This is a good source for learning more about m&p as well as buying them.
I have two granite Thai ones (not bought here but in Europe). The small one is 25 years old something, the other around 5 years old.
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I have a small marble one for things like cardamom seeds or small amounts of finishing items (sesame seeds, roasted cumin, etc) and a narrower steel one for stronger flavors (in case I felt the need to pound chilli and garlic, for eg).
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My family stopped using the giant stone ones folks tend to romanticize when grinder jars for blenders (mixers) came into existence in my grandmother’s time and she upgraded to free up her own and everyone else’s time and effort, and we have not felt the need to go back. (Same with the curved-blade chopper and coconut scraper that were mesmerizing to watch someone operate in the old days.)
My mom still has the antique pieces which were probably in use from my great grandmother’s kitchen — there’s one with a large flat piece (rectangular or similarly shaped heavy, flat stone with a rough surface) and a cylindrical piece that was used to roll over the ingredients on top of the flat piece.
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I have a lava rock one as well, but the surface was really too rough at first. I used a grinding wheel to get it a little smoother, but still retain the roughness I wanted.
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Mine is black granite. I find it to be a pretty good balance between a molcajete and smoother marble/wood/metal models.
I use it for crushing ice, breaking up toasted spices/seeds, and (rarely) muddling herbs. Having a good blender and FP, I could live without it, but it is great for breaking up larger ingredients into to not too small results.
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I wish I was so inventive
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I only own one heavy beast in granite.
I use it for pestos and for grinding spices.
It’s not too big and not too small. But heavy as heck.
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How do you smooth lava rock? Doesn’t grinding just expose more voids?
In the case of a molcajete, which is volcanic basalt, one repeatedly grinds uncooked rice in it. Basalt is finer grained than very bubbly types of lava. Yes, grinding does expose voids; but the edges of those voids become smooth, with much less to chip off. On a large scale, it’s like taking the edge off of a crater, leaving a hole with no raised rim.
Visually, you can see the rice no longer turns grey or has particles in it after grinding. You can also feel the interior with your fingers. the pockmarked surface is smooth, with enough tiny, concave depressions to help grind by preventing the contents from just sliding around.
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I’ve had basalt molcajetes, thanks, and none of them “polished” smooth. IME, all that happens is that some protruding edges get knocked off. If you grind enough, new bubbles/voids are exposed.
As near as I can tell, all you’re doing is conditioning the molcajete with its first uses.
That’s correct, though I don’t think I mentioned polished, since the whole point of a molcajete made of basalt is to have a smooth, yet textured surface, which creates tiny pinch-points with very high pressure and less tendency for things like chilies to slide around. Any polished mortar and pestle will have diminished uses for grinding tough or leathery materials. If sturdy, they can be used for pounding, powdering. For grinding however, some texture on the surface is better.
Considering how little surface contact there actually is, the psi is quite high no matter what you use. The gripping aspect makes more sense. Basically, with grabby surfaces like with molcajetes and suribachi, you’re grating as much or more than you are grinding. Both are ill-suited to making fine pastes and powders.
I have 2, both from Mexico. One is a smooth polished onyx and a larger one made from Lava rock which is more textured
I had two, both white ceramic and over 60 years old; they were my parents’ and may have been purchased at the original India Imports in SF. The smallest one (the size of a baseball) I used extensively for grinding cardamom for pülla and maybe for making steak rub with garlic, black pepper and salt. Unfortunately it broke in half! I really liked that little workhorse. The larger one I’ve never used, but since I can’t find a smaller one I really like I might just have to employ it. It has a notch in the side which made for the perfect ashtray by the former owner.
