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Stone (Granite) Mortar and Pestle
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| Price: | $26.95 - $44.95 |
Average customer review:
Product Description
Made in Thailand of carved granite, this durable high quality product is an important tool for Thai cooking as well as around the world. Won't chip or crack. Each mortar is cut from a solid granite rock and carefully carved by hand. Hefty 15 lb weight, this product has remarkable visual appeal and is the finest mortar and pestle on the market, mentioned as the best mortar and pestle in America by The Wall Street Journal (Feb 16, 2007). We use the finest raw material available.
Product Details
- Brand: ImportFood
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Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and different information than what is shown on our website. We recommend that you do not rely solely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. Please see our full disclaimer below.
Customer Reviews
one of the best things in my kitchen
I can't tell you how much I am enjoying using it. Why this mortar? Granite is heaviest. This one is smooth and cleans out well without leaving any smell residues. I love garlic paste with little oil and salt that comes out of this mortar. Put it on tomatoes and mamma mia! It is one of the best purchases I ever made. It's been around for so long and it seems only now we (western society) are discovering that food mashed are not the same as when you cut or grind them. You got a have this one!
A miracle for pesto!
I love pesto. My boyfriend insists on making it the traditional Italian way, with a mortar and pestle, because Marcella Hazan recommends it that way. I didn't think I could ever make pesto myself, because I don't have enough strength in my arms to grind away with the mortar and pestle my boyfriend had. It was porcelain and small and inconvenient for making pesto in larger quantities for when we had guests over. So I decided to get him a new one, bigger and better.
I searched several mainstream kitchen stores and was unhappy with the selections they had. If the mortars weren't too small, the pestles almost always were. They seemed painful to work with as I worried my boyfriend would bang his fist around while grinding. Then I found this one at Sur La Table. Their price was comparable to the one offered here.
I got the biggest size mortar and pestle. At first, I was hesitant because it didn't come in any packaging and so I couldn't check who the makers were or what material its made of and other such information. It really was just "what you see is what you get". It did have a "Made in Thailand" sticker, but I had no idea if Thailand was famous for its mortars and pestles. I did think that to ship something this heavy all the way from Thailand would be expensive, which I really don't think is reflected in the price. Also, the material (which I now know is granite) seemed to have some imperfections. For example, the handles on the side are just for show and serve no function and they weren't identical. I wondered if this was some kind of "tourist trap" item made in Thailand that was imported.
I finally decided to get it because it was the biggest and sturdiest mortar and pestle I had found. I could also return it if my boyfriend didn't approve of it. It also looked so pretty. We wouldn't have to put it away as it would make a great display/conversation piece in the kitchen. What I also loved about it was that the mortar and the pestle each were made in one piece. Nothing could possibly break off or loosen up.
My boyfriend loved it upon sight! He agreed it was a great display piece. And more importantly, big enough to grind enough pesto for a large dinner party. But the real test was actually trying it out to make pesto in it. My goodness! What used to take my boyfriend 20 minutes to make now takes him 5 minutes. Better yet, as heavy as that pestle is compared to others, I could grind pesto now with little effort! It's such a pleasure to make now, as I witness a miracle taking place in the mortar. Just a few grinds and swirls makes basil leaves become the required paste. It practically makes itself!
Yes, its heavy! I thought that would be a drawback, because then we couldn't hold it while we were grinding. But there's no need for that! It's so heavy that it won't move around the counter top while grinding, and it does the job so efficiently and quickly that there's no need to hold it for shoulder and arm joint relief. We also found out that some granite grit would come into the food. Some online research revealed that grinding some uncooked rice in the mortar, throwing it out and repeating the process until a batch of rice remained white instead of gritty would solve the problem. I know this sounds like a hassle, but if you're looking for long-term satisfaction as a serious cook, this is it. No two ways about it.
Now I know that the imperfections in the granite are natural. Considering that it is extremely difficult to chip away granite, I wonder how they carved out handles and all in the first place!
I love it!
P.S. My boyfriend has used it to grind spices for curry and said it worked great for that as well.
Better in many ways than a food processor
I got one of these as a gift, and I just love it. The heavy granite is perfect for bashing peppercorns. I don't even have a grinder anymore; when I want fresh pepper for soup or cooking, I put a teaspoon of peppercorns (usually a gourmet green and black mix) into the mortar and in only a few seconds I either have crushed pepper for roasts, or I grind it down for fine pepper for soups. You can control the grind extremely well; from dust-fine to coarse.
Garlic is heavenly, mashed with butter, and if you use allspice, it is so much better in whole form, crushed just before use. Allspice seems to lose its potency in ground form, so I only by whole spice. Same goes for coriander seeds.
This also makes good wet herb pastes (like gremolata with parsley, lemon zest and salt) or nut pastes for stuffing under chicken skin before roasting. It's fast to use, attractive on the kitchen counter and easy to clean. If you like to use fresh spices and herbs in your cooking, this is a must.
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