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One of the major perks of writing about kitchen gear for a living is that I get a lot of products sent to me for testing—many of which are admittedly pricier versions of equipment than I’d ever buy for myself. Such was the case with the Mannkitchen Pepper Cannon, a manual pepper grinder that costs—wait for it—$200.
Spending such a hefty sum on a pepper grinder seemed needlessly luxurious to me—especially as someone who was using a disposable plastic grocery store model as recently as a few years ago. In my mind, there was nothing this thing could do to justify its price point. But after two years of using the Pepper Cannon in my home kitchen, I’m willing to admit I was wrong.
Männkitchen Pepper Cannon
Do the Pepper Cannon and a standard pepper grinder have the same basic function? Yes. But if you’ve ever had to grind a boatload of peppercorns at once, you know that doing so is usually a slog. Not so with the Pepper Cannon, which shoots out ground pepper with a force that can only be described as, you guessed it, cannon-like.
Of course, not every dish requires a shower (or rather, torrential downpour) of ground pepper. Seasoning a sauce probably only takes one or two twists of the Pepper Cannon max. But for tasks like making dry rub, seasoning a lot of meat at once, or cooking a big batch of cacio e pepe, my Pepper Cannon has proved to be an invaluable addition to my kitchen arsenal and I use it every single day. I am happy with the cheap version of so many kitchen tools—my $20 mandoline, or a cheap cast-iron pan. But if my Pepper Cannon were to disappear, I really would spend $200 to replace it on the spot.
The Pepper Cannon also adjusts easily to so many different grind sizes. I use the coarsest setting to make steak au poivre and the finest for mixing into soups and sauces where I want the spice distributed evenly. And while you do need to be mindful of how much you crank it (remember, it’s a pepper cannon), I’ve found it easy enough to grind out just a small amount of pepper too.
Of course, I’d never flat out tell you that you need a $200 pepper grinder. But what I will say is that this one has made my own home cooking easier and more enjoyable, whether I’m throwing together a quick weeknight dinner or prepping a feast for 12. This product isn’t expensive for the sake of being expensive—its performance and build quality match its luxe price tag.
If you’re intrigued and willing to splurge, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.
