Salt-and-pepper shakers don’t seem to be an important part of the cooking process. After all, what can be so special about an accessory, which holds the spices? Meanwhile, a careful approach to choosing the right shaker or grinder can simplify your cooking immensely while improving the design of your kitchen.
If you have the simplest salt-and-pepper shaker in your kitchen, it’s time to consider making a small investment into something special. Let’s take a closer look into choosing the best unique shaker for your needs.
1. Picking The Material
The most common salt-and-pepper shaker material is glass. It’s initially used to help the person understand what’s inside. The kitchen accessory industry has come a long way from using glass to tell salt and pepper apart.
The majority of unique salt and pepper manufacturers today focus on the integrity and design of the shaker rather than on its transparency. A high-quality grinder should be made out of durable materials, such as stainless steel, wood, and thick plastic. This way you can be sure that it will last a lifetime.
Glass shakers have a beautiful appearance. However, they require more frequent cleaning than their steel or wood counterparts.
2. Choosing The Style
The variety of different styles for salt-and-pepper shakers is overwhelming. They can be shaped like cones, boxes, phone booths, or bottles. For example, Gessato’s unique salt and pepper shakers, all have different shapes to catch the buyer’s attention and improve the kitchen appearance.
When choosing the style of your shaker, pay close attention to the décor. A retro shaker may look amazing on its own but is unlikely to fit into a high-tech kitchen. On the other hand, if you are a fan of contrasts, it could be a good idea.
3. Considering The Operation
While materials and design are important, the operation is what matters most. Do you need to rotate a handle, twist two parts of the shaker or press a button? Each type of operation has its pros and cons:
- Handle – handles look unique, make the process fun, and offer durability. However, it will take you more effort to operate a retro grinder with a handle than any other type.
- Twisted parts – twisting the two parts of the grinder is the most common way to get the salt and pepper out. However, such shakers aren’t as durable as their counterparts and usually have small granules stuck in between the parts making the grinding tougher.
- Electric – pressing a button is the easiest way to get the job done. However, the electric mechanism is the most delicate of the above types and may need replacement quicker.
If you are looking for a simple shaker, you have more options. You can choose from shakers with different opening sizes and quantities.
4. Counting The Grinding Options
If you are choosing a shaker and a grinder, you may want to pay attention to the grinding options. Different spices need to be ground to different sizes in order to achieve the best flavor. If you are trying to reduce the use of salt, you may want to take advantage of different sizes as well.
The majority of the grinders you are going to see offer one or two grinding sizes. Some can have as many as six or seven. How many of them do you really need? If you are not a cooking guru, you can settle for just a couple.
If the time has come to give your kitchen a facelift and your cooking process a new life, consider buying a new salt-and-pepper shaker or grinder. You are bound to see the improvement immediately. Using the above tips can help you find the perfect accessory for your needs.