Trudeau Graviti Battery-Operated Electric Pepper Mill, Chrome

I've been through several electric pepper mills, and none of them have held up very well, regardless of price. This mill is the easiest to use, of the various types I've tried, and the price is quite reasonable. I had the same initial problem as another customer, in that after loading the batteries, the thing just wouldn't work. Someone suggested putting a button inside to increase the depth of the pin responsible for making the grinder turn. I did that, and it worked like a charm, and has ever since. It seems wrong that you should have to modify a tool right out of the box just to make it work, but such was the case with this pepper mill. This makes me wonder how long this mill will hold up, but I may be surprised. The button trick worked, and I was relieved that I didn't have to send the pepper mill back, so, so far, so good. Be sure to read the instructions that come with the item, or you might cause other unforeseen problems with its operation.

It takes a total product failure for me to write a negative review. I bought two of these - one for pepper and one for my Himalayan salt. One works just okay - very coarse ground pepper despite adjustments to finer grain. Annoying but I could live with it if the other one worked. The salt one has the same problem AND in addition it only works half the time. I read a lot of reviews before buying which included how to be sure the 'gears' are connected. We constantly have to open the salt, realign the gear and it works for a limited time. Now it is too late to return - I should have sent them right back but I really liked the look and the concept of just turning it over. And I thought we'd figure out how to get the salt working correctly. Now I've bought a 2 mill set for less than the price of one of these at a local store. It works just fine. These are NOT a case of 'you get what you pay for'.

I was kind of concerned when I ordered this because it seemed like a lot of people had problems with it. When we first tried it out we had problems getting it to work. Finally I figured out that the drive shaft was slipping in the grinding burrs, so then I pushed on the "bottom" while grinding and the added pressure kept the shaft driving the burrs and it worked pretty well. I'm thinking that I will insert some heavy paper "washers" inside the "lid" (on the bottom) and see if that will tighten the thing up. Like so many products engineered in one place and built in another, I guess the product developers don't get a chance to see how well what they've designed actually works, or how well they're being manufactured. It also seems to give a pretty coarse grind, which is o.k with me because I don't mind a coarse grind. At any rate, it seems to me like there's room in the market for a better quality grinder than this thing.

I ordered this because of another reviewer who said they had used all kinds of pepper mills and this was by far the best. I had it shipped to my work address and it arrived today. I was surprised it took 6 AAA batteries, but whatever. I went to the grocery store on my lunch break and picked up an 8 pack for two dollars and fifty cents (screaming deal, lucky me), which left 2 batteries for whenever the next TV remote needs new batteries. I loaded the batteries with no drama and it works great. Comes fully loaded with pepper corns. Adjusted the coarseness with ease. I'm really happy with it. My two coworkers both asked me to order one for them, so I think that about proves it.I guess the only thing is I don't know how long it will last, all I can say is it seems pretty sturdy and I get the impression this will last a long time.It is about 7 inches tall, so its going to fit just fine into my rotating spice rack in my kitchen cabinet. This will be right in front, next to the kosher salt.UPDATE:The two I ordered for my coworkers arrived today. One worked and one didn't work! Sending the broken one back. So far, the first one I ordered is working fine. I see other reviews saying these don't last. I'll update this review if and when my grinder goes kaput. Crossing my fingers it won't, though!

Excellent product, fantastic design. For the price, it is definitely not as sturdy as the over $100 electric mills available via Williams-Sonoma.Great addition to any kitchen especially if you suffer from arthritis in your hands but still wish for freshly ground pepper.It took me a while to figure out how to fill with peppercorns and not make a mess.Note: It takes 6-AAA batteries and if you use it every day, you'll be surprised at how fast you burn through batteries. However, one of the giant packs of batteries from Radio Shack will solve this problem.

Just okay. This is my second one, I use it every night and I started having trouble right away. Obviously I liked the first one well enough to buy another as It holds plenty of pepper, looks good, and the batteries last a good while but, the tabs that keep the whole motor assembly from spinning with the grinder shaft are not large enough causing it just to spin without grinding. I have to keep constant high pressure with the palm of my hand on the bottom cap to keep it in place enough to grind. My first one lasted about two years before the tabs wore down but, this one, right from the start.Would try a different brand next time.

Quality control at Trudeau has seriously declined since we bought our first Graviti mill about eight years ago. That one finally quit working, so I naturally ordered the most similar model I could find. I ordered it online. It wouldn't work. I finally cobbled parts from the old one and the new one. I now have a grinder which is only acceptable at best. I really appreciated the original quality of this item. I recommended it to family and friends. Never again! Trudeau Graviti Battery-Operated Electric Pepper Mill, Chrome

I used it for three months, and still works great.But It is hard to put peppers in it. The rest of peppers spills from the mill and I have to clean the carpet.But once you put peppers in it, It is easy to use and very convenient.

I have bought about 20 of these for myself and gifts. They are THE BEST pepper mills ever, definately a conversation piece at dinner parties. Everyone wants to know where I got it, so they usually get one as a gift!

Excellent grinder....although It does take a lot of AAA batteries (6) so don't forget to order them, they are not supplied. It is a bit awkward to refill, well until you get used to it....a few extra granules on the work top whilst changing batteries or topping up the pepper!!. All in all a great product, well worth the money!

As with another reviewer, both mills I bought did not work because the battery/motor case turns rather than grinding the pepper. Following his lead, I used a small square of cardboard to hold the battery case in tight enough for it to lock against turning.This is a design issue which should have been dealt with before putting the product to market.It appears to work well once that problem was solved but I've only had it one day.

Delivered on time. Cheapest on the net. A really good pepper mill.Have tried others but they dont come close. This is the third one we have purchased as presents.

Would not work when taken from the box. Had to modify the bottom by adding tape to build up the bottom pressure plate. Should have returned it for a replacement. Oh well!