The best pepper mills and salt grinders

• The best pepper mills and salt grinders use steel or ceramic gears to grind spices to the exact size you want.
• Of all the pepper mills and salt grinders we've tested, Peugeot's Paris u'Select 9-inch Pepper Mill and Salt Mill are the very best you can buy.

If you've never had freshly ground pepper or salt, you may wonder why on Earth you'd want to have to do all that work to season your food. However, once you've tasted the beauty of freshly ground salt and pepper, you'll never want to go back to pre-packaged spices.

Pepper, in particular, loses its flavor and strength when it's packaged already ground. It goes stale and loses its bite quickly. Salt can also take on a special flavor when you grind it freshly — especially if you're using sea salt and a grinder that lets you determine how fine you want it.

The best pepper mills and salt grinders last a lifetime. They're made with high-end steel or ceramic gears that grind your spices as finely or as coarsely as you want them. Mills should also be easy to fill up and pretty enough to grace your dining room table or kitchen counter.

I tried several different brands before I finally settled on the best set for my needs. The picks in this guide are based on personal testing and research into the best grinders and mills you can buy.

• Peugeot Paris U'Select 9-inch Pepper and Salt Mill
• Fletchers' Mill Border Grill Salt or Pepper Mills