How to choose and use a pestle and mortar: granite, marble, wood, ceramic, the Japanese suribachi and Mexican molcajete compared, with sizes, techniques, seasoning and care.
The short answer¶
For most kitchens the best buy is a heavy granite mortar, at least 15 cm across and preferably 18–20 cm, with a deep bowl and a hefty pestle. Weight does the work: a heavy mortar stays put, and a heavy pestle crushes with its own momentum. Granite handles everything from cracking black pepper to pounding a thai green curry paste and does not stain or break easily. Small, light, polished mortars look pretty but slide about, send seeds flying and grind poorly.
A pestle and mortar does not replace an electric grinder for large quantities of fine powder (see spice grinders), but it is unbeatable for pastes, for crushing a few seeds, and for bruising herbs, garlic and aromatics — pounding crushes cells and releases oils in a way that blades do not.
Materials compared¶
| Material | Good for | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Granite | Everything: pastes, whole spices, garlic, pesto | Very heavy; a new one needs seasoning |
| Marble | Pesto, soft pastes, garlic | Polished interiors grip seeds poorly; acids (lemon, vinegar, tamarind) etch marble; can stain yellow from turmeric |
| Wood | Pastes, garlic, herbs, salt; traditional in some regions | Absorbs oils and smells; cannot be soaked or put in a dishwasher; too light for hard spices |
| Unglazed porcelain or ceramic | Fine powders of small quantities; laboratory-style | Brittle, often small; can chip |
| Glazed ceramic | Little — seeds skate on the smooth glaze | Look for an unglazed inner surface |
| Cast iron, brass or steel | Hard spices, cracking cardamom and cinnamon | Can react with acidic ingredients; steel and brass are traditional in parts of South Asia |
| Basalt (molcajete) | Salsas, chilli pastes, guacamole | Porous; must be seasoned; can shed grit if poor quality |
| Clay with wooden pestle (Thai krok for som tam) | Lightly bruising and mixing salads | Not for hard grinding |
Regional mortars¶
Suribachi (Japan)¶
The suribachi is a glazed ceramic bowl whose inside is left unglazed and scored with a fine, comb-like pattern of ridges (kushi-me). It is used with a wooden pestle, the surikogi, traditionally of wood from the Japanese pepper tree (sansho; see sichuan pepper). Rather than pounding, you grind with a circular motion, and the ridges shred the ingredient. It excels at grinding toasted sesame seeds for sesame paste and dressings, and it works well for small quantities of seeds and for mashing tofu or miso. Clean the ridges with a stiff brush or a bamboo pick.
Molcajete (Mexico)¶
The molcajete is a three-legged mortar carved from porous volcanic basalt, used with a matching pestle, the tejolote. It is the traditional tool for salsas and for grinding chillies and spices in mexican cuisine. The rough surface grips and shreds ingredients superbly, giving salsas their characteristic coarse texture. A new molcajete must be seasoned to remove loose grit: traditionally this is done by grinding handfuls of raw white rice (and sometimes garlic, cumin and salt) repeatedly, rinsing between rounds, until the rice powder comes out clean rather than grey. Genuine basalt is heavy, with irregular pores; very light, uniformly smooth imitations may be made of cement or resin and should be avoided.
Krok (Thailand)¶
Thai kitchens use two types: a heavy granite krok hin for curry pastes such as thai red curry paste, and a tall clay or wooden mortar with a wooden pestle for pounding green papaya salad (som tam), where the aim is to bruise and mix rather than pulverise. See thai cuisine.
Pesto mortars (Italy)¶
Traditional Genoese pesto is made in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle, pounding basil with garlic, pine nuts and salt. Marble's smooth surface suits soft leaves and oily pastes.
Size and shape¶
- Diameter: 15–20 cm across the top for everyday use; larger for pastes. Small mortars under 10 cm are only good for a few peppercorns.
- Depth: a deep bowl keeps seeds from jumping out.
- Interior: slightly rough and matt, not polished.
- Pestle: heavy and long enough to grip comfortably, with a broad, rounded head that matches the curve of the bowl.
How to use one¶
💡 Technique
- Work in small batches. A spoonful or two of seeds at a time grinds faster than a big pile.
- Start with a few sharp taps to crack hard spices, then switch to a circular grinding motion, pressing the pestle against the sides.
- Add salt or sugar as an abrasive when making pastes — it speeds the breakdown of garlic, herbs and chillies.
- For pastes, pound hardest ingredients first (lemongrass, galangal, chillies, spices), then softer ones (shallots, garlic), then wet ones (herbs, pastes).
- Toast seeds first (see toasting spices): dry seeds are brittle and grind more easily.
- Hold a hand over the bowl to catch escaping seeds when cracking.
Seasoning and care¶
New stone mortars — granite and basalt especially — can release a little stone dust at first. Season them by grinding a handful of raw rice to powder, discarding it, rinsing and repeating until the rice stays clean white. Some cooks follow with garlic and salt.
Clean stone mortars with hot water and a stiff brush; avoid soap in porous stone (it can linger in the pores) and never put them in the dishwasher. Rice, bread or salt ground in a dry mortar removes lingering oils and smells. Dry thoroughly before storing, and never leave wood soaking. Marble should be cleaned promptly after contact with acidic ingredients.
See grinding spices for technique and spice grinders for electric alternatives.