OXO Good Grip Salt Grinder

Oxo is known for dependability, great ergonomics, and solid customer service. I can attest to all of this as an owner of several Oxo products. In some ways, this product, and other Oxo pepper mills, are further examples, but it does not mean they are not without shortcomings. For this product, there are two shortcomings. One is functional. One is aesthetic. Functionality: This Oxo pepper mill, and, to the best of my knowledge, all Oxo pepper mills, use a ceramic burr, instead of steel. In some cases, if not most, ceramic grinders do not hold up as well as steel, and, do not grind as finely when adjusted to do so. This has proven true on the Oxo grinders I have tested, and owned. While I have seen ceramic grinders do an excellent job on fine grinding peppercorns, Oxo is not at the top of this list. If you want fine grind peppercorns, Oxo will fall short. Not by a lot, but by enough. Aesthetics: All of the transparent Oxo pepper mills I have tested, and owned, and, are aware of in their product line, use plastic instead of glass for the main compartment. While this is not a functional issue, it is an aesthetic one. Plastic cylinders holding peppercorns get cloudy as they are used, and the peppercorn grind dust coats the barrel. This does not happen nearly as much in glass. To some, especially those people who own solid wood, or non-transparent pepper mills, this is no issue. To others like me, who like to use a medley of peppercorns in mills, and like the appearance of clear glass displaying peppercorns, a clouded acrylic/plastic container is a visual blight in aesthetic. A tiny one, but still, a blight. Another aesthetic shortcoming is the shafted grinder design. In a see-through pepper mill, this is a bad design. Oxo products have always been expensive for the comfort they return in ergonomics. I wish they would also return a bit more quality in the materials they choose. See pictures for examples.