Firstly, turn your mill upside down to ensure the mechanism is empty of previously ground salt or pepper. To alter the grinding mechanism from a coarse grind to a fine grind, tighten or loosen the screw knob on the top of the mill. Only a fine adjustment is required.

In the case of Gourmet Precision, Electronic Mills, Emperor, Duo 2 in 1 and Squeeze products, the adjusters are found on the bottom of the mills near the grinder.

No. Never immerse any mill in water or put in a dishwasher. If the body of the mill requires cleaning, wipe with a damp cloth and polish dry.

Salt and Pepper Mills will benefit from (time to time) putting a VERY small amount of cooking oil between your finger and thumb and rubbing it around the threaded part of the mill shaft. This will especially stop any corrosion caused by salt between the shaft and the screw knob which can 'weld' the two parts together.

We would not recommend the use of ‘Red’ pepper.

 ‘Red’ pepper is known as “False Pepper” which is not real pepper because it is actually from the seed of an evergreen tree grown in South America. It has a sweet, piquant flavour, but is mostly used for its appearance.

It has a moist consistency and can become trapped in the grinding mechanism, thus clogging up the grinder. However it is suitable if mixed with other white, green and black peppercorns. refill tubes »

Yes, if you have a mill with a ceramic grinding mechanism. Refer to the Swing Tag which was on your mill - this will confirm whether you have a ceramic mechanism. Use dried herbs NOT fresh.

When using a Cole and Mason Salt Mill always use Coarse Sea Salt Crystals. 

If a salt mechanism has worn through in a short period of time, one of the contributing factors can be the use of Rock Salt. Rock Salt is very hard and abrasive and is not suitable for use in our mills. Although on many makes of Rock Salt packaging it will state that this type of salt is suitable for all grinders, this is not the case with Cole & Mason Mills.

Likewise, the use of Sea Salt Flakes is not recommended as this type of salt will coagulate within the mechanism and will cause the grinder to fail. Also do not use any type of salt that is of a ’moist’ consistency or texture ie French Sal de Mer, as this type of salt will also coagulate in the mill. All salt must be free flowing and kept in a dry atmosphere.

We recommend Cole & Mason Pepper which is available from Department Stores or independent Cookshops. Cole & Mason Pepper is either Sarawak Black or Tellicherry Black. Both are high grade peppers with a low moisture content which ensures high flavour.

Sarawak Black is from Borneo and Mayalsia and Telicherry Black is from South West India.

Always use a high grade pepper and observe the size of the grinding mechanism in your Cole & Mason Pepper Mill. If the peppercorn is too big to fit into the aperture of the mill, it will not grind.

Always store Salt and Pepper Mills in a dry atmosphere - never let the mills or the contents come into contact with water or steam.