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Page Contents:
-Peugeot Acrylic Mills
-Peugeot Wood Mills & Shakers
-Peugeot Wood & Stainless Steel Mills
-Peugeot Wet Salt Mill
-Additional Maintenance & Servicing Info
Related Pages:
-Peppercorns
-Other Pepper & Salt Mills
-Pepper & Salt Shakers
-Salt & Utensils
-Grain Mills
 Home
Peugeot Mills
The difference between Peugeot pepper
mills and salt mills is in the mechanisms.
Pepper
mills use durable case-hardened steel, for its exacting machining
and long term performance. Through case hardening, the grinding head
is tempered to the point where it becomes as hard as a ball bearing.
 Peugeot pepper
mill grinding mechanisms (shown raw at left) have two different size grooves:
Channeling and Grinding. Channeling grooves (the larger ones) are designed
to line up the peppercorns and to crack them. The Grinding grooves (the
smaller ones) do the actual fine grinding process.
The larger grooves are still individually hand cut into the mechanism
using the techniques utilized in the 1842, when the mechanism was first
created by Peugeot.
 Teeth in the grinding mechanism will not
lock together, as in other mills, because the number of teeth are different
on the grinding head and on the outer ring. This allows for the fine powder
grind that is not available on other mills, and does not grind metal with
the peppercorns, unlike most other mills.
The durability of these mechanisms and their proven track record allows
Peugeot to provide a lifetime guarantee
on the grinding mechanisms, even when used commercially. Note that rust is
not covered under this warranty; prevent rust by keeping the mill dry and
don't use it for salt.
Salt mills (on the right) use a commercial
grade of 18/10 stainless steel that is used in the chemical industry,
to help keep the salt from corroding the grinder mechanism. It is also
further treated to prevent corrosion. Developed in 1995, the stainless
mechanism in salt mills is guaranteed
for life.
Hardened steel vs. stainless steel.
For pepper mills, case-hardened steel is preferred over stainless because
of its greater hardness, and therefore its ability to maintain sharp burrs
over a much longer period of time than stainless. Though hardened steel
can rust, under normal use a pepper mill will not come in contact with
water to make it rust. For salt, however, never use a hardened steel mill,
since salt is highly corrosive.
Physical Vapor Deposition, or
(PVD), is used to treat mechanisms on pepper mills.
PVD is a group of surface treatments at the atomic level that add surface
protection and resistance to wear. The process is similar to electroplating,
but without any chemical reaction, less hazardous materials and waste, and
is thus more environmentally friendly.
PVD can be used on most metals, and even some plastics, and include
treatment by the addition of metal oxides, nitrides, carbides and other such
materials to the surface. In thin layers, PVD can replace some painting
applications for decorative purposes. PVD is generally highly abrasion
resistant, has a high temperature strength, and can be harder and last
longer than hardened and stainless steels.
Filling - Remove top nut and cover to fill,
then replace cover and nut. Turn mill upside down to get peppercorns or salt
out of the mechanism, and turn top nut clockwise to tighten loosely. To
grind, turn cover in a clockwise direction. (Never put moist salts in salt
mills, or they will clog.)
 The Grind - All mills are easily
adjusted for different size grinds. Loosen top nut (counterclockwise) to
obtain a coarser grind. To return to a finer grind, turn mill upside down
and turn cover a bit (counterclockwise) to get peppercorns or salt out of
the mechanism, then loosely tighten top nut to desired fineness. The closer
the turning mechanism mechanism is to the base plate, the finer the grind.
Maintenance - Never wash your mill
and never use a pepper mill for salt. Once in a while, place a drop of
mineral oil on top nut. Wipe the wood or acrylic body with a moist cloth to
keep it clean. If you don't intend to use the mill for an extended period of
time, remove the peppercorns or salt. (Also see below for
additional maintenance and service faq's.
Peugeot Instructions:
· Pepper Mills
· Salt Mills
· Wet Sea Salt Mills
 Warranty -
The lifetime warranty on pepper mills and salt mills covers defects in
manufacturing of the mechanism. A 2-year warranty applies to the body
of the mills against any manufacturing defects. Peugeot mechanisms are
clearly identified by the name imprinted on the mechanism. It also covers
the mechanism against wear. Keep the mills out of water, or the mechanism
may rust and the wood may crack; neither rust nor wood degradation are
covered under the warranty. With pepper mills, only use hard peppercorns,
or combinations of peppercorns where the hard seeds are dominant. With
regular salt mills, only use dry salt crystals appropriate for grinding.
With wet salt mills, only use wet salt crystals appropriate
for grinding.
See a video from www.science.discovery.com on how they're made.
Tips
 For freshness, use pepper a lot and
it won't go stale. If you don't use a lot, only keep a small amount in your
pepper mill, check it and replace it frequently. Store fresh peppercorns in
an airtight container, away from direct sunlight.
 Clean the mechanism with a small
brush, and wipe the body of the mill with rubbing alcohol or window cleaner.
Unless the instructions specifically allow it, never place your pepper mill
in water.
Adjust the grind to make it coarser
by turning the model's appropriate screw or mechanism. To make it finer, it
works best when you remove peppercorns from the mechanism.
In a pepper mill, only grind hard peppercorns.
Salt is highly corrosive, and it can easily corrode steel mechanisms, so
it should never be used in a pepper mill. Soft peppercorns, like the green
and pink varieties, can clog the mechanism, so they should only be used
when they are outnumbered by hard peppercorns.
In a salt mill, only use dry salt crystals intended for grinding. Wet salt
crystals will clog mechanisms intended for dry crystals. and should
only be used in mills intended for that purpose.
For best taste, review our guide to
the different types of peppercorns, on our Peppercorns page |
