I'm Convinced the HexClad Pepper Grinder Is Better Than Its Skillets

In a lot of older recipes, pepper often seems like an afterthought: “Salt and pepper to taste.” But lately, is it just me or is black pepper having a renaissance? Recipes no longer mention it as an optional ingredient, instead leaning into it wholeheartedly. In a meatball recipe in Molly Baz’s cookbook More Is More, she tells cooks to season the panade with “lots of freshly ground black pepper.” Meanwhile, in Andy Baraghani’s The Cook You Want to Be, he also implores us to sprinkle a sizzled feta dish with “lots of pepper.” Call me influenced, but in the past year, I’ve peppered more than I ever have, making a good grinder a must. And the star pepper grinder in my household is from HexClad—yes, the Gordon Ramsay-approved skillet brand.

Why the HexMill Is My Go-To Pepper Mill

I was skeptical when I first received the HexMill Pepper Grinder a year ago. (I got it along with the cookware set.) It was tall and heavy, and I wasn’t sure the geometric design would be comfortable to grip. It seemed over-engineered—and overpriced, at $129. But I filled it up with peppercorns and gave it a try. Fast-forward a year, and it’s the pepper mill I reach for daily. What gives? 

There are a few important things when choosing a pepper mill: how easy it is to adjust the grind size, how comfortable it is to hold and use, how fast it grinds, and its capacity. And, much to my surprise, the HexMill delivers on all counts. 

It features a bottom catch basin you can grind into or remove to grind pepper directly onto food. The grind adjuster is a simple dial that can be pushed toward “coarse” or “fine.” While it might not be as nuanced as some other pepper mills we’ve tested, I still find it easy to home in on the size I want. Once that’s chosen, I give a quick twist to the smoothly rotating knob, which has nice torque to it, and out spritzes pepper. It’s fast, efficient, and delivers a fine powder as readily as a chunky grind. 

One of my favorite things about the HexMill is its capacity. While I also have and use our top pepper mill from Peugeot (it’s great!) the capacity is 35 grams of peppercorns, which I blow through in a week or two. (What can I say, I like pepper!) The HexMill, on the other hand, holds double that at about 70 grams. I can go even longer without a refill. When I do need to fill ‘er up, it’s as simple as pressing the button on the top and the knob pops off. It has a wide opening too, so peppercorns funnel neatly into the mill rather than scattering across my countertop and floor. 

And while yes, it’s a pricey mill, it’s also incredibly durable—I’ve knocked it off the counter many times, and it’s sustained nary a scratch. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is an editor at Serious Eats, where she’s been testing gear for almost three years. 
• She’s been using the HexMill for about a year, and it’s become her go-to pepper grinder.