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We ground tons of whole peppercorns to find the best you can buy.

When recipes tell you to "season with salt and freshly ground black pepper,” the “freshly ground” part is important. Whole peppercorns contain volatile oils that are released when the peppercorn is cracked. Like coffee beans, the oils dissipate quickly, so the flavor decreases over time.

For the freshest taste and aroma, we recommend a pepper mill. A pepper mill, also referred to as a pepper grinder, works by grinding peppercorns through burrs to create fragments. It allows you to grind peppercorns to order, as well as to choose your grind size from fine to coarse. A mill lets you bring the most fragrant, peppery kick to dishes like Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin or Pepper-Maple-Glazed Pork Chops.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliance Lab, we put 10 pepper mills to the test. We used more than 4 1/2 cups of peppercorns to fill each to their maximum capacity. We compared their performance by controlling the amount of time we ground on the fine setting, medium setting and coarse setting. We weighed the output of each setting to help gauge how long it would take to season foods and measure for recipes. We then tested whether the grinder could return to the fine setting with ease, or if the coarse grounds got stuck and made the adjustment difficult. Our tests yielded 36 grams of ground pepper—a lot when you consider that 1/2 gram would likely be quite generous on your morning eggs!

We also considered the weight of the grinder itself, the ease of operation and whether the grind sizes were preset or manually selected. Our recommendations include manual and electric picks as well as some new grinding styles. Here are the best pepper mills and grinders you can buy in 2021:

This compact and intuitive grinder came out on top in our tests. The five preset grind sizes are clearly marked and easy to select. There is clear differentiation between fine and coarse grinds, and the output means the grinder is suited for both spot seasoning and grinding larger quantities into a separate container for measuring.

It also holds 62 grams (about 1/2 cup) of peppercorns, which is an efficient use of space for a grinder of this size. The clear body lets you see when it’s time to reload, and it was one of the easiest to refill in our test: the bottom unscrews, allowing access to a wide mouth. The top-grind design also means no mess when you set the grinder down after use.

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This grinder feels good and looks good. It's carved from beechwood that's sourced in France and has a smooth, matte finish. Given that Peugeot invented the pepper mill back in 1874, it's no surprise that theirs has a classic silhouette, making it perfect for kitchen-to-table use. It's engineered with a two-stage grinding process: first, sharp teeth crack the whole peppercorns; then a second, smaller set of teeth mill the cracked peppercorns. This process allows for a more uniform output and enables the spice to be turned into an extremely fine powder, if desired.

It has six fixed grinding settings that are clearly labeled on the base of the mill and easy to select. The grinding action was smooth in our tests. The finest setting was very fine, and the coarse setting was nicely coarse.

This electric mill is designed with two chambers so you can have a pair of frequently used spices, like salt and pepper for instance, ready for use. The unit is rechargeable, and the charging base, which includes a removable crumb tray for easy cleanup, has an indicator light so you know the grinder is ready. The grind size is adjustable from fine to coarse, but the dial does not include preset grind sizes.

The clear spice holders let you see when it’s time to top up. It includes a 1-teaspoon cap to make grinding to measure easier, but due to what we found was slow grinding overall in our tests, it takes some time to hit a teaspoon. This mill is great for seasoning portions and handy if you don’t have the dexterity for (or interest in) grinding, but it was not the fastest for grinding large quantities.

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The producers of this American-made pepper mill refer to the steel grinding mechanism as “aggressive.” And after our testing, we agree — in the best way. The grinding action is smooth and provides a generous output. The grind size is set via a thumb screw on the bottom, which holds the grind size nicely, but it can be hard to recapture a precise setting if you adjust your grind frequently. It has a unique and easy means of refilling: you pivot the neck to reveal a side loading chamber, and then slide it back to close.

We liked the clean lines of the lightweight, plastic body. Plus, it had the largest capacity in our test — it held a whopping 150 grams (nearly 1.25 cups) of peppercorns. This makes the Unicorn a real workhorse: clean grinding and a long life between refills.

This is the only manual pepper grinder we tested that allows one-handed grinding. The double-handle design can be squeezed with one hand — great if you’re whisking or have been touching raw chicken with the other — or operated like hedge clippers with two hands. While the output of the single-handed squeeze was sufficient for light seasoning, the two-handed operation ground the largest amount of pepper of any grinder in our test. If you love making large quantities of dry rub or recipes that feature pepper (like cacio e pepe), this is the grinder for you.

The grind size is set with a dial that lets you select from six preset options. The settings were clear, but it was difficult to adjust the grinder from the coarsest setting back to the fine settings: The dial was jammed with partially ground peppercorns and required clearing. But it was one of the easiest to fill, with a wide-mouth 2-ounce jar that unscrews from the handles. The jar is borosilicate glass, so you can see when you need to refill, and it’s dishwasher safe (but the handles and grinder are hand-wash only).

This pepper grinder is a favorite in our Test Kitchen. Its plastic body fits comfortably in the palm while the nonslip handle turns smoothly and makes it easy to grind a lot of peppercorns at once, which is helpful for grinding into a larger container and measuring out for recipes. In our tests, it also proved easy to fill by opening the little door on the front of the unit. Its see-through window was also helpful in determining how many peppercorns were left in the grinder. The grind setting can be adjusted on the bottom of the grinder and range from fine to coarse.

This grinder offers a unique grinding method, which is especially helpful for those who have difficulty with a traditional mill. It works via a ratchet mechanism that allows you to toggle the handle back and forth for a more ergonomic motion than twisting. The grind size is set with a dial on the bottom: it’s easy to rotate between coarse and fine, but it lacks the precision of presets for selecting a specific grind size.

It comes with a measuring cup that locks into the bottom of the grinder, making it easy to see your volume in 1-tablespoon increments up to 3-tablespoon increments. The output is good, and the front loading door made refills easy.

Manual versus electric: Manual pepper mills require you to fill a chamber and then turn a portion of the mill itself to grind the pepper. For electric grinders, you’ll fill a hopper and then push a button to grind. Electric grinders are particularly handy if you have dexterity or hand-strength issues, as the repetitive motion of grinding can get tiring with manual models.

Grind size settings: For some dishes you’ll want a coarse grind, and for others you’ll want a fine grind, so being able to adjust your grind size is important. Handheld mills let you adjust by sliding a dial, rotating the base or adjusting a pin or screw. Some grinders have preset settings: this ensures you’ll get the same grind results each time, but it lacks nuance. Other grinders let you adjust as you see fit, but you’ll sacrifice consistency. Electric grinders may also have preset settings or a dial that lets you swing between coarse and fine.

Capacity: Mills are often sold with a height measurement listed. Generally speaking, a 12-inch mill will hold more peppercorns than a 6-inch mill. This affects how often you need to refill, but the larger issue is how comfortable it feels in your hands and how much space it takes up. Larger mills and grinders are often heavier as well, so if you have limitations, you might opt for a smaller model.

Ease of refill: Some mills and grinders have a narrow opening that makes it harder to smoothly funnel peppercorns into the chamber. Look for models with a large and easy-to-open (whether it slides or unscrews) access point.

Versatility: Consider the material of the grinding mechanism. If it doesn’t absorb odors (ceramic, for example), you can switch between pepper and, say, whole cumin without mixing or tainting flavors. Be careful when using a pepper grinder for salt, as salt can be corrosive and some salt-specific grinders are better choice for the task.