This is part of a series of posts on tools that have made my life in the kitchen easier and more productive.
Spices have been used for centuries to bring more flavor to our food. The best way to do that is by using spices that are whole when you buy them and to grind them up yourself. The reason is that spices lose their flavor over time. Who knows how long that container of cinnamon has been sitting on that supermarket self. So what I try to do with whatever spice I can is head over to my local bulk food store who sells whole spices. Once I have my whole spices, I need a way to grind them up to use them. So I turn to a coffee grinder, which is great for grinding your own coffee beans, but even better for your spices. I got this idea from watching Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” on the Food Network.
The nice thing about these grinders is that they are small appliances , that doesn’t take up much more space than my Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup. They are easy to use. And all I have to do is put the spices in, hold down the button, until it’s grounded up to my liking. I have done cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, just to name a few. If you want to get the most of your spices I recommend picking up a coffee grinder (or as I call it a spice grinder) today.
The spice grinder I would recommend buying is the Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinder
4 pings
Eat Like No One Else » Blog Archive » Eye of Round Roast says:
November 10, 2009 at 9:35 pm (UTC -6)
[...] and grind them for 10-15 seconds. (To learn more about using a coffee grinder to grind spices, read this post). Take this spice rub and rub it into the meat, all over the entire roast. If you wish to make more [...]
Eat Like No One Else » Blog Archive » Fried Apples (in an Electric Skillet) says:
March 4, 2010 at 6:12 am (UTC -6)
[...] really measure it when I do it, but last time I grounded up 1 whole cinnamon stick in my spice (coffee) grinder and threw all of it in the skillet. For the nutmeg, it is best to use freshly ground nutmeg. You can [...]
Eat Like No One Else − Pumpkin Waffles says:
October 10, 2010 at 7:39 pm (UTC -6)
[...] use the freshest spices you can. Whole spices, ground just before use offer the best flavor. Use a spice (coffee) grinder to grind whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. I also like to buy whole nutmeg and grate it with my [...]
Meyer Lemon Anise Cookies » Eat Like No One Else says:
December 7, 2011 at 1:41 pm (UTC -6)
[...] flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground anise seeds (I grind them in a coffee grinder) the zest of 1 Meyer lemon 4 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar coarse [...]