spice grinders

[Cheesemaker]

Does anyone have an opinion on the best spice grinder available? I'm becoming interested in East Indian cooking and grinders are necessary for the many spices involved in the meals. I understand there is a difference between wet and dry grinders. Is there a machine that does both jobs?

Thanks

[eclecticsynergy]

I'd recommend the old-fashioned mortar and pestle. A decent stone set will not cost a lot, can be used for dry spices, leafy herbs, or wet pastes & combinations, and will last for many lifetimes. Not only does it give you absolute control over the coarseness or fineness of the process, but it's truly hands-on cooking. There's a certain primeval satisfaction to grinding one's spices by hand, hard to describe but not to be underestimated.

Traditional in every classic cuisine (including east Indian), the mortar & pestle was used all over the world before electric or mechanical grinders were invented. It was thousands of years old before we could make metal pots or even clay ovens to cook in, and is in fact one of the most ancient tools of mankind, with examples dating way back through prehistory to neolithic times. And it's still in use today.

So unless you have truly huge amounts of grinding to be done, that's my advice.

Go twenty-first-century stone age and get yourself a tool that your great-great-grandchildren may still be using many years from now!

[KarenB]

Some blenders will work. They are both wet and dry grinders. The difference is in the blades. Four blades 2 are bent at 45 degree and 2 are horizontal. I just use a coffee grinder for this. They are cheap and easy to clean. They can run fro $10 to $40.

[CM]

I have a mortar and pestle and it works very well to make spice pastes and/or grind spices and doesn't take as much work as you would think. I also use a tiny food processor sometimes, but this can be more work to clean unless you just toss it in the dishwasher. Sometimes the spices can miss the blade so you need a pulsing function for spices.

I've also used a coffee mill and they do a good job (use it only for spices).