If you use a coffee/spice mill for coffee, you won't want to use it for spices, and vice versa. That may be what the sales person was talking about, not that the machine was incapable of milling spices; because there are lots of "oils" in coffee beans as well.

I have a Bosch coffee/spice mill (electric with a blade) that I've used for many years, mostly for milling flaxmeal, but I've also used if for milling whole allspice and cloves.

When it comes to milling whole nutmeg in it, it's not suited for it. You would have to hammer a whole nutmeg into tiny bits for it to be able to mill it. Milling a whole nutmeg at one time would also make a LOT of nutmeg. So if you aren't using it freshly grated, you just as well use the stuff in the can/bottle. I'd suggest a nutmeg grater - the old-fashioned steel cone, a microplane - or a nutmeg mill which is designed specifically for whole nutmeg. I have a nutmeg mill and it never did a good job - I got nutmeg "shavings" rather than ground nutmeg, so I reverted back to a grater or microplane for nutmeg.

I milled cinnamon sticks (broken into small pieces) in a Krups spice/coffee mill and it ruined the plastic cover, so I'd be careful milling cinnamon sticks, as well. What I have since learned is that cinnamon sticks are made up of thin layers and you can easily mill them. Cassia sticks are much harder, made up of one thick layer, capable of damaging a spice or coffee grinder. I must have been using cassia sticks....

I also have hand-mills for salt/pepper/spices. They work fine and most have adjustable grinds on them.

I also have Porkert Poppy Seed Mill which is great for milling all kinds of things, including the tiny seeds of grain such as teff and amaranth, coffee, spices, oily seeds like sesame and poppy seeds.

Choices abound and no one grinder/mill does it all....

-Grainlady

If it helps, I need to be able to grind allspice, cummin, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon, pepper and other spices used in Middle-Eastern and Oriental cooking.

I would say a good-quality electric spice/coffee mill should do the items on your list. It probably doesn't need to do different grinds normally used for grinding coffee beans (percolator, drip, and expresso - large grind to fine) but might be a nice feature. I'd suggest a Bosch or Krups. I gave my "dinged-up from the cinnamon sticks" Krups to a needy friend 4 years ago, and she's still using it (it's at least 15 years old). I recently purchased a Hamilton Beach "Custom Grind" (with a retractable cord), and it's not nearly as good as either my Bosch or Krups. It doesn't mill as finely as either of the others.

If using whole cinnamon sticks, make sure it's the ones that are appropriate for it, not the cassia sticks. The Porkert will do all small seeds, it's just not as convenient for doing small amounts like a spice/coffee mill. You must mount it by it's clamp on a board/table and grind by hand.

I hope others share their "grinding" experiences because I'm the milling "oddball" with a whole bevy of mills. If one type doesn't work, I have others to utilize.

-Grainlady

Netla, I grind everything you mentioned except the cinnamon sticks, (never had the need), and use a Krups coffee grinder. I didn't specifically choose a Krups, my mom gave me hers. It does an excellent job, but you can't use it for coffee, IMO. Even if you clean it thoroughly, the plastic lid retains the spice flavors, and you get some pretty interesting coffee ;)

I also have a coffee grinder that I use just for spices. Mines a Braun, but any brand should work. To clean I just grind some soda crackers or some dried bread and then wipe it out with a damp cloth. I put the plastic lid in the dishwasher.

Ann

Weed, ever try caraway coffee? You dump some caraway seeds in with the coffee beans when you grind them, and you get spiced coffee. I imagine it would taste like someone had accidentally used a spice grinder to grind coffee beans, but it is actually a traditional Icelandic coffee drink, possibly because it tastes like it has Brennivín (caraway-flavoured schnapps) in it. However, somehow I can not imagine pepper-flavoured coffee catching on.

The store I went to had a Krups grinder, and at just the right price.

I have a little Krupps mill....but seldom use it. At one time I used iut a lot for grinding blackening spice mixes.....never tried a cinnamon stick.
Linda C