OXO makes a pepper mills with adjustable grinds.

If you have one with the little screw on top, just loosen the screw for a coarser grind. The tighter the screw is to the top (the part that you turn) the finer the grind.

The Wm Bounds peppermills have adjustable grinds. Several styles to choose from and the mills are quite durable. I've been using one of my Key Mills for over 30 years.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wm Bounds website

I have a Trudeaux pepper mill, and it has adjustable grind using the screw at the top like other mills. I've had it for 20 years, and it's still like new. I like the stainless steel finish it has. I paid $50 for it in 1992, but the price appears to have gone down for one reason or another.

Lars

Patty - Offhand I don't think I've ever come across a peppermill that is not adjustable. Granted some are better adjusting than others. Look for something you can loosen, whether a knob on the top (which loosens the rod leading down to the grinding mechanism) or twisting the grinding wheel itself on the bottom of the mill. If it feels like the whole mechanism is getting a little bit loose, you've just set yourself a coarser grind.

This post was edited by foodonastump on Mon, Dec 17, 12 at 20:18

FOAS, I've never seen one that wasn't adjustable either, except the disposable plastic ones at the grocery store. Some do some work better than others. I have a William Bounds pepper grinder that I got at Marshall's and it works very well, the little screw on top adjusts the grind.

Annie

Ditto, in my experience they're usually all adjustable--unless you buy one of those one-use jars of spices/pepper/salt in the spice section of the grocery store.

I have the most wonderful pepper mill. It's solid brass imported from India or the middle East, I think. It's about a foot tall and must weigh over a pound empty. And it was only about $20.00 from Harbor Freight!! I've seen similar ones retailing for over $80. Don't know if they still sell them--have had it for many years, but it was a great buy.

Turkish Pepper mills are not adjustable, and they are made basically the same as Turkish Coffee mills, which is what I normally use for grinding pepper, and it is not adjustable. I don't remember what I paid for mine, but I bought it 20 years ago, and it was a lot less than $50. The Frugal Gourmet popularized using Turkish Coffee grinders for grinding pepper back in the early 1990s, and I followed his advice. It's definitely my grinder of choice, unless I want a coarse grind, and then I have several other grinders for that. I keep different peppers in different grinders, and I really should label them.

Lars

Turkish Pepper mills ARE adjustable.

There is a nut and a screw on the bottom for adjustments.

dcarch

Thanks for everyone who responded I tried the screw on the top it change a little but it is a really cheap old mill. I will have to keep an eye out at the the thrift store for a better one. Patty

My Turkish grinder does NOT have a nut and screw at the bottom for adjustment. Maybe the newer ones do, but mine definitely does not. However, it grinds pepper the way I want it 99% of the time, and so I prefer that it is not adjustable.

Lars

Gourmet Select is the name of my black peppercorn grinder. Two bucks or less. Filled with peppercorns and ADJUSTABLE. Has a thingy on the top to move, like a screw. Like the Mccormick brands in shape and size.

Publickman, that's really surprising--that's exactly the kind of mill I have (although, I think mine is probably taller), the one bought for $20 from Harbor Freight and it's definitely adjustible, but the adjustment is 'inside' after you take off the bottom cap. It has a really nice range of grinds.

Like this one.

The screw sets the adjustment, and the nut locks the adjustment.

dcarch

My best pepper grinder is a little $2 or $3 cheapie that came with a (semi) "matching" salt shaker and full of peppercorns. Just plastic. Probably got it at one of the discount dept. stores but it has the handle instead of a twist knob and a crank or two gives a reasonable amount of pepper. Tighten or loosen the knob on top adjusts the grind. Made me appreciate pepper more and more.

Thanks Azzalea. I'll have to check Harbor. You never really know what they carry there do you? LOL Almost like a garage sale.

I remember the "frug" and his Turkish coffee grinder. It tempted me. I was thinking it could be used for a lot of different things. He started selling some under his name until his empire crashed and burned after the stuff came out.

Cynic--HF IS an experience isn't it? We ordered the pepper mill (which is a twin to the one pictured above) before we had the outlets in our area. Now, we're lucky and live only about 4 miles from one. Both DH and I can roam around enjoying ourselves there for quite some time.

Not sure they still have those grinders, but hey, it's never a wasted trip, is it? No matter what, you always come home with SOMEthing from HF.

You can always put some whole peppercorns on the cutting board, cover them with a cloth, and pound away with a heavy pot or something similar. Cracked finely enough is pretty much the same as a very coarse grind.