Pepper Cannon review: Inflation hits pepper mills

“$350 for a pepper mill!?” I can practically hear you spluttering your coffee from the other side of the screen. Your mouth is agape, you’re frantically skimming through questions like, “how could something that cracks pepper possibly cost that much?” and “Can’t I just get one from Woolies for like $5?” I know what is in your head because I was you.

Around two years ago my partner showed me the Pepper Cannon (then $200) just as we were moving in together, and I frankly told him this was ridiculous. We were already spending $300 on a bin, we can’t spend another $200 on a pepper mill. He did though, and very quickly the Pepper Cannon became one of my most beloved kitchen gadgets. Now there is a newer, more expensive version (partly due to inflation and partly due to the Australian dollar), and I’m not ashamed to admit that I was excited to have a crack at it. While Mannkitchen hasn’t added $150 worth of extra value to the Pepper Cannon, it still stands up as the best pepper mill (a lot of) money can buy.

If you don’t enjoy freshly cracked pepper then you should just click off this page now. If you only enjoy it a little bit then you should also click off this page. The Pepper Cannon is made for peppercorn enthusiasts. Pep heads. Crack h… moving on. In order to really love (and get the value out of) this device you need to be someone who wants a good amount of pepper on everything. One crack of the Pepper Cannon is the equivalent to about 20 cracks of a supermarket pepper mill, and rather than spitting out these half chewed chunks of pepper it all comes out in a fine mist. For someone who loves pepper it is not only a revelation, but a precaution against getting a repetitive strain injury in your wrist. 

RSI prevention aside, the Pepper Cannon is a legitimate joy to use. It uses high quality carbon stainless steel burrs that are significantly stronger than the plastic in the supermarket grinders. Not only does this result in a more even grind but it also means you need to use less effort to actually crack through the strong peppercorns. It does take some fiddling to actually get the right grind setting however. According to Mannkitchen the Pepper Cannon can grind from a 6-60+ mesh size as opposed to a 12-28 with other pepper mills, but the grind settings aren’t exactly detailed. While you spin the dial there aren’t any markings to let you know where you’re actually landing. You just need to spin, and crack, and spin, and crack until you’ve figured it out. For the price I’d love to see more granular control.

Back on the build, carbon steel isn’t unique technology in higher end pepper mills, it is actually quite common and available at a much lower price point. The Cole and Mason Electric Pepper Mill has the same technology for example, but for around $100. Plus it is electric. 

Still, if you’re not keen on using six AAA batteries for a pepper mill, or you just enjoy the process of cracking pepper, the Pepper Cannon makes it easy. The matte coating makes it easy to grip, even when you’re elbow deep in a messy cook-up, and the ridged crank continues to help with that grip. While some have said they're not fond of the ergonomics of the crank, I personally like it from a design perspective. The long lines on the device give it a modern and sleek look, rather than the bulbous pepper mills you tend to see. I can understand why the baubly design took precedence when you had to crank that mill 20-30 times per steak- you need a more wrist and hand friendly grip- but when you only need to do one or two twists I'm happy to be done with it. 

This latest iteration is just about the same as the original Pepper Cannon that I already had at home. Over time the matte black has worn somewhat, but if it weren't for that the two would be near indistinguishable from one another. The newer version comes with an extra and seemingly stronger rubber o-ring for the lid of the device. The seal on the original cannon broke within just a month, and I ended up abandoning it entirely- it is good to see the Mannkitchen has taken steps to give it more longevity. It also comes with an interchangeable red cap for the top of the mill, which is actually incredibly helpful if you have a multi-cannon household. Are these two small inclusions worth an additional $150? Absolutely not, but they are thoughtful additions to an already great product.

The Pepper Cannon retails for $320 AUD direct from Mannkitchen, but you'll need to pay at least $37 AUD in shipping. The cheaper option is getting the Pepper Cannon direct from Amazon.