I have never owned a nice pepper mill.I've always used the red box, and recently a plastic low-quality mill that was a constant battle to use properly.I had enough and wanted a nice mill.But shopping at Amazon.com for pepper mills was a difficult task since there are literally hundreds to choose from.After shopping for a pepper mill for about a month I decided on this mill because of the beautiful wood, and competitive pricing.Alternatively, I did consider a few battery-operated mills.But in the end I preferred the warm inviting look of the natural wood instead of the cold metallic looking mills.I choose the cherry wood over the maple thinking cherry was more durable and would resist dings and scratches from heavy use.Perhaps a better point is the cherry grain was ever so slightly darker than the maple in the pictures.And I preferred the darker grain.After my order, I didn't receive any order tracking information from Amazon.com.I wrote an email to Brentwood Mills, and they responded very quickly.My pepper mill arrived in about a week in good packaging.Let me say in short after having it for a few weeks that I absolutely LOVE this pepper mill.And Brentwood Mills is an A+ company.But let me give you the details.When the mill arrived, I opened and inspected it like anyone would.Unfortunately, there was a very small factory defect - a chip near the bottom inside where the ground pepper exists.It was not visible from the exterior and very, very small.My best guess is the boring bit into the solid piece of wood caused it.I wrote Brentwood Mills back asking them if this is normal or truly a defect.They responded quickly indicating that it was very rare that a mill leaves their factory in less than perfect shape.They mentioned 3 quality checkpoints to ensure high quality control.But of course, they offered to exchange it for me at their cost if it bothered me.I decided to live with it for a week to see.Wood is beautiful even with imperfections.The integrity, beauty, and effectiveness of the mill were A+ despite the minor chip.After a week though, I decided to go ahead and exchange because ultimately Brentwood's QC should have caught this unit.And I didn't think it was unreasonable considering the price range.I wrote Brentwood back to let them know I was returning for an exchange, and they very invitingly assured me they would take care of me.They then emailed me a few days later when they received and sent out a new mill.The replacement mill arrived within a week again well packed.Inspecting the mill showed absolutely no visible defects at all.It was a beautiful example of cherry wood.I filled the mill with peppercorns and proceeded to use it.It is amazing how a high quality mill will churn out the pepper.I tried coarse, and finely ground and both worked extremely well.The grind setting is a small knob on the top that you can manually adjust to your liking.The crank feels very good in my hand, and is just outstanding.Each half-crank of the mill puts out a little less than an eighth of a Teaspoon of pepper in my very unscientific measurement.Once you finish with the mill and set it down, no left over ground pepper leaks out.This seems to indicate a very high quality mill.Certainly a bonus to not have pepper crumbs making a mess.I absolutely love this mill.In fact, my only complaint is from my wife who says I'm putting too much pepper on everything.A very minor annoyance is filling the peppermill with peppercorns.Because the metal spine in the middle of the mill must remain centered it's somewhat difficult to put the corns in and around it.I have a couple of kitchen funnels which made the job a little easier.But it might be nice if Brentwood made a custom funnel to help hold the metal spine in place during the refill.But I think this is a limitation of this type of mill you would find anywhere.In the end I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase.The wood is very lovely in my kitchen and on my table.And Brentwood Mills is a great company with A+ customer service.Highly recommend.
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The Original Laser Engraved 14" "Wine Bottle" Pepper Mill in Cherry Wood - Chateau BordeauxProduct Description: The perfect gift for any serious chef or wine connoisseur, or someone who is hard to please. Each original Wine Bottle Pepper Mill starts from carefully selected solid Cherry wood that undergoes several steps at the hands of skilled craftsmen with at least 3 generations of woodworking experience until they emerge in their distinctive shape with a superb finish and are then completed with a laser engraved Chateau Bordeaux label. Many of the finest culinary schools, restaurants, wineries and resorts in America have been using these for years because in addition to their eye-catching appearance, they include a steel mechanism that's fully adjustable, holds over 2 oz of peppercorns and is backed by a full LIFETIME WARRANTY. Why settle for cheap imports or painted or plastic replicas that scratch, crack and have labels which peel, when you can enjoy the original Cherry Wine Bottle pepper grinder with a permanently engraved label for around the same price. Proudly Made in USA - will last for years with simple care. Make absolutely fabulous holiday, housewarming, retirement, recognition & business gifts.
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It is pretty to look at and it really grinds pepper with great ease. I look every where for a pepper grinder that really works and finally found one.
