REVIEW – Salt and pepper are the final touches for many dishes, and when they are ground during plating there’s an extra touch of freshness. Salt and pepper grinders are a good addition to any kitchen, so I am testing a new set of grinders from Cospro.
What is it?
This is a set of three powered grinders, each of which can be used for salt or pepper. They have a stainless-steel body and a ceramic grinder head. Each grinder has a lithium-ion battery that is wirelessly recharged from the included base station.
What’s included?
The following items are included:
- 3 Cospro salt and pepper grinders
- 1 base plate with an integrated USB-C cable
- 1 USB charging block
- 1 cleaning brush
- 1 manual
Tech Specs
The Cospro salt and pepper grinders have the following specifications:
- Charge time: 2-3 hours
- Grind time per charge: 40 minutes
- Battery: 800 mAh
- Cap and body material: Stainless steel
- Silo material: Food-Grade BPA-Free AS (Acrylonitrile-styrene)
- Grinder head material: Ceramic
Design and features
The grinders feature a stainless-steel body and cap that sandwich a clear plastic silo where the salt and paper can be seen. There’s a button on one side that activates the grinder and four LEDs to indicate the remaining battery charge. The bottom of the body has five ticks that mark the level of grinding coarseness.
The base station is triangular in shape and features a mix of black plastic and stainless steel. Overall, this a tasteful design that will look good in any kitchen.
Assembly, installation, and setup
Setting up the Cospro salt and pepper grinders is simple. I screwed the silo into the base and then popped the lid onto the silo. That’s when I found it: One of the silos had a human hair in it, a long dark one. So very gross! If you make gadgets that are used in food prep, you just can’t make this disgusting mistake.
At that point, I knew that I needed to clean out these grinders before I could use them. To be fair, I should do this in any case, just to make sure there are no residual chemicals. Neither the manual nor the website offered any instructions on how to clean the inside of the grinders, another mistake. I sent an email to the support email address in the manual asking how to clean it, but Cospro didn’t bother to reply, yet another mistake.
A Google search revealed a variety of options, and I chose a two-part process. I washed the outside of the grinders and the silo with warm water and soap. I then poured a mixture of four parts water with one part white vinegar through the grinder while it was grinding to disinfect the inside. After letting it air dry, I put white rice into the silo and ground it on the finest setting for a full minute to absorb any remaining water and oils. Now they were ready to use.
Setting up the base station was easy. I flipped it over to reveal the built-in USB-C cable. I unwound some of it and then slipped it through the slot.
I then connected the cable to the charging block and plugged it into an outlet on the bar in our kitchen. To charge the grinders, I only needed to set them in one of the three circular locations on the base. It charges one grinder at a time, and the LEDs on the front light up to indicate how much charging remains. The batteries in these grinders are not replaceable, so unfortunately these are disposable gadgets.
Adding salt or pepper is super easy. I popped off the top and poured the salt or pepper in. Cospro’s grinders have five levels of coarseness that can be set by twisting the bottom of the base.
The levels vary from finest (#1) to coarsest (#5). For me, the only setting I will use is #1; I think the other levels are too coarse to enjoy on my food. In fact, I wish there was a finer setting or two, as even the finest setting is coarser than pre-ground salt or pepper.
I found that the Cospro salt and pepper grinders did a great job grinding almost everything I tested them with. It handled rice, sea salt, and white peppercorns with ease. It struggled, however, with these pink peppercorns that are supposed to be spicy. I tested some of them in a manual grinder we have, and it struggled as well. These peppercorns have a lot of oil on them, and I think the grinder finds it difficult to get a good grip, regardless of the level of coarseness. It’s probably best to use drier ingredients in these grinders. I plan to remove the pink peppercorns and replace them with black ones.
On the finest setting, the resulting pepper was about the same coarseness as my manual grinder, though it’s a lot less fine than pre-ground pepper. The manual warns not to use these grinders over the stove where steam from the cooking dishes can rise up, get into the grinders, and clog them up. These are for use on the table only. There’s a small LED on the bottom of each grinder that makes it easier to see how much salt and pepper is added to my food. That’s a nice touch that I like.
In the bottom of the base station is a removeable tray. As bits of salt and pepper drop from the bottom of the grinders while they are charging, they fall into the tray for easy cleanup. That’s another nice touch from Cospro.
A set of three grinders cost nearly $100, making each grinder around $33. That’s on the pricey side, as Amazon is full of simple grinders for less than $10 each. Cospro also has a five-piece set for those who really enjoy a wide variety of salt and pepper.
What I like about the Cospro 3-in-1 salt and pepper grinders
- Tasteful design
- Easy to fill
- Five levels of coarseness
What needs to be improved
- Clean and inspect grinders before shipping to make sure there are no human hairs
- Add instructions on how to clean the inside of the grinders
- Respond to questions to your support email
Final thoughts
Cospro’s latest gadget is a set of three electric salt and pepper grinders that can charge wirelessly when placed on a base station. Though they don’t grind quite as finely as I would like, they did a good grinding both salt and pepper. Designed to be used on the table, but not for cooking, these grinders are aesthetically appealing. I like them, and my wife and I use them nearly every day.
Unfortunately, I have some concerns wit Cospro. One of the grinders arrived with a human hair in the silo. They didn’t provide any information on how to clean their products, something that was extra necessary in this case. When I contacted their support team via email, they didn’t bother to respond. If a company wants my recommendation for one of their gadgets, they can’t make these kinds of mistakes. For now, I think it’s better for you to look elsewhere for your salt and pepper grinding gadgets.
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Cospro or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided free of charge by Cospro. Cospro did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
