How to Pick the Best Mortar and Pestle | Serious Eats

For grinding foods to transform their texture and release their full aroma and flavor, nothing beats a good mortar and pestle. Today, the mortar and pestle remains a crucial tool in culinary traditions around the world, and it deserves to be treated as an essential in every kitchen. Not just because it served our ancestors so well, but because it continues to do what no other item in the kitchen does: smashing fibers and cells apart to fundamentally transform their texture and release their full aroma and flavor. That's something a blade can't ever do as well.

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[pennyfarting]

So basically, you can have a granite mortar and pestle, and just keep an extra broad-headed wooden pestle around for pesto, and you're good.

[giwiidu]

In thailand when we used mortars cooking we put a piece of cloth or pices of fablic under the mortar and the sound will not be heard...the sound will not be loud.. that's tip. & trick. 😊😁

[gladonnet]

I think there is a reason why each one of those were made traditionally. That is why they exist. In india we see a lot more variety depending upon region. Like we have huge mortar and pestles in which we would traditionally grind our dry spices in large quantities. My grandmother used one for a very long time. Made of iron. Then in southeren india there is a round one with a big round stone shaped pestle which was traditionally used to grind wet batters for idli and dosa.. needed a god lot of arm strength. Then we also have a long boat shaped mortar and pestle for making paste of leaves (we have only seen those in movies). Also a flat stone mortar (if you may call it that) with a cylendrical pestle to make a paste of anything and everything wet... which is called sil-batta. Each one has its significance which we are ignorant of. I also saw a few videos of people in south and west african countries making fufu and using a speacial mortar pestle to do that. So please we only know so much. And we can't discard anything as useless because of our limited knowledge...

[Genthar]

It's almost like each culture developed one designed around their needs...imagine that...;)

[zwordsman]

I find myself wishing he had discussed....cleaning.

[siriqbal]

This video needed to be twice as long as it is right now. The first half was so in depth but it felt rushed in the second half and the conclusion was really abrupt.

[zaqmp]

Here in México, the molcajete it's used almost every time for salsas. Guacamole can be made, obviously, but here would be seen as something staged.

[earlystrings]

Good pick on the Thai mortar and pestle. Thats exactly what i use for everything. It will even powder spices for Christmas cookies or chai.

[ianmelzer]

Always add some salt first it helps the grinding.

[schreiberinjen]

Glad I saw this video. I've been on the market for a mortar and pestle for a long while now. Kept putting it off for one reason or another. Thanks for making this vid!

[RealBradMiller]

I have the Thai granite one. Absolutely love it. Hummus, guacamole, etc, come out so great! I gotta get my hands on the final three.
I have small stone one and a medium bamboo one, also, but they are less useful.

[kanikawalangitan]

Good job, I am a Thai and this Thai Mortar & pestle serve us good in the kitchen, thanks for recommending to the others

[gerardjohnson]

I've had many of these. Mostly it comes down to the surface texture of the material surface. Ceramic is a apothecary utensil for powdery materials and too slick for food products. Wooden pestle doesn't have enough heft or texture. Marble is usually polished out too slick. The one I keep on my counter is identical to the Thai granite one. Cut and place a piece of rubbery non-skid shelf material underneath to protect counter and dampen sound. Oh yeah, be sure and breakin/season it before use.

[jakemargolies]

THANK YOU - I have been waiting for something like this for so long

[Josh-vmbk]

Thanks for the assessment. I am currently looking for a good mortar and pestle set to suit most needs and this video helped me decide on the granite.

[Ragnarok]

i think the key points are shape of the bowl with an appropriate sized pestle helps funnel the ingredients back to center so that you're not chasing it when it goes flying everywhere. second would be the texture to help grip the ingredients to grind much finer.

[pizzacake]

Thank you I've been trying to figure out what kind mortar pestle was best for my needs and now I know! Love the video!

[winw]

Pharmacist will use ceramic or glass mortar and pestle for preparation. The way ceramic mortar used is wrong according to our practice. Basically, you need to press down, grind and to not make any crushing sound as you can chirp the ceramic into food/preparation.

[Cyberia]

Your technique with the Thai mortar is not the greatest. I use my Thai mortar exclusively and have ditched all the others because it’s just so easy to use. But I don’t lift the pestle so much. You can grind up and down the sides rather than lift and pound. Hard to explain but basically work with the weight. That way you also won’t get the stringy bits from herbs.

It’s so quick to grind spices in the mortar I don’t even bother with the pepper mill half the time. I find marble mortars never work for me - there’s not enough friction and stuff slides around.

[ARTlovesstripes]

i prefer the second thai mortar and pestle. but thats just because i grew up using it. i can smash anything into paste with that thing.