Traditional salt and pepper shakers on kitchen counters are gradually giving way to the hand-held spice grinder. It's not just about ease of use. By adding a precise amount of freshly ground seeds to a plate or pan, we create a rich, aromatic bouquet that can't be matched by commercially prepared spices. But the seasoning in the disposable device quickly runs out... Let's try to figure out how to open the pepper mill and continue to use it.
How to disassemble and add spices there
The main problem lies in the lid that sits firmly on the body.
Remove the cover
Life hacks will help you open the pepper shaker, one of which will definitely suit you:
- Boil water and pour into a container at least one and a half times the height of the lid. Place the pepper jar in a plastic bag and place it upside down in water. After 30 seconds, remove, remove the bag and wrap the lid with a towel and pull. It should come off after a little effort. The bag will protect from moisture and it is not necessary to dry the mill. You can fill and use immediately.
- You can use a hairdryer to heat the lid so that it softens and can be easily removed. We direct the hot stream and at the same time turn the jar. It will take about a minute to warm up on all sides. Do not handle the lid with bare hands!
- Armed with a knife with a wide blade, grab the jar with your left hand exactly under the lid. The blunt end of the blade is pushed under the edge of the plastic. Turn the knife with support on your hand, moving in a circle and trying to push the lid off the neck. The method is quite traumatic - the blade may slip.
- The lid is cut on both sides, after which it is easily removed.
Collect
The cut lid is secured with any adhesive tape. Obviously, the method is not very aesthetic, but a lot depends on accuracy. In other cases, the reverse actions with the mill are the same. After you have added the pepper, put the lid back in place and press or twist firmly until it clicks.
Useful lifehacks
You can pour pepper into a disposable grinder without using much force if you use life hacks.
Such techniques and methods will greatly simplify your life and help in the process of replacing spices:
- Remove the protective disc and turn the container upside down and place the device in a bowl of boiling water. The pressure inside the jar will increase and squeeze out the mill.
- Carefully cut the cap at the seams, add pepper and secure the parts with a clamp. If the plastic is soft, then you can melt the edges of the cut and connect the parts.
- Use scissors to cut the rubber seal under the lid, which can be replaced with a rubber band.
- Cut out semicircles in two boards that will correspond in parameters to the lid and bottom of the container.
Fix the lid in one board, the bottom of the jar in another and unscrew the devices in different directions.
A manual disposable pepper grinder requires care when opening and sealing, as the materials used to make the device are not of the highest quality.
Note! Some life hacks can be really useful and can be done right the first time. Others may require some skill and experience.
The further service life depends on the method of opening the mill. If the device will be used again only once, then more radical life hacks can be used.
Mill type
Among those presented on store shelves you can find inexpensive plastic devices and attractive mills made of wood or glass in combination with metal and acrylic at a higher price. The devices are driven electrically or manually.
Disposable
The tools do an excellent job of grinding seasonings and are very popular. The budget price is attractive, and even a teenager can use them. As for the disadvantages, the period of use can still be extended, but the wear of fragile millstones puts the mill out of action after several refuelings.
As a salt grinder, a disposable pepper grinder only works for one load. Hard crystals quickly wear down plastic grinders.
Reusable
Reusable products have been used for many years. The mechanism is driven by hand or automatically from the network, from batteries. To add pepper, the lid can be easily removed, and after filling it is put back in place.
Electrical
Electric appliances grind both soft seasonings and hard salt evenly and quickly. The degree of grinding has one, 2 degrees of grinding or a step regulation mechanism. Their store price is appropriate, that is, higher than that of mechanical devices.
Manual
A hand mill can be used not only in the kitchen, but also on an outing or on a picnic where there is no electricity.
Wooden
Wood products look very stylish and, moreover, are pleasant to use. Models with a natural surface and varnished are available.
Glass
The glass mill does not hide its contents. A series of such jars for salt, pepper and a complex of seasonings will decorate the kitchen and speed up the preparation of lunch.
Plastic
Plastic material will not last long, but its advantage is its budget cost.
Advice for women
If ground pepper weakens the fragrant aroma, then it is freshly ground. Therefore, experienced housewives give preference to containers that themselves grind whole spices and dispense them in different modes.
Knowledgeable housewives know that disposable plastic containers can be opened and pepper refilled. There are the simplest ways to remove the lid, which are convenient for fragile women. This way you can save money and not have to purchase a new mill every time. The taste will not change either.
To open the mill without damage and the use of physical force, you need to use the following methods. Sequencing:
- Since the lid on the jar is plastic, it can be heated. Place the jar with the lid down and pour boiling water over it.
- Wait a few minutes for the plastic lid to warm up and expand.
- You can twist it a little so that the water penetrates inside better.
- Take a pot holder and take the container out of the water and begin to remove the lid. It will open easily.
- Then the container is washed, dried and filled with the necessary seasonings.
- The plastic ring is inserted into the grooves and covered with a lid on top.
Nuances of different manufacturers
The technologies of mill manufacturers are not too different, but some life hacks take into account the differences in attaching the lid to the body.
Kotanyi (Kotani)
At Kotani mills, you can remove the plastic millstones without disturbing the outer covering. To do this, remove the top cover, carefully pry off the white plastic with a knife or thin screwdriver and move it in a circle. The auger pops out and a hole opens into which you can add a new portion of seasonings. The part is inserted back using gentle pressing movements along the edge.
Kamis (Kamis)
The lid from the Kamis jar can be removed by forcefully twisting and swinging it away from the body. The heating method also works great.
Pripravych
Pripravych's lid can be unscrewed, but the sides prevent it from being separated from the body. Brute force may be needed to rip the plastic out of place. If you can’t do it this way, use a knife to pry up the edges; they are visible on the lid by the difference in thickness.
You can simply break off the plastic in these places, and the pepper jar will become reusable. When the mill is operating, the lid will not unscrew spontaneously, because the directions of rotation of the grinding and the threaded connection are opposite.
Aesthetics of taste
Take a flathead screwdriver, push it between the edge of the plastic and the side of the glass case, and turn to push the lid off. Thus we act in a circle. Eventually the lid comes off.
IKEA
The IKEA brand produces reusable spice grinders, including the Ihardig line with a removable grinder. The mechanism can be installed on any IKEA can.
Miss Aroma
Jars of pepper, salt and spice sets for reuse are heated in hot water or with a hairdryer. However, this is unlikely to be useful. The Russian manufacturer has poor reviews about the quality of processing of even one serving of seasoning.
Gipfel
The Gipfel brand has established itself as a high-quality manufacturer of reusable electric and manual mills. In different models, the lid either unscrews or simply pulls off.
The purchase price of a package of pepper mixture is almost 4 times cheaper than a new seasoning grinder, so the benefit is obvious. But, unfortunately, the economical pepper mill cannot be recharged more than 4 times. Millstones are not designed for repeated use.
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The essence of the method
As much as I tried to open the mill: I tried to pry it open with a knife, miraculously avoiding injury when the blade treacherously slipped, and forced my husband to pull the lid, but this only led to its cracking. The thought of heating sat in my head, but for some reason I did not take it into account until one day I decided to search the Internet for ways to solve my “problem”.
Indeed, heating helps to literally remove the plastic cap from the mill in one motion. Basic physics: glass is stable, but plastic expands slightly, and this is enough for a fragile girl to cope with the task.
Anything can act as a heater: the cap can be dipped in boiling water and held there for a while, but in this case you will have to do a thorough drying of the container and the chalk itself. If you use a hairdryer to heat it up, the process will be “dry” and you can immediately pour your favorite seasoning into the container.
Purpose
Using a hand mill, various spices are turned into a mixture of additives. They are used for cooking, or used during meals. It is very comfortable. Freshly ground pepper or any other seasoning will make food aromatic and add a piquant taste.
Modern devices for grinding spices are produced with special protection against salt. To protect against salt influence during production, special technology is used.
Features of choice
The range of such kitchen utensils is huge. This makes choosing the right device difficult. For home use, it is advisable to give preference to a budget disposable model that can be used repeatedly. Such products already contain a combination of flavoring additives, selected in the required proportions and combinations of aromas. Such mills greatly facilitate the process of preparing dishes.
Among the disadvantages, there are difficulties in selecting the preferred bouquet of spices. Each dish requires different seasonings. Therefore, you have to purchase several disposable mills. The best choice for mixing flavoring ingredients yourself is a reusable model. Devices for grinding allspice are equipped with paired rows of millstones.
They qualitatively crush granules of any hardness into fractions of a given size thanks to the adjusting screw. Wooden mills are popular, the range of which includes dozens of models of any size, shape, structure and design.
This device can be matched to the style of your kitchen interior. There are cast iron mills that can be used as an original gift.
Some massive products are decorated in authentic oriental or Russian style with engraving. Glass, steel and ceramic options are often made in a high-tech spirit and look ultra-modern.
Wooden mills are poorly suited for grinding and storing oily spices - garlic, star anise and others.
When choosing a device, you should pay attention to:
- millstone material – the most reliable, durable and suitable for grinding hard granules are models with knives made of stainless steel or high-strength ceramics;
- arrangement of teeth - the finest grinding is provided by models with double-row arrangement of working elements;
- mechanism for adjusting the size of fractions;
- number of compartments for storing different spices;
- the total capacity of the kitchen appliance, on which the required frequency of refilling depends;
- the shape of the accessory and the ease of holding it in the hand;
- strength, chemical inertness and moisture resistance of the housing.
An electric mill operating in automatic mode would be a good choice. The only thing that scares off potential buyers is the high cost. The best models are produced by the British manufacturer Cole&Mason. The company's product range includes mills made in retro style and in the traditions of modern high-tech. The manufacturer provides a lifetime warranty on its products.
Products from the French company Peugeot are equipped with a unique patented grinding mechanism with double-row toothed millstones made of alloy steel. High-quality products are produced by the Italian brand Nuova Cer. These mills are distinguished by an attractive design in an ecological style and the use of high-strength ceramics in their production. Original, reliable and cheap models are available in the assortment of the Joseph & Joseph company.
Kitchen mills produced by the German manufacturer Fissler are attractive with their laconic design and excellent quality. This device will last a very long time. The kitchen appliance uses steel millstones and a mechanism for high-precision adjustment of the size of the fractions.
