Are you interested in buying a mortar and pestle and learning how to use them? In this post, we will be learning about types of mortar and pestles and how to use them. How to Use a Pestle and Mortar, What, exactly, are a mortar and pestle? what to look for when buying a mortar and pestle.

A mortar and pestle are about as primitive as it gets, consisting of a solid bowl (the mortar) and a hefty club (the pestle). By pressing and twisting the pestle against the mortar, spices and other ingredients are broken down and turned into a powder or paste. While a spice grinder, tiny food processor, or even a blender may achieve the same tasks, the physical nature and countertop aesthetics of a mortar and pestle make it a long-lasting kitchen classic.

No machine can break down cells and fibers to liberate buried oils and smells like a mortar and pestle. Whether you use a knife or an electric grinder, chopping an item smaller and smaller with a sharp tool can never achieve the same results as a mortar and pestle.

What exactly are mortar and pestle?

A mortar and pestle is a set of two basic implements used in the kitchen, laboratory, and pharmacy from the Stone Age to the present day to smash and ground materials or substances into a thin paste or powder.

A mortar is a tough bowl or cup composed of several materials. However, your choice is dependent on how you want to utilize it and where you can obtain it. It composes of hardwood, metal, ceramic, or hard stone such as granite.

A pestle is a long, club-like implement used to squash and grinds ingredients inside a mortar. If you’re from the United States, you’ll know the mortar and pestle as the logo for a certain drugstore company. The term “mortar” is derived from the Latin word “mortarium,” which means “place for pounding.” The wet or dry substance to be crushed is placed in the mortar, and the pestle is pounded, squeezed, and rotated into the substance until the appropriate texture is attained.

How to Use a Pestle and Mortar

A mortar and pestle is the most useful utensil. Spices, garlic, nuts, or seeds are put in the mortar and pestle, then smashed to release their fresh taste and oils. You’ll definitely notice a change in flavor! See Steps to find out how to use a mortar and pestle to take your cuisine to the next level.

Selecting a Mortar and Pestle

Select the desired size. Do you want to crush a lot of spices, seeds, and nuts, or just a little bit? There are several sizes available, ranging from palm size to bowl size, and it may be useful to have two different sizes if you have the space and funds for it.
If you intend to crush a significant quantity of spices, a spice grinder may be more appropriate for your needs. For just enough spices to make whatever cuisine or spice combination you want to use right away, a mortar and pestle are ideal.

Using a Fundamental Technique

Processing instructions may be found in the recipe. This is the equipment you use if you need anything crushed into a paste or powder. Peppercorns, spice seeds, herb seeds, fresh herb and spice leaves, rice, nuts, other plant seeds, hard candies, sea salt, and other items are good to grind or crush in the mortar and pestle. Anything that can be crushed for baking or eating will most likely work in the mortar and pestle.
If you require anything chopped, pureed, or blended, another instrument, such as a blender or processor, may be preferable. The recipe will frequently serve as a guide in this regard.

Fill the mortar with the raw materials.

Place your entire bag of peppercorns, cinnamon, or another item in the mortar and pestle. Fill the mortar no more than 13 percent full with raw spices; otherwise, an even grind will be difficult. If you have too many spices to fit, you can process them in batches.

Grind with the pestle until the required consistency is reached.

With one hand holding the mortar, grasp the pestle in your opposite fist and spin it against the materials in the mortar to grind them against the bottom and sides. Evenly grind, smash, or crush all of the spices, mixing and grinding them with the pestle until they are all reduced to the same consistency. Continue until the components have reached the desired coarseness or fineness. The use of various techniques on how to grind, crush, or mash your ingredients. Each approach produces a distinct consistency, which might influence the flavor and final quality of your food.

Ingredients should be stored or measured out.

Place the newly ground contents of the mortar in a glass spice jar with a tight-fitting lid, or measure out how much you need for your recipe.

what to look for when buying a mortar and pestle.

So you’ve decided to buy your first mortar and pestle. There are several forms and sizes manufactured from various materials. How can you avoid buying a worthless mortar that becomes a gorgeous flower pot? How do you tell whether you’ve chosen the correct one for your kitchen?
These are the characteristics of large and small mortars and pestles that are helpful for the majority of frequent culinary tasks:

The shape of a Mortar and Pestle

The mortar should be shaped like a spherical bowl with no edges at the bottom. If components can hide from the pestle, it will be tough to ground them. Some mortars have a more cylindrical shape, but they are usually for highly particular applications and will not be as handy for your first mortar purchase. Some mortars contain bumps or other characteristics on the outside of the mortar bowl to assist you in grasping the mortar while you pound it with the pestle. This isn’t required, however, some cooks may appreciate a little assistance with the mortar.

Size of Mortar and Pestle

The size is the first and most obvious thing to check for in a mortar and pestle. The mortar should be big enough to handle various ingredients. There’s no point to buying a little mortar just to have ingredients fly out of the bowl as you try to smash them. And, because you have a large mortar, you will also need a large pestle that is long enough to prevent striking your hand on the edge of the mortar while using it and wide enough at the bottom to impact the ingredients rather than simply moving them about the bowl.

Kitchen space may be an issue for some, but if you’re going to be putting in numerous ingredients, you shouldn’t have one less than three cups in volume. If you want to use the mortar as a spice grinder for single ingredients, the bigger capacity is unneeded. You may just need a small mortar on hand for quick and simple grinding of single components, and a bigger one in the cabinet for recipes that call for many ingredients.

Material for Mortar and Pestle

The material of the mortar (and pestle) is critical to its use. For general use, a solid stone material such as granite or marble would be the ideal choice. The enormous weight of these stone mortars and pestles will be used to break down the materials, and they will be able to survive years of pounding and grinding without ever needing to be replaced. Mortars consisting of lesser materials, such as wood, porcelain, or light metal, simply lack the strength to break down the contents to the required level. Some mortars will feature a silicone or rubber bottom as extra material.

This may be quite useful in preventing the mortar from sliding about while you grind and pound materials, as well as dampening some of the harsh pounding noises when using. Not every mortar has this, so if it’s something you want, make sure the mortar you’re purchasing has it.

Types of mortar and pestle based on their material

Granite Mortar And Pestles

This type of mortar and pestle is frequently a very reliable and adaptable mortar and pestle. They have a somewhat uneven texture, which makes the task at hand easier. In Thailand and India, granite is the most used material for mortar and pestles. They are ideal for everyday use.

Agate Mortar And Pestles

The primary function of a mortar and pestle set is to crush substances into fine powders. However, under very regulated conditions in order to avoid any heating effects and to decrease and control any impacts caused by the stretching of normally deformable materials, this is most likely the most archaic gadget that may be found in a modern scientific laboratory or kitchen. Agate is the most common material because of its ability to handle grinding and almost eliminate mortar and pestle contamination. Laboratory and fine-dining kitchens throughout the world use it to produce exquisite sauces and pastes, as well as to grind dry spices and herbs.

Alumina Mortar And Pestles

They are commonly used to grind, mesh, or crush various substances. It’s mostly used to rework components into a fine powder or paste. Most importantly, this usage of alumina mortar and pestle is made feasible by the unique size, material quality, and texture of the mortar and pestle.

Wood Mortar And Pestles

A flaw exists in the wood mortar and pestle. It absorbs the tastes of the items contained within the wooden bowl, which might be beneficial if you enjoy the slow development of flavors. However, if you forget and pound down some garlic, this may be highly harmful. Just make your herbs and spices taste like garlic till the end of time, or until you put away the mortar and pestle. These are popular across the Mediterranean. Group cooking necessitates the use of large wooden mortars and pestles that are operated by more than one person.

Glass Mortar And Pestles

Although they are delicate, they are the most effective mortar and pestles for use with liquids. They are simple to clean and do not stain, making them ideal for vibrant items.

Ceramic Mortar And Pestles

In Italy and Spain, ceramic is a popular material for creating pestos and guacamole. People in Europe use the term for a variety of dishes and spices, primarily those with a liquid component.

Cast Iron Mortar And Pestles

Cast iron mortar requires a great deal of attention and upkeep. Remember that if the pestle is made of cast iron, it may cause damage to the mortar. Some cast iron mortars have a thick covering on the inside that prevents corrosion but causes complications by making the mortar too slippery to operate with.

Marble Mortar And Pestles

These are great for grinding spices, but the slick insides make it difficult to smash herbs efficiently. It takes longer to crush and requires more energy. Because marble is slippery, work with soft or moist materials.

Japanese Earthenware Mortar And Pestles

Suribachi is the Japanese word for mortar and pestle. It is used to grind items like meat, tofu, and spices. Because of its ridged inside, it’s ideal for making pesto and other herb-based pastes.

Uses of Mortar And Pestle

The application of Mortar and Pestle is widely known. The uses include:

In Food Preparation

Mortars and pestles are used in a wide variety of tasks involving both dry and wet products in the food business. They assist in liberating fresh tastes and oils from ingredients like spices, garlic, nuts, and seeds, in addition to producing the ideal ingredient texture and consistency.
Rice, peppercorns, herb and spice leaves, and sea salt are among the foods prepared with mortars and pestles. Alternative, automated equipment, on the other hand, is frequently more practical in delivering blended, diced, and pureed combinations.
When preparing spice blends, raw components are put into the bowl before grinding begins. To achieve a uniform grind, the tool is loaded to less than one-third of its capacity with raw material. To facilitate larger product volumes, the ingredients are ground in batches.

Pounding is required when working with large quantities of spices and seeds. This approach, also known as smashing, cracks the spices, allowing you to move to a rolling or grinding action to get a finer consistency.

It is also in various countries as follows:

• The molcajete, a variant utilized by pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cultures such as the Aztecs and Maya for thousands of years, is fashioned of basalt and is frequently used in Mexican cookery. Other Native American tribes crush acorns and other nuts in mortars dug into the rocks. There are several such depressions in their regions.
• To make mochi in Japan, very big mortars with wooden mallets are utilized. Suribachi and surikogi are the names given to a standard-sized Japanese mortar and pestle.
• Granite mortars and pestles are popular in Southeast Asia, Pakistan, and India. It is widely used in India to prepare spice combinations for a variety of specialties as well as everyday foods. The usage of mortar and pestle has declined with the invention of powered grinders. Turmeric is traditionally crushed in these mortars at different Hindu rites (such as marriages and upanayanam).
• It is known as Batu lesung in Malay. Large stone mortars with long (2-3 foot) wood pestles were used in West Asia to ground meat for kibbeh, a form of meatloaf, and masabcha, a type of hummus. 
• In Indonesia and the Netherlands, mortars are called Cobek or Tjobek, and pestles are called Ulekan or Oelekan. The chobek has the form of a deep saucer or dish. The ulekan can be pistol-shaped or ovoid. It is frequently used to prepare fresh sambal, a fiery chili condiment; hence, sambal ulek/oelek refers to the pestle-based technique. It is also used to grind peanuts and other components for Gado-Gado peanut sauce.

In Medicine 

• In pharmacies, mortars and pestles were typically used to grind various substances prior to producing an impromptu prescription. Along with the show globe, the mortar and pestle, with the Rod of Asclepius, the Green Cross, and other symbols, is one of the most prevalent emblems of pharmacy.
• The mortar and pestle head are normally made of porcelain for medicinal usage, while the pestle handle is made of wood. This is a Wedgwood Mortar and Pestle, which was invented in 1759. Trituration is the modern term for the act of combining substances or lowering particle size.
• Mortars and pestles are also used as drug paraphernalia to grind up tablets before ingesting them or in preparation for insufflation.
• If patients require artificial nourishment, such as parenteral nutrition or through a nasogastric tube, finely pulverized medications that are not accessible in liquid dose form are employed.
• Mortars and pestles are also used in drug paraphernalia to grind tablets, speed up absorption when ingestion is required, or prepare for insufflation.
• If patients require artificial nourishment, such as parenteral feeding, this mortar and pestle can be used to grind medications if liquid dosage forms are not available.

In Husking and dehulling

In poor nations, large mortars and pestles are still routinely used to husk and dehull grain. These are typically built of wood and are operated by one or more people.

Mortar and pestle are especially connected with de-husking rice in the Philippines. The boat-shaped bangkang pinawa or bangkang pangpinawa, meaning “boat (bangka) for unpolished rice,” is a famous traditional mortar and pestle, commonly carved from a piece of molave or other hardwood. Two or three people pound on it. The name of the mortar, lusong, is derived from the name of the Philippines’ biggest island, Luzon.

For millennia, large wooden mortars and pestles have been used to hull grain in West Africa. When enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas, they carried with them this technology—as well as the knowledge of how to utilize it. During the Middle Passage, some slave ships carried unhulled rice, and enslaved African women were charged with preparing it for consumption using mortars and pestles. Rice was generally milled by hand in both colonial North and South America until the mid-1700s when mechanical mills became more common.

The Best Mortars and Pestles

Mortars and pestles are available in a wide range of materials, forms, and sizes. Finding a nice huge one, on the other hand, might be difficult.

A big mortar and pestle should have an eight-inch diameter and a capacity of at least four cups. Check these specifications carefully, because several businesses sell “big” mortars with a maximum volume closer to two cups. Though smaller ones are obviously helpful, they are also exactly the ideal size to serve as displayable trinkets; the lack of decent bigger choices confirms that few people expect to get much use out of these items.

Thai Granite Mortar and Pestle for Most Tasks

The Thai-style granite mortar and pestle is the most versatile mortar and pestle available, with both the mortar and pestle composed of solid granite. This mortar and pestle can handle whatever you throw at it, from stiff chile skins and fibrous roots to delicate herbs and spices. This is the instrument to have if you plan on preparing any form of paste or curry. Dried chilis, ginger, galangal roots, and any form of a leaf will be broken down by the heavyweight. Because of the unpolished interior of the bowl and end of the pestle, this mortar is also suitable for easy spice grinding. 

Swirling the pestle around the mortar bowl will generate fresh, amazing tastes, whether it’s the first elements of a paste or the recipe asks for particular ground spices. The KROK mortar and pestle, handmade in Thailand, is the best alternative. The 3-cup size will suffice for most recipes, and the substantial weight will smash any item. The cork base reduces noise when pounding and prevents the mortar from slipping and sliding around on your tabletop. In addition, the pestle is longer than typical to keep your hand away from the mortar’s edge when using it. If your kitchen is more Mediterranean in style, with sauces and creams, Thai granite can handle them as well. Pesto will turn out better than any electronic food processor, but you may determine that the next style is what you want…

Key Specifications:

• Granite is the material.
• 3+ cup capacity
• 8-inch diameter, 5.5-inch inner bowl, and 5-inch height
• 7.5-inch length of pestle
• 15-pound weight

Mediterranean Marble Mortar With Wooden Pestle

Marble mortars with wooden pestles (typically made of olivewood) are fairly prevalent in the south of France, Italy, and other Mediterranean locations. This kind is very hard to obtain in US stores unless you get lucky and acquire one at an antique shop or estate sale. However, they may be bought online. I got mine from an Italian dealer on Etsy, and it’s a thing of beauty.

More significantly, it is excellent at producing pesto and similar sauces, as well as emulsified sauces such as mayonnaise and aioli.

It may surprise you to find that you can produce an emulsified sauce in a mortar just by crushing it with the pestle’s blunt head, but it is true: A mortar and pestle use shearing forces to produce comparable outcomes to a whisk’s wire head in breaking up oil into small droplets and spreading it in the water medium for a suitable emulsion.
Even pesto sauce, when done correctly, is emulsified, resulting in a creamy, rather than greasy, texture. What makes this mortar and pestle particularly well adapted to that task is the pestle design itself—the wooden pestle here is huge and spherical, providing plenty of surface area beneath which to shear the oil.

You can always use a smaller marble or granite mortar and pestle to crush spices, but this one is ideal for pestos, mayonnaise, and the like. It is, by far, the most enjoyable to use. You may get one from this Etsy merchant. They are available in a number of sizes, but I chose the 24cm variant. It’s not cheap, nor is shipping, but it’ll last a lifetime and become an incredible family treasure for future generations.

Key Specifications

• Marble mortar and olivewood pestle
• 8.5 cup capacity
• 8.66-inch diameter; 6.3-inch inner bowl; and 6.3-inch height
• 20.5-pound weight

Thunder Group Marble Mortar and Pestle

The marble mortar and pestle I used regularly came out on top in my testing on smaller mortars and pestles. A tiny granite one will also suffice.
While the brass mortar and pestle were really attractive, the inside was so smooth that most ingredients just slipped about, avoiding being smashed. Meanwhile, the wooden one lacked heaviness, making me envision what it might be like to chew hard meals without teeth.
The marble mortar and pestle, as seen in the photographs below, performed a far better job of crushing black peppercorns than the other two. The abrasive nature of the unpolished stone surfaces contributed significantly to its benefit.

The marble set also produced a more faster and more thorough garlic purée than the other two. Once again, the rough stone surface played a significant role in its success.

Key Specifications

• Marble is the material.
• Less than 1 cup capacity
• 3.25-inch diameter, 2.31-inch inner bowl, and 2.88-inch height
• 5-pound weight
• 4.1-inch pestle length

TOIRO Katakuchi Suribachi and Surikogi Set

Suribachi is the Japanese word for mortar, while surikogi is the Japanese word for pestle. Suribachi is typically made of earthenware, whereas surikogi is nearly commonly constructed of hardwood. The sequence of ridges carved into the ceramic on the unglazed inside of the bowl is the most distinguishing characteristic of this mortar and pestle. These ridges are known as Kushi-no-me in Japanese, and they provide greater abrasiveness than the smoother interiors of many other mortars.
Grinding sesame seeds, which snap and crumble against the ridges as the pestle spins around, produce a paste that’s fresher and more fragrant than readymade sesame pastes.

Other uses include mashing tofu, grinding spices, and grinding meat, such as chicken, to produce tsukune (chicken meatballs).
Many individuals use their Suribachi for non-Japanese dishes as well. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve heard it’s fantastic with pesto, for example. However, if you want to prepare a lot of Japanese food at home, the Suribachi will ultimately come in handy.
Suribachi comes in a range of sizes, but a medium or large size works best for grinding sesame seeds. Toiro Kitchen’s goods, notably its Suribachi, are among my favorites. Also, get a bamboo scraper, which will come in handy for wiping out the ridges after grinding.

Key Specification

• Material: earthenware mortar and wooden pestle
• 6-inch diameter; 3-inch height 
• 1.3 pounds in weight
• 9-inch length of pestle

RSVP International Mexican Molcajete

The molcajete is the mortar in Mexico, while the tejolote (or temolote) is the pestle. They’re formed of porous volcanic rock, which makes finding a nice one tough. Many businesses offer “molcajetes” made of granite or other rocks; I’ve even heard of less conscientious merchants creating them out of concrete, which you should avoid. The porous rock plays an important role here, providing an abrasive aspect to aid in the grinding of pepper skins, seeds, and other difficult materials.
A trip to Mexico is likely the best way to find a decent, authentic molcajete, although they may also be found in the United States. This one is available on Amazon and looks to have received positive feedback.

I recently purchased one from MexGrocer.com but have yet to put it to use.
Be cautious not to mistake the molcajete for the metate, a bigger and flatter Mexican grinder used to ground maize into masa for tortillas and tamales.
Molcajetes are most commonly used to prepare salsas and guacamole from scratch, and watching videos of guacamole being produced in Mexico soon reveals how badly most of us make ours (but, of course, we have a good recipe for you here on Serious Eats). Aromatics are frequently burned first, then crushed, rather than chopped, using the strength of the molcajete.

One piece of advice: Unless you get one that has already been seasoned, you will need to season your molcajete. Which includes pounding dry rice and then big crystals of salt. Into the stone to smooth the surface and eliminate loose volcanic dust.

Key Specifications

• The material is lava stone.
• 2 cup capacity
• Weight: 8.2 pounds Dimensions: 8.5-inch diameter; 5-inch height
• 4.5-inch length of pestle

Italian Marble with Olive-wood

while the hefty granite can handle the more delicate elements of pesto and similar sauces. It won’t completely duplicate the creamy, emulsified sauce that a huge Italian marble mortar with a wooden pestle can produce. The basil leaves, garlic, and other sensitive components will be appropriately broken down in this mortar using the round and big tip of the wooden pestle. Because the pestle is lighter, it will be less demanding than pounding with the granite pestle for these faster sauces.

Having said that, Thai granite is perhaps a better initial purchase. The wooden pestle’s light components just cannot break down tough. Items in the same way that a hefty Thai granite or marble pestle can.

Furthermore, granite mortar and pestles are typically less expensive and easier to obtain online or at kitchen stores. Whether you buy a marble mortar on Amazon or a handmade one from a respected internet seller. You won’t find a marble mortar and wood pestle for less than $100.

If you aren’t planning a trip to Italy anytime soon, this 20cm one from Amazon would suffice. The capacity is closer to 2 cups, but it should be sufficient for whatever pesto or cream you choose to create. The white marble will complement any kitchen and was produced in Italy!

see Also: https://www.seriouseats.com/best-mortars-and-pestles