United Scientific™ Ceramic Mortar and Pestle Set - 150mL Capacity, Deep Form with Pour Spout, Unglazed Grinding Bowl Surface for Kitchen or Lab Use - Herbs & Spices, Pill Crusher

I use this at least 3 days a week in the kitchen, its outstanding as a spice grinder. After a prior ceramic mortar and pestle broke I tried using electric grinders, molcajete, 'stylish' granite mortar and pestles, all were inferior for my needs. It isn't huge and stores easily; and its light, easy to grab and use in hand. Its big enough that I haven't had divide anything for recipes, but I wouldn't try to make a batch of pesto or grind cocoa nibs into chocolate. This thing grabs spices perfectly and doesn't have weird ridges to hide large particles. It is large enough to smash ginger and garlic, but the narrow diameter and high sides keep spice bits from flying out when breaking down cinnamon sticks or anise pods. I do wish the pestle was a little shorter, or at least had a flatter back-end to nest into the palm. It's uncomfortable and unwieldy for that particular use style, but the added length/mass means that I rarely feel the need to put my arm that squarely behind it, the momentum can do most of the work. Despite its excellent grip it wipes out easily and washes quickly. The glazed surface is super easy to clean, and the bare porcelain has not absorbed any permanent flavors or stains. I'm a fan!

I bought this mortar & pestle because it was less expensive than the one in the cooking department, but it is the exact same thing. For my purposes, it works great. I saw on some other reviews that the chief complaint was that the bottom of the mortar is not polished and therefore gets discolored by whatever you grind in it. For me, this would only be a problem if the flavor of the previously ground spice remained, but it doesn't. I find that the rougher texture of the bottom of the mortar helps grinds spices faster.

When you have to crush pills and sometimes I have to do that. This is a perfect product. I’ll get a different one for herbs, but I specifically bought this for medication. It’s fabulous.

This item exceeded my expectations in every way! Worked very well, and the size was just right for my purposes. (I could have gotten an even smaller one, but then the pestle would have been too small to grasp properly.) This one was just perfect, and pretty inexpensive too. I don't know how it could be improved upon.

The M&P was packaged well and arrived without damage. I use this to grind up resin incense and it does a great job. The inside of the mortar and the tip of the pestle have a coarse finish, which assists in grinding. You do not want a smooth grinding surface unless for very specific applications. I thought I stained it very badly after my first use, but it was easy to clean. Soak over night with hot tap water (not boiling) and a few drops of dawn dish soap. This should work for all non hazardous materials. I took off one star because the United logo is crooked about 5 degrees, and I really liked the logo in the pictures.

My mom always used a mortar and pestle to grind kitchen spices like black pepper and cumin. I've wanted one for a long time. The advantage is versatility. You can grind a small amount of spice, if needed, to any coarseness required. Much easier to control than an electric grinder. It can accommodate larger batches, but that is a bit of work. The porous surface makes it hard to clean completely. That's not necessarily an issue if you are just using it for spices. I rinse it off, then wipe with a paper towel. Very happy with the purchase.

Works great, easy to clean

on the first day, while cleaning this, the lettering (branding) rubbed right off. "united scientific"? fancy sounding name but its just average china stuff, not lab-grade or 'scientific' in any way. dont buy this because of the name. just buy the cheapest that does what this does. its seems ok so far, but having just your name stamped on with non-perm ink was not a great first impression.

Hasta ahora ningún problema para uso de laboratorio. Muy buena calidad y capacidad. Llegó bien empaquetado

Excellent mortier en porcelaine , très utiles pour mes comprimés à broyer matin et soir .

Llego en tiempo y en buen estado

Descripción engañosa, dice que el acabado es “vidreado” y sí lo es pero solo la parte de afuera del mortero y la parte superior del pistilo, ósea que las partes utilitarias están sin esmaltar por lo que en mi caso en particular no me funciona el producto.