05 September 2016

The Incredible Versatility Of An Electric Herb Grinder

By Frank Morgan


These days you can find a kitchen appliance for almost anything. With so much choice, the challenge is not to spend your money on ones you will use only a few times before you let them gather dust on the shelf. One gadget that is a really good investment and that will pay for itself over and over again, however, is an electric herb grinder.

If you've ever tried to crush herbs or spices by hand, using a mortar and pestle, you'll know how time consuming it can be. An alternative that works with electricity is almost like a small blender that can chop up anything in seconds. It's easy to use and easy to clean, since you only need to wipe it with a cloth or paper towel once you're done. More importantly, though, it's incredibly versatile.

As its name suggests, an herb grinder's primary use is chopping herbs into smaller pieces. It works best with dried herbs, which you can then use to add flavor to food or to add to tea or other drinks. If you want to give up tobacco and smoke herbal cigarettes instead, you'll find that it's much easier to roll your own if the herbs are finely chopped.

Buying spices that are already ground may be convenient but can also be wasteful, since spices quickly lose flavor once they're ground. If you buy whole spices instead, you only need to grind a little bit at a time, enough to meet the requirements of your recipe. Your stock of spices will last longer and you won't have to spend hours crushing them by hand.

The trusty little machine is useful for more than just herbs or spices. Incorporate healthy whole grains, legumes and nuts into your diet in ingenious ways by grinding them into flour. Flax seeds become easier to digest when they're crushed and can release their nutrients into your body. Even stale bread, cornflakes or cookies get a second life when you turn them into crumbs for making coatings or pie crusts.

For a tastier cup of coffee, you need to use beans that are freshly ground. Your grinder is also handy for making your own confectioner's sugar, grinding regular sugar until it is powdery. Instead of buying different textures of salt, buy a large pack of coarse salt and then grind it into a finer texture when you need it.

You don't even have to use your grinder for food only. It can turn herbs or flowers with medicinal properties into a fine powder that you can add to homemade hygiene products such as deodorants or lip balms. For a natural and inexpensive tooth powder that will also give you fresh breath, grind some dried peppermint, cloves of anise together with baking soda.

Even if you're not that interested in cooking or making cosmetics, the little appliance can come in handy. Put some dried flower petals in for only a few seconds and you have an evenly textured potpourri. For something even more colorful and festive, use the grinder to turn bits of paper into paper confetti. The possibilities are endless.




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