poco de arroz y luego sal, ambas quedaron como talco, su textura internar ayuda mucho a lograr algo fino tanto como uno lo prefiera. Este mortero tiene una circunferencia de 13cm, internamente es de 9.5cm, con bordes de un grosor de 1.7cm, de alto mide 8.0cm. Hay una versión más grande pero la consideré demasiado pesada (casi 4kg), por eso preferí esta que pesa menos de 2kg, además de un color mas natural en gris texturizado, que le da un aspecto artesanal. De la parte exterior viene pulido, de adentro no, por lo que es necesario tratarlo primero con arroz, luego con sal de grano y finalmente su especia predilecta, en lo personal opté por orégano y albahaca, quedó perfecto. Lo único a mejorar sería que le adhirieran una alfombrilla en la base, para que evitar posibles ralladuras en la superficie a trabajar, aun que pienso hacerlo yo mismo, por lo demás es excelente.