Kitchen Tools: Cole & Mason Richmond Electronic Salt & Pepper Set

The “one-handed” grinders I reach for every single day

By Chef Ian — Underground Chef

When I was on the tools in professional kitchens, we’d often run a salt-and-pepper blend we made ourselves — fast seasoning, quick grab, job done. Speed mattered, and everything was about keeping service moving.

These days, I’m cooking in a different rhythm. I’ve got time to enjoy the process… and I’ve become a lot more particular about the tools I use.

That’s why you’ll see me using electronic salt and pepper grinders in my tutorials.

They’re simple, tidy, and they make seasoning more controlled — especially when you’re juggling pans or plating up and you’ve only got one free hand.

And I’ll be honest: I use mine several times a day and I love them.

Mine are just about at end-of-life now (I went cheaper and they didn’t last), so these Cole & Mason Richmond Electronic Mills are my next pick — because they’re proper quality and built to go the distance.

Why I rate electronic mills (real-life benefits)

• One-handed operation — press the button and season while you stir, plate, or hold a pan
• Better control — it’s easier to manage how much salt vs pepper you’re adding
• More options — you can play with different salts and pepper blends depending on the dish
• Great on the table — quick, neat, and they look sharp when guests are over

What makes the Richmond set a step up

From Cole & Mason’s own specs, these are built for ease, performance, and longevity:

• One-handed, button-top operation with a soft-touch grip
• Adjustable grind from fine to coarse using the base knob
• Precision+ mechanisms:
  • Carbon steel mechanism for pepper that strips peppercorns rather than crushing
  • Diamond-sharp ceramic mechanism for salt to handle even hard salts like rock salt
• Textured grip to help prevent slipping during one-handed use
• Lifetime guarantee on the mechanism (domestic use)

(Also worth noting: each mill needs 6 x AAA batteries - not included.)

Chef’s tip: how I set mine up

• Pepper mill: a peppercorn blend (great everyday flavour without thinking)
• Salt mill: your go-to cooking salt
  Then if you want to get fancy later, you can swap to speciality salts/pepper blends for finishing.

Care (easy)

Just wipe with a damp cloth and dry - no dramas.

Final word from Chef Ian

“I season constantly when I cook - and these make it easy to get the right hit of salt and pepper without overthinking it. Buy quality once and you’ll use them for years.”

Chef Ian

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