Our Brass Pepper Mill Care Guide

About

The Alexander Mills Brass Pepper Mill is handcrafted in Thessaloniki, Greece by Alexander Mills, a family run business which has operated since 1977, producing exquisitely designed grinders from solid brass.

This mill is a beautiful, traditional pepper grinder, crafted with precision. The grinder is equipped with a crank, and able to handle a variety of spices allowing you to infuse your recipes with freshly ground aromas. It's handmade from solid brass and equipped with a cast grinder that is designed so that it grinds the spices optimally. The 3-part grinding mechanism first guides the spice down into the mechanism, after which it is coarsely ground and finally completely finely ground.

These mills are suitable for pepper and other dry spices but are not suitable for salt, which would cause damage to the internal mechanism. There is a subtle engraving of the word 'Pepper' on the mill.

How to Assemble

After removing all packaging, you will need to unscrew the nut on the top of your mill to find the handle. Take out the handle, put the top back on, put the handle on top and then tighten the nut.

Before use, it is recommended to grind a small amount through the grinding mechanism of the mill and then discard it.

Care Instructions

All mills listed as pepper mills are made for pepper but can also grind dried spices. In general, it is not recommended to grind spices with a soft core in these mills.

The outside of ​brass mills and copper mills will naturally oxidise and develop a patina over time from both touch & exposure to moisture/air and through use.

If you wish to retain a bright polished look, metal polish can be applied with a soft cloth on the outside of the mill. Avoid excessive moisture & keep contents dry. 

Avoiding Corrosion

Exposure to moisture or humid environments may lead to more extreme corrosion such as bright green blue to grey colourations, which are best removed. Corrosion may also sometimes occur inside the mill or between metal parts for example between the lid and the body of the mill, which can be checked and cleaned when refilling the contents.

There are a variety of proprietary metal cleaners on the market suitable for cleaning brass and copper. Give the mill a final polish with a proprietary metal cleaner, or wipe with camellia oil to help inhibit further corrosion.

Camellia oil (which we sell) has traditionally been used in Japan to help protect knives and blades from rust and tarnish and can be used on your uncoated mill to help inhibit corrosion, especially where it can develop unnoticed between the lid and the body. After cleaning and before putting the parts back together, wipe the metal parts thoroughly with a soft cloth dipped in camellia oil.