This is one of those things that has caused a bit of strife between DH and me. We typically use pepper straight from the pepper grinder on a daily basis, but I have plenty of fun salt & pepper shaker sets for holidays and special occasions. I've always used the 3 hole for pepper. His family has always used the 3 hole for salt. Personally, I think they all oversalt their food and are looking for major blood pressure issues. Since I fill the shakers, the 2 hole is for salt & the 3 hole for pepper in our home.

Now I feel better that this is not a straightforward answer that is obvious to everyone but us, lol!
Thanks for the explanation. We were leaning that way... We use the pepper with grinder too, but this is a cute set I got of a mouse and a piece of cheese. It sounds corny but it is plain white ceramic and the design is simple and adorable.

Traditionally the fewer holed one was for pepper. But our predecessors were wimps. Couldn't handle their pepper and sprinkled too much salt (but had less prepackaged stuff so they didn't kill themselves with it).

Newer ones though...hard to say. Salt can come in big bits but so does pepper.

Ha! This has been a feud amongst some for nearly a century, and the answer varies by country. In our melting-pot society in the USA, there is no definitive answer.

Lax's system and rationale is what I use with fun/special occasion sets, but I avoid the problem with everyday grinders for larger grained sea salts and whole tri-color peppercorns. I really like the fresher flavor of the pepper, the supposedly healthier salt and being able to see into the acrylic containers.

As I tend to use minimal salt and enjoy pepper, it's an easy decision for me to put the pepper in the cellar with the most holes when using shakers with non-identical tops. Over the years, I have acquired some antique sets and the some former users did it one way and others the other. Today, some manufacturers put the same # of openings in each, some label or change the color of the shaker and make it easier to avoid family conflict, er "discussions."

I think this is really a case of what works best for you.

Since it was OT, I thought this was a question about Standard and Poor's downgrade of US debt!

I am so glad it is just about salt and pepper!

There actually is a standard, like the hot tap is on the left and the cold is on the right. The salt is more holes and/or large holes. This dates back before Morton's and the salt used to clump. And people used to put rice in the shaker to draw the moisture. Ah, the good ol' days... :) If you go to a restaurant it's this way, though if it's the kind of place where they're on the table, they often use a single kind of glass shaker so they don't have to stock two, and those let you see what you're getting. :)

That has nothing to do with what you do at home, other than if your guests know what's "standard" they might be in for a surprise.

The exotic birds I have on my dining table are more problematic. It's really hard to find the holes because of the coloration! They're in the birds' necks. This makes it really easy to control them, but difficult for guests to figure out.

Myself and e1 I know uses the smaller two holes for pepper and the 3 hole larger for salt. The reasoning might be that one usually uses more salt than pepper...

DH works for a restaurant supply company that sells shakers. He says more holes are for salt. Or at least that's the restaurant standard.

Hmmm... now I am confused. We usually use more pepper than salt at the table, but then again, we have the peppermill for that... I think I'll do the salt with the 3 larger holes if that is what guests will expect and we will just not over shake for ourselves :)
Thanks for all the input.

Btw - just curious, would you expect the mouse or the cheese to have the salt?

I had to go rummaging through the pantry to even find a set. Mine both have 6 holes ... they're smaller on the salt shaker.

The cheese for the salt maybe? It is salty, after all.

Mice like flour better than cheese. Cheese is salty. Pepper might make the mouse sneeze. It's probably easier to control the shaking with the mouse.

If my brother saw mouse and cheese he wouldn't know they were S&P. :) I'd look for the holes.

Why not get a salt mill to go with your pepper mill? Non-iodized salt tastes better for finishing. I don't believe in it for cooking, because the iodine is important (I keep expecting the TV chefs who refuse to use it to come down with goiters), but just for the table sea salt in a grinder (you can even buy it in the spice aisle in a grinding jar) tastes good. Otherwise, use a shaker with the number of holes you prefer and keep a set for company done the standard way. :)

There have been studies that show that people use less salt when there are fewer holes, but there are also studies that show that people are over-restricting salt and that that can actually lead to as many problems as oversalting.

Too confusing.

I would use the shaker with the fewer holes for salt and the more holes for pepper. I figure it's healthier to do it that way.But I also like pepper more than I like salt and use a pepper grinder.

Breezy- maybe the restaurants want you to put more salt on your food so you'll get thirsty and order more stuff to drink? ;)

Since I don't have young children I choose to not use iodized salt. I don't care for the taste. I use Kosher for cooking and occasionally sea for finishing.

Too funny. The controversy continues.

Like breezy, I first thought of the salt/cheese connection, but laughed at plllog's sneezing mouse.

Supposedly, S & P shakers originated in Bourbon ruled France with the salt in the more holes shaker and pepper in the ones with fewer. Other European countries, not surprisingly, developed the opposite tradition. So you can see how in the USA this could be a source of dissension as some families have long-standing traditions with opposite usage. Some restaurants and their supply houses differ, so I don't know if we can settle this at all. Truly a case of vive la difference!

My labeled shakers say "S" on the one with more holes, and the international society of butlers, or whatever it is, agrees.

There is a lot of bad advice about salt out there. Processed food has way too much sodium, but by the same token, undersalting causes severe problems for people with diabetes inspidus (which has nothing to do with what most people think of as diabetes).

Good health points on why most do better with some salt, though not necessarily that found in most processed foods. Also, as an aside, sorry dianalo, some salt usage has been shown to be beneficial for those prone to depression.

Okay, how many holes in your mouse and cheese tops? A quick check on ebay shows only one set labeled, and the cheese has 3 holes marked S and the mouse has 1 hole and is marked P. Following that should satisfy the international butler society. Since yours aren't marked, you can do as you prefer, unless your butler won't let you. If that's the case, just smile sweetly, gladly let him fill the cellars as s/he pleased and handle all the other chores. ;-)

I just use a salt mill for coarse sea salt and a pepper mill, unless it's a formal dinner and then I use little dishes for each person to serve themselves from. I guess if you are on salt restriction the 2 hole could be for salt so you have to work harder for more salt ;)

Abundant, I'm just glad when the butler doesn't water the wine to obfuscate his depredations on the cellar. I wouldn't dare challenge his edicts about the S&P! ;)

So true, LOL!

The mouse has the 2 holes and is taller. The cheese has the 3. It is funny, but if there weren't a hole differential, I'd expect the mouse to have salt and the pepper to be in the cheese. Our ds gladly put the salt in the cheese and the pepper in the mouse and I suspect guests will just ask...

We don't use a lot of table salt, except for on fresh tomatoes, but I do use salt when I cook. Dh & I use a lot more pepper at the table because neither ds likes it if they can taste it, so I under-pepper in the cooking. I am actually considering white pepper for the mouse since the black pepper is in the mill anyway.... Talk about making a simple issue confusing, lol.....

When I first read this post I thought how straight forward can the answer be. Very interesting history use of both.

I like salt and haven't had a health issue (yet). But my salt is the less holes and pepper more holes, always thought this was the right way. I also like large ground will use this or the grinder. Restaurant salt in the big boxes is standard table salt ground large. AW uses this and love it on french fries. Not sure if I use more or less depending upon the ground size.

PLLLG: Are you saying that sea salt shouldn't be used in cooking? I don't have a clue and am interested in this.