I've had grinders like these in the past that were at least an inch or two taller, but much prefer these tbh. They're simply more portable and easier to handle. Unfortunately the set doesn't come with a base so I had to DIY one myself just to keep the remnants from piling up on the countertop, but the grinders themselves are solid. The lightweight wooden exterior is actually wood and not just painted plastic, and rather dense to the touch. The finish is incredibly smooth so you need to grasp the handles tightly if you have wet hands; but the curved profile is essentially ergonomically perfect. Measured there to be about 1.75" just below my fist when I'm holding them, so precision is GOOD since I can easily see where I'm seasoning. That was the biggest downside of the longer grinders, plus they didn't have the little "S" and "P" burned into the bottoms so it was difficult telling them apart.
In terms of performance, both work admirably and you can definitely control the size of the grain by adjusting the thread at the top. They do squeak a bit when you turn them and the head also wobbles with a more coarse grain, but that's pretty much par for the course when it comes to manual grinders. Decent amount of space in the reservoir too, but it could be a tad small if you're seasoning regularly. That's one thing that they don't have over the larger models. Can't say they're super smooth to turn either, but it really depends on the quality of the grain you put in. For instance, they're great for a pink Himalayan salt, but tarry a bit with a soggier grey Celtic. Wouldn't recommend them for a fine table salt because there's nothing to grind and too much will come out, regardless of how you adjust the knob. Mid-sized peppercorns also seem to work better for the pepper grinder (even though they're essentially identical).
Overall though, besides the lack of a base, they pretty much met all of my expectations with no outright hiccups or defects. Kinda wish the "S" and "P" were burned on both sides of the circle for faster reference and the reservoirs were a bit larger, but otherwise they get the thumbs up. 4.5/5 stars.
| Brand | Vehibrillum |
|---|---|
| Colour | Brown |
| Parcel Dimensions | 22.86 x 12.19 x 6.1 cm; 453.59 g |
| Material | Oak |
| Item Weight | 454 g |
