You may associate mortar and pestle as part of the ancient tools that our ancestors have been using for hundreds of years. However, this kitchen tool is never out of place in our so-called modern kitchen. A sentimental cook as I am, mortar and pestle is not just handy and useful but also gives my kitchen an atmosphere of prehistoric aura and drama.
Moreover, if you are someone who appreciates such sentiment and style, you will find yourself clicking each product that found its way on my priority list. Check out the best mortar and pestle that I am about to review, and pick one that would be great for your kitchenette.
Top Picks of 2023
Here are the top 5 of the highly rated mortar and pestle products that I am happy to do a review. I have carefully selected the items according to the positive reviews, recommendations, and sales rating. Try to ponder which one is suitable for your nice kitchen. For your ease, I chose the best product for each type of material.
1# Marble Mortar and Pestle Set: Anzone Natural Texture Stone- The Best Marble Mortar and Pestle
When you are set to make the good condiment or dipping sauce, Anzone Mortar and Pestle would be useful to you. You can easily control the degree of grinding with this type of material.
It’s made of solid, heavyweight, beautifully crafted marble and has a capacity of 260 ml.
With the rich, high-grade, and dark marble stone material, it does not only help you make your food extra delicious, but the product itself makes a nice decoration in your kitchen. Marble material is easy to use and clean.
Amazon guarantees FULL-REFUND when your new mortar and pestle did not meet your expectations. Return it right away, hassle-free!
Dimensions:
- Outer Diameter: 6.3” ,
- Inner Diameter: 4.5” ,
- Height: 3.3” ,
- Depth: 2.4” .
- Pestle length: 1.8”
- Solid and sturdy
- The size is enough, neither too big nor small.
- The weight heavy enough to stay in place.
- Not dishwasher safe
2# ChefSofi Granite Mortar and Pestle: The Bet Granite Mortar and Pestle
The ChefSofi unpolished heavy granite mortar and pestle is my contender for the hard stone material category. I love the organic appearance of the product itself and the fact that it’s unpolished with the thought of improving its performance.
The product package includes an anti-scratch protector and an Italian recipe Ebook.
Since this mortar and pestle is made out of unpolished granite, it won’t be hard for you to stabilize the pestle masher since the quality of this mortar’s interior has the best metate-like natural friction for effective mashing.
With the 500 ml capacity, you don’t need to refill the ingredients frequently. Besides, it has a FULL REFUND in case the performance doesn’t satisfy you.
Dimensions:
- Outer diameter: 6.25”
- Inner diameter: 4.3”
- Height: 4”
- Depth: 3”
- Durable
- Versatile tool
- Easy to Clean
- Heavy enough not to slip on the counter
- Has a nice texture, perfect amount of grit
- The pestle is easy to grip
- Good quality
- Non-stick slip at the bottom
- The bottom has a pointy tip.
- The pestle is too short
- Square back end of the pestle
- Not dishwasher safe
3# Ironwood Gourmet Olmec Acacia Wood Mortar and Pestle: The Best Wood Mortar and Pestle
The Ironwood Gourmet Mortar and Pestle is made out of Acacia wood that is popular for its unique and natural contrasting patterns. I love the pre-Columbian design that adds a natural charm in the kitchen as a decorative function at its finest. It reminds me of an Asian kitchen ambiance.
It’s a perfect gift for a friend who loves kitchen tools. I call it a useful piece of art. This product has a capacity of 1 cup with good size, effective, and handy.
Dimensions:
- Outer diameter: 4”
- Inner diameter: 2.2”
- Height: 2.5”
- Depth: 1.8”
- Pestle: 5.25”
- Nice decoration in the kitchen
- The pestle tip is angled, nice and wide
- Has a wide opening
- Not too deep
- The inner surface is round.
- The top end of the pestle is comfortable to handle.
- The bottom has a pointy tip.
- The pestle is too short
- Square back end of the pestle
- Not dishwasher safe
4# Thai and Laos Kruk Grinding Earthenware Clay Mortar and Pestle: The Best Clay Mortar and Pestle
I am giving you the option of natural and safe clay material. Thai and Laos Kruk Mortar and Pestle is an excellent tool both at home and at the restaurant. The mortar is of clay material, and the pestle is of solid palm wood. The extra deep cone-shaped bowl is designed for lighter duty kitchen jobs.
The wood pestle is extra-long that makes grinding easy and effective. You will find the colors and dimensions slightly vary, with some rough patches in the interior and exterior of the mortar.
Dimensions:
- Outer diameter: 6.25”
- Inner diameter: 4.5”
- Height: 5.25”
- Depth: 4”
- Natural and safe material
- Suitable for small kitchens
- The length of the pestle is easy to use and useful
- Nice decoration at the kitchen
- Absorbs the flavor and odor of the ingredients
- Not sturdy
- Not dishwasher safe
5# HIC Mortar and Pestle: The Best Porcelain Mortar and Pestle
The HIC mortar and pestle is porcelain in material and has a pour spout to speed up preparation with minimum effort. Since it’s made of fine porcelain, it complements any décor you have in your warm kitchen. There is no problem placing this in the dishwasher, and it’s easy to clean too.
This product is easy to use in the kitchen when cooking when preparing herbs for homeopathy or use it for crushing pills. With its ½ cup capacity, it’s also lead-free.
Dimensions:
- Outer diameter: 4.5”
- Inner diameter: 2.3”
- Height: 3.5”
- Depth: 2.5”
- Pestle: 5.3”
- Dishwasher safe
- Elegant and is nice kitchen décor
- Pour spout is convenient
- Easy to use
- Very handy
- Not durable for heavy pounding
- Too small for many ingredients
6# 3S Stainless Steel Spice Grinder: The Best Stainless Steel Mortar and Pestle
The 3S Mortar and Pestle is a heavy-duty stainless steel safe and more wearable spice grinder. It is durable and can withstand heavy grinding and constant pounding. You don’t need to worry about the cleaning as well since it can be placed inside the dishwasher.
For a more safe and detailed design, there’s a rubber ring glued to the base of the mortar to prevent it from sliding when in use and protect the surface of the countertop from being scratched. The brush finish also prevents the pills and chunks from sliding away.
Dimensions:
- Outer diameter: 5.9”
- Inner diameter: 5.2”
- Height: 4.5”
- Depth: 2.5”
- Pestle: 5.3”
- Durable for heavy-weight pounding
- Dishwasher safe
- Easy to clean
- Has a rubber ring at the base
- Brush finish
- Too small
- The surface is too smooth.
Mortar and Pestle: Why Do I Like It?
I like the feel of the pestle as I crack spices, especially peppercorns. It makes me happy to hear the cracking sound as I grind peppercorns against the hard surface of the mortar. My mortar and pestle are useful in my scullery.
For me, it’s not only the best for spices, but for grinding aromatic roots and herbs for my home remedies as well.
I still choose mortar and pestle against the electric spice grinders or food processors.
I find those modern kitchen appliances costly and a waste of electricity. I believe that they are effective when you need to grind in volume and you don’t have ample time and energy to do it.
Yet, for my well-organized kitchen, and cooking for a not so large family, a little bit of small things, goes a long way. I insist that manual grinding brings out finer and more delicate essence that transpire in the hand-grinding method.
It releases the essential oils, flavor, and aroma of the spice and herbs. Besides, nothing beats the mortar and pestle when it comes to being portable and ease of cleaning.
The Best Mortar and Pestle Buying Guide
What Do You Need to Consider When Buying the Best Mortar and Pestle?
+ Material
Of course, you need to look for a material with a considerable mass to it and a solid surface. You’ll need a mortar and pestle that has a surface texture that is not overly rough, absorbent or too smooth. I find porous surface difficult to rinse and smooth ones greasy that makes my ingredients to spurt out.
- Stone : Stone materials are very effective. In fact, mine is granite. I bought the type that is heavy enough to be firm in place and has a matte pebble surface that can endure hefty and constant pounding. As what I learned, when your bowl is new, and you found a trace of bits of chalk in it, simply season it with dry white rice and pound it until it turns to powder. Throw the rice and repeat the process until it’s chalk-free. Do the same if you want to get rid of bad odors or stains from the bowl.
- Wood : I admit that wood is attractive when it comes to mortar and pestle. Nevertheless, I found it too light and not suitable for heavy pounding. It looks great as décor in my kitchen shelf though.
- Clay and Porcelain : I won’t use clay if I have other choices. Although it will work for some, for mine I find it too absorbent. I am sure it will break after some heavy pounding as well. Porcelain is quite fragile for the kitchen. Unless you don’t use mortar pestle that much, maybe this may be suitable for you.
- Stainless Steel : Stainless steel is too smooth and slippery surface. The ingredients will slide and spill during the process.
- Go choose the mortar that is sturdy and heavy enough to keep its whole body in place while in use and will not break from the pressure exerted while grinding.
- Keep an eye for surfaces that have a slight pebble or matte finish (in the bottom part of the well) to generate ample friction, gripping the ingredients while crushing. Choose one that is not hard to clean afterward.
+ Cleaning Tips
- Avoid using soap if possible. The porous type of material can absorb the soap’s flavor. Using warm water to rinse is enough to clean.
- If you’re particular in getting rid of bacteria, season it with lemon by rubbing the lemon itself at the surface. Set aside for a few minutes, rinse, and do the same method again if needed.
- You can clean your Porcelain and stainless steel mortar and pestle using the dishwasher.
+ Your purpose will determine the size and the design of your tool
I understand that when you plan to buy a mortar and pestle, you know exactly what to use it for at home. For you, what is the purpose of such a tool? If you plan to use it often for a bigger volume, I recommend purchasing a large one that holds enough capacity to meet the need.
I suggest choosing the kind that has a deeper well to hold the ingredients sufficiently.
Otherwise, if your main purpose is to grind herbs for your medicine occasionally, a small size is enough. Pick a mortar and pestle according to your personal choice.
- A deep round well will hold up the ingredients adequately thus preventing the ingredients to spurt and hurdle out while grinding than those shallow ones.
- The structure of the pestle must have a wide and slightly curved base that is broader than the tip. It should be amply wide in circumference so that it’s easy to manage while handling. Wider base keeps the ingredients in place.
- The weight and the size are equally important too. Choose the product that is not too heavy for you to carry as well as a size that fits the space you allocated. Make sure to check the dimensions suitable for your kitchen before buying one.
- Since the mortar could scratch the surface of your countertop, look for an additional feature like felt pad underneath to make it slide smoothly.
How to Use the Mortar and Pestle?
If you want to grind something until it becomes powder, a mortar and pestle is a suitable tool for you. It’s perfect for making a paste, pounding herbs, grinding spices, grains, nuts, salt, and even those that are not for culinary purposes. Let me show you a video on how to use the tool. It’s simple and fun!
Practical Tips When Using the Mortar and Pestle:
1. Don’t put more than 1/3 full of ingredients. Else, it will be hard for you to even pound without spilling
2. Hold the mortar firmly around the base with one hand, while using the other fist in holding the pestle. Twist the ingredients against the surface and grind evenly until you reached the desired consistency and texture.
My Personal Pick
I had fun reviewing the best mortar and pestle products. I purposely chose one best item for each kind of material for easier decision-making. If you know the purpose in using the tool, then for sure you have picked one already. We all have different choices, depending on our needs.
My personal pick is the granite mortar and pestle since the size and weight fit the need in my kitchen. Honestly, I already have one at home. Cooking for a family of 8, this mortar and pestle serves its purpose and never disappoints me. It’s been with me for 4 years now, and it still looks good as new!
I hope that this review has been helpful to you. You may drop a message if you have questions and suggestions.
Here are some other interesting models that you might like:
- ⓵[Natural Marble]: The mortar and pestle are made of natural marble, and the interior of the spice grinder is frosted to increase friction. Our wide-end pestle has a large frosted surface, which...
- ⓶[Easy to Clean]: We come with a brush and a stainless steel spoon, which can be used before and after use to avoid the difficulty of cleaning the pestle and mortar after making the sauce. Just use...
- ⓷[High Capacity]:The capacity of a mortar & pestles is 250ml (1 cup), and the finished sauce can be eaten by at least 2 people. Compared with an electric grinder, it can fully stimulate the aroma of...
- ⓸[Exquisite Packaging]:Marble morter and pessel set packaging adopts customized carton + pearl cotton box, which can fully protect the products you receive from damage. The silicone pad has no...
- ⓹ [Unique Appearance]: Stone mortar and pestle set made of natural marble, we carefully match (you do not have to worry about mortar and pestle color difference) polished motor and pestle set small...
- 🥥A KITCHEN MUST-HAVE: Perfect your homemade salad dressing, dip, seasoning and condiment recipes. Release the full, true flavor of pepper, spices or sea salt. Also apply to Pulverize fruit...
- 🥥CRUSH PILLS: It will help you powder pills, Widely used in drugstore and pharmacist, This makes it so much easier for the elderly, children, for optimal ingestion, or hide them in your...
- 🥥WELL-DESIGNED: It’ s been designed to work with all the features you'll need for easy pounding and grinding. The interior is unpolished and rough for better grinding. It's worth...
- 🥥PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS: Mortar: 4.7 inches across, 1.9 inches tall; Pestle: 4.8 inches tall.
- 🥥WARRANTY: 30 days warranty is guaranteed. Full refund or replacement if you are not satisfied with your purchase. (Including defection, accidental damage, non-satisfaction)
- 3 inch diameter
- Made of 100% Marble - a natural elegant stone with unique patterns and colorations. Due to natural variations in the marble, color may differ slightly from the images.
- Effective at reducing herbs, spices and nuts to powders or pastes
- Sleek design, will add elegance to any kitchen
- Essential For Delicious Dishes: There’s nothing like the unique flavor that freshly ground peppercorns and herbs can add to a dish! With this premium mortar and pestle set you can grind, crush, mash...
- Elegant Design: This stunning set is made with high quality granite that comes in a dark and stylish shade, so it will look beautiful on your kitchen countertop. The mortar has an impressive polished...
- With Bonus Accessories: The high quality granite mortar and pestle set comes with convenient bonus accessories that will make cooking a breeze! In the set you will find a silicone scraper to remove...
- Order With Confidence: At Culinary Couture we make your satisfaction our number one priority and this is why we strive to provide you with the highest quality products, the finest design and the best...
- APOTHECARY GRADE PORCELAIN- Pharmacies traditionally use non-porous porcelain to grind medication - with great reason. Consider these common issues: wood absorbs the taste of the previous grind -...
- DISHWASHER SAFE - EASY TO CLEAN AND BUILT TO LAST: Our dishwasher safe mortar and pestle will stand up to repeated cleaning and won't absorb odors or transfer flavors. The unglazed grinding surface...
- GREAT FOR ARTHRITIS AND WRIST INJURIES! OUR EZ-GRIP PESTLE & SILICONE MORTAR BOWL ENSURES A FIRM, STRONG GRIP AND PREVENTS SLIDING - Don't buy another mortar & pestle where the mortar slips and slides...
- USEFUL IN ANY HOME KITCHEN OR TO GRIND MEDICATION - GREAT FOR: powdering herbs, grains, spices, nuts, seeds, teas, bread, biscuits (for making homemade bread crumbs!), science experiments, or even...
- PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS: Mortar- 4.5 inches across, 3.25 inches tall; Pestle- 5.5 inches tall. Add To Cart Now!
- SOLID RUSTPROOF MATERIAL: Both pestle and mortar are made of food grade 18/8 stainless steel. Not only are they rustproof, it is also resistant to damage and corrosion by acidic food. Small compact...
- DURABLE AND STABLE: Made of solid metal, the pestle feels substantial in your hand and the mortar sits securely on your kitchen counter. Padding on the bottom makes it stay put even more.
- FOOD-SAFE: Because stainless steel does not hold residue or leftover odor, all it takes is a thorough rinsing under the tap to get it ready for next use.
- MESSY NOT: Translucent lid allows you to gauge your strikes and keeps the contents in the bowl, not over counter top.
- ALL YOUR GRINDING NEEDS: This grinding setup will accommodate just about anyone’s grinding needs. From medical pills, to herbs and spices; from the pharmacy to your kitchen.