Side by Side Comparison of: Cole & Mason vs OXO

Very good grinder. I use rock salt from Ctibet. Solid and well built it does it's job well.

Whew. I got tired of rubbing salt rocks on my food :) This works perfectly and was a good price.

This is a quality grinder. Very sleek looking too. I decided to purchase the salt grinder also. 👍👍

While experimenting, I found that I could make it very course or as fine as talcum powder. Just turn upside down first, then tighten or the pepper corns or some of the ground pepper by the grater might prevent tightening to your needs.

Excellent product, according to the publication and all in perfect condition. The product and the brand is strongly recommended, they are very resistant acrylic, but obviously have to be careful not to fall to the ground, the packaging tells you that you should not use the pepper mill salt for it because it is metal oxidizes it is why the salt mill system is pricisamente ceramics to avoid this, it really works and the output of the product is very thin and can regulate the output and ground to your liking. Recommending ...

so far so good. I like the mechanism that is easily twistable to make finer or coarser grinds. simple build.I could possibly see someone being rough with this and breaking something, the metal mechanism seems slightly fragile, but for me I am somewhat careful and it has worked really well. the coarseness adjustment can possibly skew over time/uses changing the desired coarseness, but a simple twist fixes it and it has not been a problem for me.While not the best / strongest pepper grinder in the world, works well for the price and I would definitely buy again.

This pepper mill has proven easy to fill, holding a nice amount of peppercorns, and easy to operate. The spinning handle is a nice change from the twisting mechanisms, especially for someone with carpal tunnel, and it seems to produce more pepper, more quickly. The grind quality is easily adjustable, and the bottom cap to prevent counter top mess is a nice inclusion. Although it is made out of plastic, it feels sturdy during use, and it is more attractive than I expected. During my first use, I noticed that the filling drawer wants to pop open during use, probably due to the movement of the peppercorns when the grinder is turning, but this is easily remedied by positioning my hand over the drawer while grinding.

I was a little worried about some of the negative reviews on this before I bought it. Bought it anyway. Don't regret it. I'm a little OCD and don't like that now my salt shaker doesn't match my pepper grinder, but oh well. Saw some complaints about the fine/coarse setting. It turned fine for me to the fine setting, although you do have to put some force behind it. I cook with a lot of pepper, so the traditional grinder where you need to get a good grip on the top does not work for me since I almost always have olive oil, etc. on my hands making grinding almost impossible without first washing hands. With this grinder, your hands can be slippery and will not affect your grip. In addition, this thing cranks out for more pepper much faster than a traditional pepper grinder. I don't have all day when I'm cooking and this grinder gets the job done. Negatives: I don't like that cap that sits on the bottom. I have to use two hands to separate when I pick it up, and some times it just falls off on its own when I pick it up. Either design one that stays on when you pick it up, or one that will not stay on when you pick it up. I just like to know. I don't keep the grinder on that cap unless I'm done with it. Worth the money and I've not had any problems with it as of yet. Best grinder I've ever owned. Should have switched to this style sooner.

Bought this to replace older version. I've use it for so many years that I couldn't tell you how old it was. It finally wore down and lost its effectiveness. There is no substitute for the burst of flavor from fresh ground pepper. Yes I have a nice high dollar stainless pepper mill that I put on the table for family and friends, but this is much better for cooking. I worry a lot less about getting my grubby hands on it while preparing a meal. I just wipe it down when I'm done. Another nice touch is the cap on the bottom. It catches the extra pepper that slips through on pepper mills. You can also grind pepper into the cap a pour the ground pepper into a measuring device if you like. I bought a different ratchet type mill at the same time and it seems nice, but I will stick with this one as my "go to" grinder for cooking.

This is a very slick, well thought out design; sort of a a 21st century version of my old standby Atlas, which been letting me down of late. The OXO works pretty much the same as the old classic, but with several important updates: 1.The pop out loading chute is deceptively small, but you can actually get a lot in there and it's very easy to load, which isn't the case with most grinders. 2.The clear chute makes it easy to see when you're running low on peppercorns, a nice touch. 3.It's extremely easy to adjust coarseness of the grind. 4.The long handle makes for lots of leverage, just like in my classic grinder, but the big soft touch knob makes for even easier grinding. 5.In real life it looks pretty darn cool, almost counter top worthy; right out of "2001: A Space Odyssey".All in all I think of all the grinders out there today, including some very expensive ones, this is the way to go.

This is the best pepper mill I have ever used. I have owned one for many years and it produces the best flakes. You can adjust the grind to get flakes that are big enough to crunch! Ah, the burst of flavor from cracking those flakes between your teeth.Nothing is better for freshly grinding pepper for a recipe. You can grind large quantities of pepper easily and never suffer fatigue in the process. I am buying several as gifts for young cooks I know.

I ordered this for my dad who loves to cook because he had been using a scrappy stand-up knob-style pepper grinder for a while and knew he deserved something better. I was actually pretty hesitant in buying this pepper mill, because there were others sold on Amazon that had much more buyer reviews and were a little more expensive. I hope that this review can help change that.It is literally the best pepper mill I have ever used. Finally got to see it in person at my parents' house and was blown away by the simplicity of the design of this thing. Here's a list of why it is great:- Really sturdy. Made out of plastic, but seems very durable.- The size is PERFECT for holding in your hand (this was one of my biggest fears because the picture makes it look quite big in my opinion).- The loading door is great and the mill holds a very generous amount of pepper.- Very easy to turn, easy to change coarseness (the lever-arm style pepper-mill is really what I was looking for because it is just much easier to turn than a knob-style). Also, the black knob on the lever can rotate independently from the lever, which is key to making it very easy to turn.- The cover cap that comes with it is great so that you don't get pepper all over your kitchen counter.Overall, really a great product. I couldn't be more impressed with it.UPDATE: December 04, 2012It has been over a year since this product was received and is in use at LEAST once every day (and by once I mean over the course of one meal).The pepper mill is still going strong. There really isn't much I can add to the above original review of the product except that there have been no issues whatsoever and it has been working just as well since Day 1. Everyone who uses it loves it, it is VERY easy to use and get a lot of pepper from very little grinding effort due to the design of the lever-style crank mechanism, and it is very easy to clean (which rarely needs to be done since it's a pepper mill).I have gotten other products from Oxo since this pepper mill and continue to be very impressed by them. Do yourself a favor: Do not be fooled by the other pepper mills that are often more EXPENSIVE - this one has been just about perfect.

Broke within a year. Did a good job for that year tho!

Well made and good price

I bought this for my mom because our old one broke. She wanted a fresh pepper grinder. It works great.

Works well. Grinds well. Nice looking.My only objection is that it gets salt in the teeth and top rim when you refill it. This makes it impossible to get the cap on tight; letting salt leak out of the bottom until the salt in the teeth works itself out.You have to keep tightening the cap as you use it, until the leak works itself out. Then it's salt-tight again.

Decent pepper mill at a nice price. The matching salt grinder makes a nice combination without going overboard. I learned to shake the mills after grinding to get the last bits out before returning to the cabinet. This prevents most of the mess others complain about.

This is a fine product. But shortly after I bought this, I bought an electric coffee grinder. Consequently I now grind my pepper corns and other spices in the electric grinder. BTW, if you grind your own coffee beans, you have a much better idea of what's in your morning cup of Joe. Hope this helps you. Ted

 A very powerful and efficient grinder, doing a rubberband hack to keep the clear plastic side closed and increase grip by wrapping a rubber band around the mill. It is great for cooking since your hand is wet most of the time from washing your hands. The Lewis design is great for kitchen use since reduces the need for friction since it is based off a lever. A little slo-mo demo to show how efficient this is. -1 star for the clear plastic side that can be a bit finicky if you do not do the rubberband hack since it opens and closes when held in a certain way.The peppercorns I used are Frontier Co-op Organic Fair Trade Certified Black Peppercorns, Whole, 1 Pound Bulk Bag pretty great tasting peppercorns.

The rotary crank motion and pre-school-sized ergos makes this mill so much easier to use with damp hands than a top-turn pepper mill. You can also grind a lot of pepper in a hurry. I like the ceramic cutters too.The snap-on bottom is a little fidgety and the filler door pops open too easily. So, a bigger rim around the bottom and more friction on the door would be appreciated OXO. It also will not grind long pepper, but neither will my marble mortar and pestle, so no biggie. Those things are like rocks.It is still a really good daily cooking tool. Fast and efficient. I may add another for pink salt.

Grinds the pepper consistently the same size and is adjustable from fine to coarse. It's easiest to use with the base on the counter, one hand holding the base, and one hand turning the handle and letting the pepper gather in the little tray below the base. Unfortunately, the little tray is hard to remove and I often spill the pepper. I find holding it over the food to be seasoned and turning the handle to be more difficult for me with my old hands. But even with this limitation, I do love the results of the grind, I haven't had the problem with the refill door coming open that has been noted in other reviews. But this maybe something that occurs with use; so far no problem.

I bought one of these back in July of 2015. It worked perfectly until recently, when something holding the handle to the grinding mechanism broke and I suddenly had instead of a pepper mill, several pieces of what used to be a pepper mill, and peppercorns all over my counter and floor. It might have been possible to repair it, but considering the price, I felt like I had gotten my money’s worth and simply ordered another one.This pepper mill, like all the Good Grips products I have used, was comfortable to hold and to use. I think the only mill that would be more comfortable would one with an electric motor. Loading the hopper with peppercorns is easy, but a funnel is still recommended. The coarseness adjustment worked fine, although I normally set it for fairly coarse and leave it there.I hope my new pepper mill lasts longer than the last one, but if it lasts a year or more, I won’t be too disappointed and will replace it again.

I bought the OXO Good Grips pepper mill about 1 year ago. It is now dead. We used the thing multiple times every day. I would consider it as "heavily used". What finally killed it was the square hole that the aluminum shaft goes into stripped. Before that, there is a small metal pin that keeps all of the parts in place, the pin would slide off (i had to jerry rig the pepper mill so that stopped happening).The grinder is AWESOME when it is working. It is very easy to grind and large quantities of pepper come out. I have owned about 5 different types of grinders over the years and this one was the best at grinding by far. The adjust from fine to course is easy to use and works great!So, to recap, since it is so inexpensive, I am happy with how awesome it worked for its short year of life. We probably put 3 to 5 gallons of peppercorns through the thing before it broke. The only reason I am writing this review is because I logged into the purchase a new one.

Overall its a really good grinder. Only issue is you have to hold the door where you fill up the peppercorns because it opens as you are grinding --- you don't want the peppercorns to fly out lol. Has options for course and fine grinding just turn the knob on the bottom. Best of all it has a lid. Oh and it grinds smoothly.Made out of plastic but seems sturdy. Grinding part is made out of ceramic.TIP: grind pepper with lid on so you won't get the pepper all over the place, then you just sprinkle it on whatever you're making.I use the Costco kirkland brand peppercorns... I'm sure there's others that are great too...

Grinder works. Was only a quarter full of pepper. Looks like they are trying to save money.

I would have liked the burrs to be adjustable.

Can not change the grinding size.

I would have appreciated a few more of the peppercorns they said were included. The grinder is ok. I just received it and I actually purchased it for the peppercorns. So, I guess I should have gone to the store to get a visual of what I was actually getting.

I was disappointed that the grinder only had a small amount of peppercorns in it! Just had a small amount at the bottom...about one-eighth full if that. I liked the grinder and didn't feel like going through the hassle of returning, but will have to buy peppercorns soon!

5/24/15 - ONE STAR. The first product that I've had to author a poor review- this mill worked great for the 1st month. I used coarse salt in it, it worked great. However, now it will not dispense any salt. I've cleaned it out multiple time in attempt to find the issue. The mechanisms are intact, it just won't dispense. Very disappointing product.7/18.15 - 3 STAR UPDATE - based on the reply/response rec'd for this item, I have updated from 1 starto a 3. It's appreciated the customer service after this type of experience. The item will be returned/replaced.

Intersting item. Very clever design. Much easier to use than standard grinder. The issue I have is 1) entire construction is made out of plastic. 2) filling window is hard to close up when filled 3) adjustment between coarse and fine is impossible. Other than that it is a pretty unique grinder.

The tabs holding the clear window in place are weak and the window is located where your fingers would wrap around the grinder meaning that the grinder is difficult to use without the window coming loose and peppercorns pouring out. Usually OXO has good designs - this one is a dud.

Actually not very easy to use if you have any arthritis in your hands. You have to grip tightly because the plastic is slick and wants to turn in your hand. It does grind the pepper corns but just difficult for me to use.

This grinds pepper really well, it goes everywhere...like crazy wide spread, I'm not sure how to change that. The bottom 'lid' doesn't really stay on. If I was just grading on how well it grinds pepper, I would give it five stars, but the mess it makes and the poor lid design brought it down.

This is a good budget grinder, as I had bought this from Amazon a few years ago (oddly enough, for the same price as it is now). It worked perfect for my needs at the time, but after a couple of weeks or so, I had to add a rubber band to it, in order to keep the trap door shut on it. I probably should have returned it for another one, but I didn't want to be without it while waiting for another one to arrive, and except for the little door trap opening on its own, it works great.Anyway, I do not use this grinder much anymore nowadays, since I have a couple of better quality sets that I now use daily - however, this is the one we take with us if we go camping. As it is lightweight, and has a lid on (well, technically under) it - so it is perfect for taking with you, and not have to worry about getting pepper all over the place.So if you are looking for a lightweight grinder (that you can even take with you), then this is a good option to go with. But if you are looking for something to use daily to keep next to your stove, or on the dinner table - it might be worth paying a few dollars more for a salt and pepper grinder set. There is a much bigger, and better selection of grinder sets that are not much more than this is, than there was when I was shopping for one. Just my 2¢ worth. :)

This is an ok pepper mill. The biggest pro is the handle. Very nice for someone with mobility or motor skills problem. The downside is the mill faces down which can create a mess. There is a cap as shown in the photo to keep the mess contained, but it's still messy when you open the cap. Not all family members are detailed oriented (kids) about dealing with the cap. It's also an added bit of inconvenience having to cap every time you cook or you have a mess on the counter/table.

I bought this in February 2016 to grind sea salt. It worked great for a while, and then stopped working. I expected more from a $10 salt grinder. I can't recommend this product.

This does NOT create fine salt crystals - it only produces Large Chunky rock salt. I wanted a grinder which Would actually grind my sea salt - this is NOT it.

As far as I can tell, there is no way to adjust the size of the grind, and what is produced is much to large for many purposes. This is especially true if one is trying to use this as a table salt mill. The ground salt is far too large.

Pros:It looks sleek on the tableGood sizeEasy to refillCons:I am unable to adjust grain size so I constantly have huge chunks of salt in my food.Smaller grains "leak" out when the grinder is stored.I wish there was a cover for the bottom so my cabinet isn't covered in salt.

Salt constantly falls out of this every time it is moved. I find the mess that it makes quite annoying.

This wholly designed in England (but actually made in China) grinder is truly one of the worst grinders I have ever used. It gets two stars for aesthetics, but zero stars for performance. The grinding mechanism is so faulty that the salt crystals simply fall straight through like a shaker - even when it sits on the counter. What a mess! And yes, I am using large salt crystals. I am envious of those that got one that works, because it really is a good looking grinder & has a nice substantial hand feel. It just doesn't grind, so back it goes.

Really enjoyed this pepper mill ... while it lasted. It seems to have an Achilles heel: the small metal clip that holds the grinding mechanism in place kept coming loose and all the pepper corns would fall out all over the counter and floor. I'd have to search around in the pepper corns to find the clip and push it back into the tiny slot to make the unit functional again. If it weren't for this one deficiency, this unit would be fantastic for the price.

I immediately returned this OXO pepper grinder. The plastic cover to the container was very flimsy, and was hard to fill. I also found it hard to turn the grinder handle. What looked great on Amazon turned out not to be so great actually holding and using the grinder. I'm just going back to using the Costco refillable pepper grinders.

Inconsistent grind but it can output a lot of pepper. The grinder is plastic and wore down a good amount over the year I used it. Was grinding some pepper on eggs this morning and the whole thing broke and came apart, spilling whole peppercorns all over my eggs. I'll opt for a higher quality grinder next time.

First off, let me say that I am sort of addicted to OXO's products. They make some of the most well-made, useful items I've ever used in my kitchen. I purchased two of them to accommodate my Himalayan pink salt and Tellecherry peppercorns. They would be lovely, were it not for the little clear fill/access door in the side. That door pops open, making me feel like my salt and pepper cannot stay fresh. Even if you push it shut all the way, when you hold the unit and turn the crank, inevitably the little door pops open. If you vigorously use this (i.e., if you're adding a dash of salt or pepper here or there as you're cooking, like if you're imitating Iron Chef), you will find that it opens up easily the more you grip it. I find this to be a horrible design and wish the door stayed shut better. I'm ashamed to have purchased two of these. The grinder mechanism functions well on both the salt and pepper. They look pretty hideous on my counter. I will be searching for a new set by another brand.

I love Oxo brand products and when given the option always purchase this brand above others. I am very disappointed with this product and am very glad this isn't the first Oxo product I have purchased or I would have gotten the wrong idea about Oxo products.I actually purchased this mill hoping to use it to grind flax seeds. This grinder didn't even grab the flax seeds and I ended up not being able to grind the seeds at all as they wouldn't slide down into the grinding mechanism.As a pepper mill this is an okay device. The clear plastic flap opens from the top making it tricky to pour peppercorns into. The clear door flap only stays shut when you have your hand wrapped around the device holding it shut.My major issue with this device is how quirky the turning handle is. It is tough to get the first turn started and as you are turning the handle to grind pepper it can get stuck and cause you to slip and scatter pepper grinds around.

The grip is easy. Feels sturdy, even though it's mostly made of plastic. After some use, it hasn't become loose, EXCEPT the tiny TINY little plastic piece that keeps the inside gear rotating on the main shaft became shaved down by the shaft pretty much on first use. It's still working, I'm just afraid to touch the screw because it will grind down that tiny piece more. It's beyond me why that tiny part isn't metal, or at least hard plastic.The other flaw is that the flat bottom inside the mill isn't slanted enough to let the gravity pull things into the mill. If you need to fine-grind something, expect to spend a lot of time because it takes a lot of turns to produce very little.Finally, if you wash it, it will take days to dry because of the construction that traps water inside hollow plastic parts. Don't expect to be able to clean it between grinding different ingredients.I'm using it now on the most coarse setting only to mill spices for seasoning meats. When I need to grind up some cinnamon, I find it easier and faster to use a marble grinding bowl by hand.

The salt mill broke after less than a month!

Very disappointed . Grinder does not work properly - it does not grind the sea salt and the corse salt that I always use fallsout of bottom of shaker. I have and have had several Cole and Mason salt and pepper grinders and this is the first time thishas happen.

UGH! what a waste of time and money. Doesn't work at all. Too bad "circumstances" didn't allow me to use it and find this out sooner so I could return it.

I expected this salt grinder to leave dabs of salt behind wherever it's sitting, I did not expect it to leave literally piles of salt - about a tablespoon - when I pick it up.

NO NOT BUY - this thing doesn't work as other people had wrote as well, it just dumps it out as it went in. Doesn't grind the sea salt at all. I tightened the screw as much as it can go and it just doesn't grind at all.

Horrible design. It litters the table with salt because there is nothing between where the salt come out of the bottom and the table surface.

Hard to hold, especially when your hands are a little greasy.To stop it from slipping, I squeezed it harder, but then the little refill door opens.It's just too big and oddly shaped to get a good grip on.Luckily, OXO makes other grinders which have a better design.https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Pepper-Grinder/dp/B001CDP6EEhttps://www.amazon.com/OXO-2154200-Pepper-Grinder-Clear/dp/B00F5MJCTS/ref=pd_lpo_79_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9G707V3VW6A656NB8ZAA

Poorly designed. The little door on the side is tiny that one loads pepper in. So it is very hard to load you need to have a funnel. The door also does not stay shut so if you tilt it it opens. So if you flipped it over on accident pepper comes out. I ended up taping it shut, I'll replace it next time it runs out of pepper since it was so cheap.

Pay Attention to the One and Two Star Reviews - Written mostly after several months to 1 1/2 years - Same situation with mine. After 14 months, the mechanism dropped out and it, as well as the peppercorns, dumped into my food. In my case, can't find the "C" Clip that holds the shaft in place - probably in the food I had to throw out. Does Not Live Up To The Reputation Of OXO Good Grips!!

I was grinding pepper onto two pounds of ground sirloin and the bottom fell out and all the pepper seeds spilled into the burger. Ruined the burger as could not remove all the pepper seeds. There must be a snap ring in the center shaft that fell off and released the whole bottom of it. It must have fallen in the burger also.

The plastic casing under the door broke after about a month of use. If I hold it a certain way I can get it to work but I'm tired of doing it that way so I'm going to order a metal grinder to replace this one. Very dissappointed. Maybe I got a lemon. Seems like others have had pretty good luck with theirs.

Used this product about 1/2 dozen times when the shaft broke. This product is very cheaply made and I would not recommend purchasing it.