Mortar and Pestle..Wood, Ceramic, or Stone ?

1

I have my eye on a small carved wood mortar and pestle set. But I’m wondering if wood is OK to occasionally use to grind course snuff , like some schmalzler, to a finer consistency. Any coments/advice ?

2

Small ones are a PITA to use. A medium sized at least is what you’ll want. Ceramic labware is fine. Happy snuffing.

3

It would be awfully difficult to reduce an oily snuff like Schmalzer to a smaller grain in any standard type mortar. You’ll just wind up with a sticky paste.

4

I second the warning about grinding up Schmalzer. You *will* end up with paste. There are a lot of inferior and useless mortar and pestle sets out there. Make sure you buy one of decent quality, and never buy a wooden mortar and pestle for any purpose. They are not as durable, and the wood will eventually split. Some wooden sets may look nice as a decorative object, but that is all they are good for. I can assure you that no chef would ever use a wooden mortar and pestle. A decent molcajete can be had for a reasonable amount and will last forever. This page explains the various types: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mortarpestle.htm

5

Thanks…look like a medium-sized ceramic type would be the most practical for me. The Bernard schmalzlers I purchased from SnuffStore UK a few months ago all seem to be rather …dry and grainy. When I use them, several of the grains often fall out of my nose after snuffing a dose . I’ve kept them in re-sealable plastic bags to try and maintain freshness and avoid contamination of the scent from other snuffs I have. Perhaps they have dried out, but as I recall they were not moist when I received them.

6

Molcajetes are fine if you don’t mind a little powdered basalt mixed in with your snuff. I’ll stick with steel for pounding and a suribachi for grinding.

7

The trick is to find a good quality molcajete, have it well seasoned and know proper technique. Granted, most molcajetes you’ll find are of pretty bad quality, but a good one will leave no trace of basalt. I have seen some very reasonably priced marble mortar and pestle sets at Asian grocery stores.

8

I found a med marble mortar and pestle today for $9.99 us. Is that a good deal?