What type of material should a Mortar & Pestle set be made of for cooking purposes?

Question

My son loves to cook at home. He will be celebrating his 30th Birthday, and I thought of buying him a Mortar and Pestle set.I see they are made in a variety of materials. What would be best for at home use for cooking?

Answer 1

Marble is a popular answer, because it is heavy and pretty to look at. Unfortunately marble reacts with acids to form potentially toxic compounds, so it's dangerous to use with some types of food (like citrus juices or vinegar).

Wood and plastic are both porous, so not only will they absorb potentially unpleasant odours (imagine grinding nuts for ice cream that pick up the scent of garlic), but bacteria as well. Plus, moulds are more likely to grow.

Metal, like marble, is reactive with acids.

The best material then boils down to two things: black volcanic stone or porcelain. Black volcanic stone is the material of choice you see for mexican and asian mortars and pestles--they are heavy, but unlike marble, do not easily react with acids. Plus, the coarse and grainy surface makes it easier to macerate food. Porcelain sets, which are similar to what they use in laboratories, are also non-porous and non-reactive, and their light weight makes them easy to clean.

It's up to you to choose: heavy and sturdy but relatively hard to clean, or light-weight but not as strong. (I'd get him both, if I were you.)

Answer 2

Stainless Steel Mortar And Pestle

Answer 3

Best Mortar And Pestle

Answer 4

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RE:
What type of material should a Mortar & Pestle set be made of for cooking purposes?
My son loves to cook at home. He will be celebrating his 30th Birthday, and I thought of buying him a Mortar and Pestle set.I see they are made in a variety of materials. What would be best for at home use for cooking?

Answer 5

The marble version has a lot more weight to it, so it's more stable when using it and also more efficient. It's easy to clean and very durable.
The stainless steel version is much lighter, probably as strong, and also easy to clean. But it's not very heavy and therefore may be not so stable when using it.
The plastic version is not very stable, not heavy enough to be efficient, not durable for the long haul, and will stain with minimal use.
The wooden versions are mostly for show. While they are pretty, they are not very heavy, not durable (wood splinters from use and wetness), and wood does not clean efficiently and becomes embedded with food particles over time.

I would go with the marble or stainless steel, depending on what his kitchen looks like and what would match the best.
Personally, I prefer marble accessories when available, but that's just a personal preference. I would never trade my marble cutting board and rolling pen for wood.

Answer 6

Wood will absorb some flavors, like garlic or rosemary. Stone is best, I think, and is heavy enough to be durable. I've never had a metal or plastic one, but I would think plastic would be breakable. And I hate to think the sounds that could come out of a metal one! Nails on chalkboard, anyone?

Answer 7

I have a wooden one, but I don't recommend it because of the cleaning. I used to have a nice heavy marble one which was awesome. The only reason I don't have it anymore is because my previous roomate took it when moving out. But I recommend the heavy marble. Since it's so heavy, it doesn't move a lot when grinding up whatever.

Answer 8

depends I have a brass one, wood and porcelain and I us for different thing but it you are getting only one think about the porcelain I find it very versatile

Answer 9

Traditionally they are made from marble. My friend has one, and loves it, so I hope your son does too!

Answer 10

i's suggest the metal one or the plastic one so it's easy to clean