5 Things to Know About Mortar and Pestle - Inuel's Personal Blog

Mortar and pestle is a must have equipment in any modern kitchen. This seemingly simple tool makes a significant difference in the taste of different delicacies. In addition to crushing spices and making pastes that are a necessary ingredient to most meals, they can also be used to crush medications for both our animal pets and humans. You get to save a lot of nutrients and flavor when you use mortar and pestle as opposed to electric grinders and blenders. Here are 5 things to know about the tool if you want to find the best.

Available in Various Materials

Mortar and pestle are usually made from different materials. You will find some made out of stone, including marble and/or granite and some made of wood. Those made of these stones are ideal for crushing hard stuff like nuts, while the wooden ones are ideal for the less hard food ingredients like onions. Both the wooden and the stone mortar and pestle add an aesthetic appeal to our modern kitchens. Most people prefer the marble ones as they serve multiple purposes. You can crush and grind all manner of ingredients in a marble container and is also more aesthetically pleasing and easier to clean than wood and granite. You can learn more from  warmchef.com about the different materials.

Weight

It is very important to consider the weight of the mortar and pestle you intend to purchase. The weight determines the effort you will exert when crushing your ingredients. A heavier tool will work much better than a lighter one since you do not have to keep holding it to maintain it into a particular position.

Smoothness

Before buying this equipment, check out the texture or the smoothness. A very smooth equipment will be extremely slippery and will make it difficult for you to crush stuff inside. Most of the time the materials you try to crush will be slipping out of the container. Check out for a balance between smooth and a matte finish so that the surface is not too rough or too smooth.
Size

There are large and small mortar and pestles. The one you choose depends on the use you would want to put it. Most kitchen mortar and pestles are for grinding and crushing cooking ingredients such as spices and nuts. You can even use to create pulp from fruits especially for children. Consider going for a medium sized mortar and pestle instead of one that is too small or one that is excessively big.

Shape

A well rounded and hollow container is ideal and better equipped for crushing ingredients. The container should also be deep enough to ensure that they do not spill out of the table when crushing. You will achieve a better result with a deep and well-rounded mortar and pestle than with a shallow and less rounded one. If instead you just want one for crushing medication, then a small and less rounded shallow equipment may suffice.