Get Grinding with the Peugeot Paris U’Select Salt and Pepper Mills

Looking for that special pepper or salt grinder that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing? If so, the Peugeot Paris U’Select may be the best choice for your kitchen and dining room table.

Beginning with the cherished, traditional wooden pepper grinder of 1874 and moving on to sleek styles of today, Peugeot has never compromised on its case-hardened steel grinding mechanisms which provide a consistent fineness of grind time after time. Add on the fact that the company offers a lifetime warranty, and this sits as one of the all-time favorites for a gourmet chef or an at-home meal adventurer.  Plus, these French-made salt and pepper mills are affordable for almost any cook, and the time that it saves with its quick grinding is almost priceless.

Peugeot 23317 Paris U’Select 9-Inch Pepper Mill, Natural

Specifically preferred from Peugeot is the Paris U’Select, which allows the user to choose from six different settings for coarseness or fineness. This provides the perfect grind: from roughly cracked to a fine dust, and gives consistency when switching back and forth. The top nob is easy to turn, providing a faster hand-grinding performance than many other models.

 

Clearly defined coarseness settings on any U’Select model can be adjusted with a flick of the wrist.

The Paris U’Select (as with all of the company’s models) features different grinding mechanisms for peppercorns and salt.

Peppercorns

The pepper milling system is actually a two stage burr-style setup similar to what you’d find in a good coffee grinder (the company makes those as well). The helix-shaped grooves and milling teeth of the burrs are independently cut prior to the carbon steel being case hardened making it essentially unbreakable.

The burrs and gears are then sent through a proprietary process that further safeguards against deterioration and rust. In operation, the helix grooves channels  peppercorns throughout the device to crack and then it grind them to a consistent dimension using a double row of teeth on the grinding burrs. This method allows for the secretion of the pepper’s essential oils, creating much more flavor and fragrance for your plate.

Salt

The salt crushing system is designed a little differently and is composed of several ribbed plates that operate in tandem to first break apart and then crush coarse sea, Himalayan, or other specialty salts to a uniform dimension. This mechanism is constructed of a high grade stainless steel that is practically immune to rusting and moisture damage.

The only real downside to Peugeot’s designs is that they only work with small peppercorns or salt chunks. The company advises not to use more than a 5mm round peppercorn or 4mms for salt. Also, some customers report that you sometimes have to give the device a mild shaking on the rare occasion that it jams (though at the very least this prevents you from adding too much salt by accident!).

Peugeot Paris U’Select 7 Inch Salt and Pepper Mill Set, Chocolate

Other styles that Peugeot features in their lineup includes clear plastic with stainless steel trim, or light beechwood with a sleek and slim body. With colors ranging from bright yellow to black, the Paris U’Select line offers a product to match any kitchen or dining room. Options for sizes range from the smallest 5” to the enormous 16” model for impressive grinding action.

PROS	CONS
• Refilling is fairly easy. Simply unscrew top threaded brass rod and remove the wooden end cap to reach the hopper.	• This model does not seem to like larger than standard peppercorns; the hole that allows them to travel from the hopper to burrs is not larger enough to allow them to pass through. In fact, Peugeot recommends peppercorns 5mms or less in diameter.
• Very wide grind adjustment with six pre-set levels but can be fully adjusted for any grind size that you require. Thanks to the graduated markings, this is one of the easiest models to adjust. However, it may not go coarse enough for some pepper aficionados.	• Customers report that the Peugeot Paris U'Select seems to work best at about three quarters or less full. Filling it completely full can cause jamming issues. Also, given its size, it hopper size is not very big.
• Made in France WITH a Chicago based support team for warranty issues.	• Moisture can affect the wooden adjustment collar. Since water swells and contracts wood, this can eventually cause swelling and splitting of the collars. Peugeot recommends wiping the U'Selects and other wooden models down after every use but who does that?
• Lifetime warranty.
• Available individually or in pairs.

Peugeot 23607 Paris U’Select Pepper Mill, Red Lacquer

Although we love the looks and performance of the Peugeot Paris U’Select models, the durability concern of moisture penetration greatly affected its rating. Unless you habitually wipe down the peppermill after every use, the threat of a split bottom ring remains.

You may want to consider a couple of different models for different uses.  This wooden body and adjustable grinder would make the perfect candidate for the dining room table (or the larger versions would work well for restaurant use) where water penetration is not an issue. You could choose a product such as the Unicorn Magnum Plus for kitchen only duty where performance is paramount over looks. 

Check out all of the U’Select styles on Amazon to find the perfect match for your kitchen.