Pepper mills use hardened steel burrs that crack and cut peppercorns, while salt mills use ceramic or protected stainless-steel parts that crush corrosive salt crystals.
For the full breakdown, see our best Wooden Salt And Pepper Grinders guide.
Different jobs call for different metals, burr shapes, and clearances — a matched set is not a pair of identical mills.
Why Do Salt And Pepper Mills Need Different Grinding Mechanisms?
Salt and pepper differ in hardness, moisture behavior, and chemical aggression. Salt is rock-hard sodium chloride that must be fractured and pulls moisture from the air; pepper is an oily, aromatic seed best sliced open rather than pulverized. Peugeot, which has made mills since the 19th century, builds the two separately. Its pepper mechanism uses case-hardened steel with helix grooves and grinding teeth plus extra corrosion protection. Its salt mechanism uses corrosion-resistant stainless steel with two ribbed plates that fracture and crush coarse, dry salt.
How The Two-Stage Pepper Mechanism Works
A quality pepper mechanism grinds in two passes: large grooves crack each peppercorn, then finer teeth grind the fragments to the chosen size. Peugeot’s pepper mechanism follows that pattern — helix-shaped grooves and teeth fracture the peppercorn, then reduce it. Case-hardening gives the teeth a hard outer layer to hold an edge while a softer core resists cracking. Fill a pepper mill with black, white, green, or red pepper, coriander seeds, or a blend where pink peppercorns stay at or under 15% (they are softer and clog the feed in heavy loads).
What Salt Does To A Mechanism, And Which Materials Survive It
Salt corrodes ordinary steel and cakes when it absorbs moisture, so a salt mechanism must be corrosion-resistant and shaped to crush a hard, brittle crystal. Ceramic burrs and specially treated stainless steel survive; plain carbon steel does not. Peugeot’s salt mechanism uses two ribbed plates that fracture and crush coarse, dry salt. Its newer Zirlion salt mechanism runs from very fine powder up to crunchy grains, and
| Specification | Pepper Mechanism | Salt Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Burr material | Case-hardened steel with extra corrosion protection | Corrosion-resistant stainless steel or ceramic |
| Working action | Two-stage: cracks, then grinds | Ribbed plates fracture and crush crystals |
| Maximum grain size | 6 mm | 4 mm |
| Wet contents | Not applicable | No wet sea salt, even dried |
| Grind adjustment | u’Select base ring, six marked settings | Base ring or top knob, model dependent |
| Warranty coverage | Lifetime on steel mechanism | Lifetime on ceramic and steel mechanisms |
| Cleaning method | Wipe exterior with a soft cloth | Wipe exterior with a soft cloth |
How Do You Adjust The Grind And Keep A Mill Running?
On a Peugeot u’Select mill, turn the base ring — six marked positions plus intermediate stops. Salt mills with a top adjustment system use a crown knob instead, and the top unscrews for filling. Manual mills are turned clockwise over the food; electric Peugeot Daman mills run from a button press with the same u’Select six predefined settings in the base. Six marked positions is Peugeot’s u’Select number, not an industry standard — don’t assume setting counts carry across brands.
Peugeot authorizes wiping the exterior with a soft cloth only, not immersing the mill or washing the mechanism; water inside a salt burr leaves residue that cakes and seizes the plates once dry. You can find that same guidance in Peugeot’s US warranty and care information, which spells out the grain-size limits and care rules.
Common Questions
Can I Use Sea Salt In A Salt Grinder?
Only if the crystals are dry and 4 mm or smaller. Peugeot explicitly advises against wet sea salt, even after drying, because residual moisture cakes inside the mechanism and stalls the burr. Coarse dry sea salt within the size limit works fine in a corrosion-resistant salt mill.
Why Does My Pepper Mill Grind Unevenly?
Uneven output usually traces to oversized grains, an overfilled hopper, or a loose burr. Peugeot flags grains above 6 mm as misuse because they jam the feed. Empty the mill, check for whole peppercorns that never entered the grooves, and reset the base ring to a marked position.
Are Ceramic Burrs Better Than Steel For Salt?
Treated stainless steel also survives salt when built for that job, as Peugeot does. Plain carbon steel burrs from a pepper mill will corrode and should never be used for salt.
Sources
- Peugeot Saveurs. “Warranty Information (US)” Documents the two-stage pepper mechanism, salt mechanism materials, grain-size limits, and lifetime mechanism warranty.
- Peugeot Boutique. “Peugeot Duo Manual Mills Paris Natural 18cm Zirlion” Describes the Zirlion salt mechanism, the six u’Select grind settings, and mill warranty terms.