Kota Japan Large Black Granite Mortar & Pestle Natural Stone Grinder for Spices, Seasonings, Pastes, Pestos and Guacamole

I browsed a lot of mortar & pestle sets before choosing the Kota. I needed it for crushing herbs for pastes and marinades, and grinding spices. I wanted one that wasn't too big (2 people, big enough for 4 if needed) or too heavy. I wanted high quality. I wanted one that was simple yet beautiful. The Kota checks all the boxes. It's simply lovely and does a great job! The pestle is hefty yet well balanced in my hand and rocks easily, giving a perfect grind and making smooth, even pastes without having to use a ton of muscle. The interior of the pestle is rough enough to give a traction when grinding herbs and spices, yet easy to clean; it's heavy enough to be completely stable when using, but not too heavy to comfortably lift in & out of the cabinet. Aesthetically, the exterior granite has a perfect polish and the shape is simple and refined. The price is an absolute bargain for the quality, design, usefulness and weight. I'm very happy with my choice and can highly recommend the Kota if you are looking for a mortar & pestle set.

Absolutely beautiful! Color was as advertised. Durable. Very heavy so it doesn't slip, thick granite, high quality. We use this on a regular basis and it's held up. This is a must have for ever home Chef. This would make for a great gift.

Works great and has an appealing simple design. Pay attention to the measurements to make sure it is the right size and shape for your needs. I use it to grind spices for cooking and tea blends (especially chai), and it processes everything quickly and easily. It's the perfect size for those purposes. Maybe a bit small if you're looking to make a big bowl of guacamole though. The "working" parts of the mortar and pestle are not polished, which is appropriate. I bought it for around $30 and feel I got a good deal for the quality. One of the "most useful" reviews on Amazon claims it is magnetic. I have no idea what they received, but mine certainly is not magnetic. Be sure to season and clean thoroughly before using. There are a variety of suggested methods, but grinding rice with some water several times did the trick for me. I also regularly clean it with a stiff brush/hot water after every other use, at least when I know I will be using it for different spices next.

This is a practical product that is well-made and beautiful to look at.

Works good . Feels solid .. I bought two

This turned out to be bigger than I expected (my bad--I always have trouble visualizing sizes) but I have since decided anything smaller would not have suited my needs. This is a beautiful set. I started following Jamie O again, and he so often uses a mortar and pestle that I decided to get one. I actually had one I bought following his example decades ago when he first started, but it was HUGE compared to this one. Too heavy for me to use comfortably. This one has sides that are just high enough to allow vigorous grinding, while also providing a wide-enough inner surface to make it easy. It's not light-weight, but it's not too heavy, either. It won't tip over while you work, but it's not clunky. I am very pleased.

This is my first feedback. I realized how feedbacks help when you make purchases, they helped me decide to make this purchase, I am very happy about this product. The product is excellent, I tried with dry spices, chutneys and wet grinding. The particular grinding experience that made me write review is, grinding for Indian 'Adai' and 'Dosa'. Grinding the lentil urad dhal was amazing, I could see the batter getting ready for 'Vada' batter consistency, I am yet to try making 'Vada' My next grinding will be for 'Vada'. I have used Indian Blenders, powerful motors, not doing real justice to Urad Dal grinding. Grinding Rice and Lentil in this mortar and pestle was good experience and outcome was great! Of course, if you are looking for grinding larger quantities you would need motorized table top grinder/blender. As with any granite mortar/pestle, you do need to season, that is already mentioned in one of the reviews, before going to grinding wet rice for seasoning, it is important to just grind water for a long time, to smoothen and avoid stone powder in your grounds. NOTE: When I made the purchase, the price on the website showed $17.99 sale price, but I ended up paying $24.99, I would not have noticed that if I didn't come back to write the feedback. I called the customer service they said the system was not updated and thanked me for bringing it to their attention, made the update, told me they will give me back the difference. But, I am disappointed, if I had not come back to write this feedback, I would have not noticed this price difference. Now I lost trust in the price displayed vs price taken for payment. So from now on, I will be vigilant in checking the prices before I pay!

This is a beautifully made large, heavy, solid granite mortar and pestle. After washing it and seasoning it, I've used it almost everyday in grinding up my home grown herbs and spices. It's really important to actually spend the time to prepare the unit grinding rice in it because it removes any granite dust and "mates" the pestle and mortar surfaces. It does not take all that long because the machining of this granite is excellent. It takes a while but is so worth the effort! Doing this really makes a huge difference in extracting the oils and essences from them. I have other smaller mortar and pestles but this is the King Daddy of them. So easy to use because it doesn't mover around like smaller ones while you are grinding. The seller contacted me after the sale to see how I liked it. They actually care about their customers! Nice! I love this!!! Would I buy this again? YES!!!