Pepper is one of the most popular spices the world over, used for everything from adding a little kick to salad dressing, bringing a bit of bite to a barbecued steak, or simply adding a hint of tang to soups and sauces. Like many spices, pepper is the most aromatic and pungent when freshly ground. Although pre-ground pepper is convenient to use, it loses its potency and flavour quickly and cannot hold a candle to freshly ground pepper in taste, aroma, and spiciness. Swapping from pre-ground black pepper to freshly ground black pepper is one of the best ways to elevate the flavour of your dishes.
Grinding fresh pepper at home allows for adjusting grind size specific to the dish you are cooking and provides for grinding on demand, preserving freshness and more precise control of the grinding process versus pre-ground. Once you start grinding your pepper, there is no going back.
Having a good pepper mill on hand gives you all these benefits, but not all mills are created equal.
When we were first introduced to the sheer brilliance, attention to detail and spare-no-expense construction that originates from MÄNNKITCHEN, it was with the brand’s grinder, the Pepper Cannon.
Not content with what was available in the world of pepper grinders, founder Cleve Oinesn set out to make the ultimate pepper grinder. After 786 days, 54 revisions, 11 prototypes and 82 tests, the MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon was born.
A powerhouse of pepper mills, it goes beyond just being a unique statement piece — one that is made of premium materials, offering maximum efficiency with superior output speed and long-lasting durability.
It is masterfully designed and engineered to crank out pepper like never before — fast, consistent, perfect — producing up to 10 times the output of standard pepper mills. With an unmatched adjustable grind range calibrated for very precise and consistent grind quality, this sleek, aluminium-bodied mill allows you to harness the full flavour and aroma thanks to its powerful, stainless steel grinding mechanism (just like the finest coffee grinders). You can grind pepper directly onto food, or into a small bottom container, in case you want to dose it out using a measuring spoon. To top it off, a generous warranty makes this the only pepper grinder you will ever need.
MÄNNKITCHEN founder Cleve Oines says the grinder will also grind red peppercorns, white peppercorns, green peppercorns, cloves, fennel, anise, coriander and even coffee. However, the pepper mill is not designed for use with salt — the moisture from the salt can corrode the stainless steel burrs and the shaft. If you are searching for a premium salt grinder, have a look at the Salt Cannon, which is designed from the inside out specifically for salt.
The MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon has quickly become one of our absolute favourite kitchen tools.
Why MÄNNKITCHEN is an undisputed benchmark in the world of premium pepper mills
Designed, engineered, and manufactured to be in a class of its own, MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon is a game-changer that will elevate your cooking. At the forefront with its uncompromising functionality and impressive performance, it is a serious investment piece that will stand the test of time for years to come.
Here we share some of MÄNNKITCHEN’s standout features that truly set its Pepper Cannon apart from other quality pepper grinders on the market. Notable highlights include:
SPEED. If you are looking to grind large quantities of pepper, MÄNNKITCHEN gives you way more pepper volume per turn. At up to 10x the output of standard pepper mills, the Pepper Cannon produces extravagant quantities of fresh ground pepper. So, you only need to use 15 cranks to pepper a side of brisket instead of 150.
When you use your new Pepper Cannon for the first time, you might briefly think, “That’s too much pepper.” This is expected, so do not be alarmed. If you want to decrease the output, either crank it less or adjust the pepper cannon to finer grind settings. The finer the grind setting, the less pepper comes out.
MASSIVE RANGE OF GRIND SIZES. If you frequently find yourself underwhelmed and disappointed by the limited range of grind sizes offered by other pepper mills, the MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon will blow you away.
Standard mills can only grind pepper in the 12-28 mesh size range. One of Pepper Cannon’s most defining features is its impressive grind range — you can grind from 8 all the way past 60 mesh size (extra coarse grinding to extra finely ground pepper powder). Coarse enough for stocks and roast beef and finer than the pepper you have been buying because your mill was not up for the task. As a reference, a lower mesh number indicates a larger peppercorn fragment size, while a higher one indicates a smaller one. With the Cannon’s broad mesh range, the seasoning possibilities are endless.
WORLD-CLASS GRIND QUALITY. Too many pepper mills use wobbly drive shafts that turn an undersized self-dulling burr set. Consequently, there is friction between the male and female burrs resulting in dull, chipped burr teeth and allowing larger-than-desired pepper particles to pass. The Pepper Cannon pepper grinder from MÄNNKITCHEN uses a heavy gauge, double-bearing supported drive shaft that powers high-carbo, fire-hardened stainless steel burrs, ensuring you get the best grind, every time.
You can grind everything from pixie-dust fine grind powder up to 1/4 cracked peppercorns, and thanks to precision engineering, it only grinds black pepper — not its own teeth.
SUPERIOR CONSISTENCY. The traditional mills where a rotating grind adjuster is in direct contact with a rotating top result in wildly inconsistent grind size. For consistent results, the grind adjuster on the Pepper Cannon is located at the base and uses dual spring-plungers and detents, so your grind settings and grind size will stay where you set them until you change them.
EFFORTLESS RE-FILLING. MÄNNKITCHEN has also made it easier to refill the pepper grinder without unscrewing a tiny knob like with some other premium grinders or funnelling whole peppercorns into a hole on the side. The Pepper Cannon, in contrast, features a top that pops off with the push of a button for easy filling, then presses back into place with a satisfying metallic “Click”. There is no need to remove, replace, and recalibrate your grind adjuster, just to re-fill a pepper mill.
ONE-HAND SEASONING. You have seasoned meat on one side, then what? You have to flip it over and season the other side, which means you will either have to wash your hands mid-seasoning or use your pepper mill with a bloody hand. We have all been there.
Thoughtfully designed, the MÄNNKITCHEN pepper mill features a removable base cup that will help you with the prep and seasoning process. The base cup acts as a storage area when attached to the grinder’s body, catching all of the ground peppercorns produced with each crank.
Keep the base cup attached to the body when you want to grind your pepper as you are measuring out ingredients for a recipe. When you have ground enough, remove the base cup and set it next to the rest of your measured ingredients. You will not have to wash your hands midway through seasoning, so both are clean and free to grind when you need to flip the piece of meat over to season the other side.
MEASURING MADE EASY. Anyone who occasionally needs to measure their freshly ground black pepper knows how tedious the task can be using a standard pepper mill. This task is made easy by the Pepper Cannon as it grinds directly into a container that attaches to its base. You can simply snap the compartment off and scoop from the container filled with ground pepper with a teaspoon, making the Pepper Cannon the best pepper mill for measuring an exact amount of freshly ground pepper.
CAPACITY. As it is preferable to store whole peppercorns in a sealed container to extend their freshness, MÄNNKITCHEN opted against a super large reservoir (and corresponding height) that would take home users a long time to empty. With a generous but not excessive level of capacity, the grinder has a maximum peppercorn capacity of 1/2 cup in the storage area of the body and a capacity of 1/3 cup in the removable base cup to hold the ground pepper. Plus, the Pepper Cannon is so easy to refill, it is no longer a chore
SUPERIOR BUILD QUALITY. The MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon is crafted from a solid piece of aerospace-grade Aluminium and then anodized black to make the surface durable, non-reactive and easy to clean. Not plastic (it breaks and deforms easily). Not wood (it retains moisture). Not glass (it shatters and allows light to degrade pepper). MÄNNKITCHEN’s metal construction allows the brand to machine precision parts that fit together to exacting standards, so the results are exceptional and fast while adding strength and durability. In terms of performance, the grinding mechanism features conical burrs made of hardened, high-carbon stainless steel for more durability and precision.
It is not the cheapest way to build a pepper mill, but it is the way to make the best pepper mill.
SUSTAINABILITY. We live in a world where it is so easy to buy cheap products, made for a short lifespan. Once that use is met, the discarded products go straight to the trash and our landfills or, even worse, our oceans. On top of wasting resources and costing us and the environment more in the long term, these products do not provide a great quality experience or spark joy in our daily lives.
With sustainability in mind, the Pepper Cannon is made from recycled aerospace-grade aluminium.
While its physical properties are impressive on their own, aluminium has one of the most sustainable production lifecycles of any metal. Its characteristics make it an environmentally friendly metal: abundant, infinitely recyclable and therefore durable. Impressively, its quality and material properties are never lost. In addition, aluminium remelting requires up to 95% less energy than primary aluminium production.
5-YEAR WARRANTY. The premium pepper mill is made to last. MÄNNKITCHEN is so confident of its high-quality materiality and craftsmanship that they offer a 5-year warranty to back it up.
SLEEK AESTHETICS. With its sleek, matte-black design, the pepper mill is immensely stylish and elegant and transitions beautifully from kitchen to table.
Endorsed by chefs and foodies
With professional chefs and serious home cooks, the pepper seasoning has to be perfect and fast. Providing grind size consistency and a superior grind speed, there is no surprise why MÄNNKITCHEN’s pepper mill is endorsed by professional chefs and foodies:
“I was both shocked and delighted after my first few twists using the Pepper Cannon. This thing is a feat of engineering, and I’m excited to add it to my arsenal.” Andrew Rea, Binging with Babish
“Grinds faster than a roadrunner, feels like a lightsaber handle in solid aluminum…It may even replace my beloved Unicorn, which I’ve been loyal to for 14 years.” J. Kenji Lopez-Al, The Food Lab, New York Times
“I got the mill today and…whoa…it really does seem like you’ve solved almost all of the flaws of other pepper mills.” Daniel Gritzer, Serious Eats
The story behind MÄNNKITCHEN
Founder Cleve Oines’ passion for cooking, combined with his talent for design, has led him to develop cooking products that make life easier, better or just more enjoyable for professional and home chefs worldwide.
The name MÄNNKITCHEN comes from old Norse. Cleve’s great-grandparents left Norway in 1907 and settled in Petersburg, Alaska. “Männ” is a possessive pronoun from a dialect of old Norse, meaning my or mine. MÄNNKITCHEN = my kitchen. If you like to cook, MÄNNKITCHEN is for you.
Cleve’s starting point is to design tools that solve problems that he has experienced himself in the kitchen. One example is the Pepper Cannon. Cleve was tired of using inferior pre-ground pepper or cranking ordinary pepper mills an excessive number of times to get small amounts of inconsistently ground pepper. Also, when seeing top chefs having to crank over 60 times for a simple dish using a premium mill, Cleve wondered if the same job could be done with less cranking.
Once he started working on the speed problem, it became apparent that other issues like filling, calibrating, and grind quality/range were also fixable. The result is the Pepper Cannon. With Cleve’s obsession with meticulous detailing and performance grinding, it outperforms even the best pepper mills today.
