What I have. Lasted me 10 years already. Very easy to use. What the spec says: "Originally designed for the Greek Army to grind coffee in the field, these mills are strong, beautiful and work great. The patented grinding mechanism cleaves the pepper to maximize the exposed surfaces of the peppercorn that results in more pepper flavor. Pepper can be ground into the attached collecting cup to add measured amounts to your favorite recipe or directly onto food. Hand crafted in Greece.  Hand made to exacting standards  Can be used for grinding coffee beans or other spices  Grinding mechanism cleaves pepper to maximzie exposed peppercorn surface  Traditional style grinds into cup at the base  Durable all metal body" Good reviews on Amazon. Not made in China. Surprise? :-) dcarch

lette_04- I've been through several brands of salt grinders over the years. My first grinder I bought from King Arthur Flour Company was an Emsa, but it had a small chamber and was difficult to change the grind. I now use it to grind whole nigella seeds (a nice change-of-pace taste to black pepper). We had a set of small and large G'Rabbit grinders (has ears that look like a rabbit and they were almost a kitchen "pet"). Very easy to use with one hand, but we managed to break the ears on one of the small ones, and both sizes were messy. Fast forward several years.... I have a pair of OXO salt and pepper grinders I really like, and OXO has several different styles available. The ones I have are at the Amazon link below. I purchased mine at K-Mart, on sale, for about half the Amazon price. You can easily change the coarseness of the grind with your thumb (5 choices of grind). They are easy to use if you have a small hand (with a nice soft grip), they don't take up much cabinet space and are easy to refill. Because they store with the grinder up, you don't have a mess where ever you store them. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: OXO Salt Grinder

My main prep space is a 30" stretch of counter between the cooktop and the sink. Once I start working in earnest, I don't like to have to move far from that spot, just shift over a step to sink or stove. Always out is a cutting board (14" x 18"), held steady by a piece of that foam-fabric shelf liner stuff. Always lined up against the wall in front of me: - utensil crock [most-used utensils only] - bottle of olive oil - salt dish - pepper mill - butter bell - small utensil crock [measuring spoons, peeler, scissors] Between the cutting board and the line-up, there's a spoon rest. My motto is "be ready to cook". Nothing is out on that counter that isn't used daily, often several times a day. There's plenty to get out when preparing food without also having to get out the "infrastructure" every time. When I need something while prepping and cooking, I either reach for it right in front of me, or get it from the assembled ingredients behind me on the worktable [I'm pretty much of a "mise en place" cook]. The less-often-used utensils are all in the top drawer under the stove, in one layer, viewable and reachable at a glance. I hate riffling! It helps that I don't have many electric appliances; the immersion blender and coffee grinder are in cabinets, the little toaster and small microwave are on the worktable with a bowl of onions and garlic. The induction unit lives on a cookie sheet covering a rear burner on the gas stove, leaving three gas burners free -- a dirt-cheap way to get a "hybrid" cooktop.

OK, sounds like I want to pass up those Ikea options. I want to be able to have friends over and have conversations with my H and kid, so I don't want something insanely loud. Thanks for the rec on Costco!! I haven't been lately, but we do have a membership. I just looked it up online and indeed it sounds like a nice option, especially for that price! I'm going to read all the reviews carefully to see whether it's loud... would love any other recommendations as well. Thanks all!! This forum is the best!