Cole & Mason 5.5-inch Granite Mortar & Pestle - Unpolished Stone Mortar & Pestle for Kitchen - Large Grinding Bowl for Herbs & Spices - 5.5"

great product for the price. I like the heft, so it remains in position while working. Also, the look is fantasitic.

I use a mortar and pestle daily (I'm a compounding pharmacist, so I use them to make custom mixtures)...and so I can say authoritatively that most mortar and pestle sets sold for kitchen use are decorative but useless junk. They don't grind well at all, and the pestles often do not fit the mortar properly (if the convexity at the pestle base is the wrong size, you won't get an even particle reduction). Some mortars are too shallow and everything spills out, or too narrow and it's hard to grind in them and difficult to get the spices out of them...etc., etc. But this sucker means BUSINESS.I wouldn't use it at work, because the surface inside is a bit too rough for pharmaceutical mixing...but that makes it *perfect* for grinding seeds and spices, and it does so very quickly and with ease. There's enough weight to the set that the mortar doesn't slide around and the weight of the pestle helps you grind your spices. I ground up some whole spices for a curry powder and it was like, "Grind—grind—holy cow, it's done already?!?" It's quick and efficient.It's also gorgeous. Looks great on the counter....and it's heavy enough to make an effective weapon of defense. I can hear the "Clue" game now: "Mrs. White...in the Kitchen...with the Granite Mortar." < SMACK! > Seriously, though, I'd be careful where you put it, so it doesn't get accidentally knocked over and break your toe. Just don't perch it on the edge of the counter, set it to the back.Just one more thing would make it perfect: if it came with a mortar card. Those are little plastic scrapers we use at the pharmacy to clean material out of mortars. You can use a rubber scraper, but a mortar card works better. You can get them at pharmacy supply stores, but they come 50 to a pack (check "Total Pharmacy Supply dot com", "small mortar cards"; they're $12.50 for 50 of them). Or maybe your local compounding pharmacy would sell you one? You can always call and check! But if you're looking for a good kitchen mortar, this is it.

After using mortar and pestles that were too small, too smooth, or too ineffective, I finally found one that suits my needs. For example, I grow and grind my own herbs, love garlic crushed with a bit of salt, use dried herbs and seeds that should be ground immediately before using to get maximum flavor, and frequently make avocado on toast or my own guacamole recipe (it's large enough for 1 big avocado). Finally, I've found an aesthetically pleasing mortar and pestle that's versatile, well designed, fast, easy, perfectly weighted, and large enough to be useful. Although I took the precaution of "curing" it with dried rice, salt, etc., it was already "clean" so the process was fast. Washing is a breeze; rinse it in hot water (no soap recommended) and air dry. This is an excellent value that I can highly recommend.

A good solid heft to it that you want for effective grinding and mulling. Looks good enough to leave on the counter. very happy.

I almost clicked on the top pick from ATK, which is twice the weight of this one, and I'm glad I realized the difference. The Cole & Mason is already quite heavy, and its profile is more attractive anyway, IMO. The loss of a star is because the pestle--as other commenters have noted--is not the same dark black as the outside of the mortar, as shown. It's still dark granite, but a gray instead. It looks OK, and not a deal breaker, but when you display a feature, you should deliver a feature.

I searched and searched for an awesome Mortar and Pestle, that'll last for years, while also looking quite nice left out on the counter. This one is perfect! I was considering a couple of marble ones, because of their look, but they just don't have what it takes to function as a true Mortar and Pestle, since they're too smooth. The roughened granite interior of this, however, is great for grinding up herbs, spices, and such, while the polished exterior is simply classy. This is the best looking one I found for its price range, and it works great. Cumin seeds ground up in this have an amazing flavor that the powder you buy in stores will never have. So much flavor is lost, the longer ground up spices are stored. If you love that extra bit of flavor in your food, I highly recommend getting your own Mortar and Pestle. Oh, and just an FYI, before the first use, wash and air dry. Never use detergent. Then you'll need to "season" it, in a sense. Grind white rice, in handful portions at a time, until the rice no longer discolors. After that, grind 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon peppercorns. Discard mix, then wash again. It's good to go, after that. Shouldn't have any little bits of granite in your spices. A nice book to buy, along with this, is: Alchemy of the Mortar & Pestle by D. & P. Gramp

I use this primarily to grind rosemary and it works beautifully for that. I haven't really tried it for grinding anything else, but I can see how it would easily work for cloves or fresh herbs. It cleans easily and isn't too heavy, but sturdy enough. It doesn't feel like it's going to crack or anything while I'm grinding.

The quality of this is very high. It's heavy, the right size, and looks really good. This is the first time I've owned one of these and have wanted one for a long time. I didn't realize that before it can be used, a new pestle must be seasoned. I also didn't realize how much work it is to season one. It will be worth it in the end, but my goodness, does it take a lot of work. I'm about 4 hours into it and believe it's about ready. Just know what your committing to :)