Salt Mill, Pepper Mill

Cooking is just not the same without salt.  It is one ingredient that cannot be done without.

Salt has been used for over a century to preserve food.  Without electricity, there were probably limited ways to keep meats and fish fresh enough to consume without cooking and eating immediately.  The salt dried out any bacteria that might have been trying to make a home in the meat being stored as it absorbed any water.

Salt is also pretty essential for health, we all need to have some in our body but these days the amounts we consume seem to be killing rather than healing us. If the kidneys are unable to get rid of excess salt within the body then the salt will absorb water leading to an increase of fluid in the blood vessels which can increase the blood pressure.  

Originally, salt was very precious and used as a form of payment and to determine the status of various members of society.  If you sat 'above the salt' you were considered important, However, 'below the salt' and you were the poor relations.

Salt was the first thing to get taxed as well.

However, do we need salt mills?

It depends...

What type of salt do you use and what do you use it for?  If you are just a basic family cook, then the chances are you already buy ground salt.  Therefore, there is definitely no need to buy a salt mill.  

Professional?

Well, you will not need me to tell you that for the various kinds of salt you use, you will probably get some use out of a salt mill.

For everyone, the mills look pretty good, so purely from a style point of view. a matching salt and pepper mill will definitely add a great look to a dining table.

Pepper has been used for a very long time, since prehistoric times, to season food.  They are native to India, though they also grow in Malaysia and Thailand.

Peppercorns can be green, white or black.  I believe the black form is more regular with everyday family cooks.

Peppercorns have also been used as trade goods, in fact in some parts of the law, contracts are made legal by the exchange of a few peppercorns!  Once upon a time, it was referred to as black money.

Pepper has also been used as a medicine in ailments such as constipation, diarrhoea (Although I would have thought, it would more likely cause it!), heart disease, earache, insomnia and more.

Pepper loses its flavor if not kept in an airtight container.

Are Pepper Mills necessary?

It is definitely more usual to have a mill for peppercorns although they can be used in food in their original condition.  

Mills are used to grind down the peppercorns just before they are used in food as if exposed to air, they are likely to lose their flavor.  So if you like the taste of pepper in your food, a pepper mill is a necessity.