The stainless steel grinding bowl is removable and comes with a storage lid, so if you need to store spices, you can pop the lid on and put it right into your pantry. However, unlike the KitchenAid, the Krups only comes with one grinding bowl, so you won’t be able to grind new spices while you’re storing any. Rotary tool kits are available in corded and cordless versions. Corded rotary tool kits give you as much power as you need but do have the disadvantage of trailing cables and being unusable in areas without a power source – such as the bottom of the garden. Cordless rotary tools offer convenience and mobility but of course, they do need charging which can interrupt your workflow. However, powerful lithium-ion batteries mean most rotary tools can last for long periods. Corded models tend to weigh a little more than cordless ones.

Rotary tools can be used with an enormous range of accessories, and most are sold with a handy starter selection. If you don’t need the power of an electric grinder, but you still want an easy and effective way to add freshly ground spices to your dishes, the Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder is one of the most user-friendly manual spice grinders on the market. This Swiss-designed model has a door on the front of its body that you can open and use to easily fill the spice chamber with one dried spice or a combination to create your own spice blend. Here’s another entry from the king of rotary tool brands, Dremel. My hopes were high for this Dremel Lite Cordless Precision Multi-Tool, and I’m pleased to say it’s a marvellous addition to any craftsperson’s tool kit and one of the best cordless rotary tools out there. Several times a year, Cary Wong, a member of the Partners Coffee education team, attends trade shows to try lots of new products. This grinder left such a lasting impression that he still recommends it years later. The Niche Zero is a stepless grinder, which means you have infinite grind-size settings as opposed to having to choose from predetermined ones. That feature, Wong says, “really allows you to grind fine enough coffee to make great espresso.” While it’s only single dose, that makes its footprint smaller than most — ideal for if you have limited counter space or want to store it in a cabinet. “I love that it comes with a nice dosing cup with a perfect size for your portafilter,” Wong says, “which makes it easy and allows for no mess.” Other pluses he points out are its sleek design, well-built construction, and the fact that it’s quiet, “perfect for early-morning coffee drinkers.” Earlier this year, Fellow introduced its second grinder, a more affordable model that Strategist writer Kat Gillespie has been using for a little over six months now. As with the Ode, the aesthetic is undeniably part of the appeal. “It’s more like a design object than my old Baratza,” Gillespie says. “It’s really very impressive-looking on any counter, even my NYC landlord-special one.”With many appliances, we often want to know their maximum capacity, but when it comes to spice grinders, minimum capacity is an important piece of information, too. If you're only planning to grind a teaspoon or so at a time, you'll want to make sure your grinder can manage such a small amount. It's also important to differentiate between a grinder you can use for larger spices such as nutmeg versus something finer like peppercorns or rosemary. The shape and design of this rotary tool make it comfortable to hold on to, and the rubberised grip sections stretch right to the front for added control. The onboard 130 W motor boasts mains power torque and a variable speed of 10,000 – 30,000 rpm. It doesn’t come with a work light or flexible shaft. It runs on 12V power, so there’s plenty of grunt for grinding and cutting, unlike underpowered rotary tools you can almost stop with your hand. You also get a generous 2.0 Ah battery on board that’s removable, so you can buy extra batteries and not suffer any downtime when one runs low. It’s great not having a trailing cable or an annoying internal battery that can’t be replaced. You can choose from six different speed settings using a roller on top of the device, and the long power cord means you can get it to where you need it without resorting to a flex shaft. That’s probably for the best because you don’t get one included in this set.

You’re not limited to just salt and pepper, though. You can fill the chambers with any dried herbs or spices that are a staple in your kitchen for easy access to fresh grinding. Rotary tools also come with fixed or variable speeds. Variable speed is extremely useful in combination with the rotary tool’s general versatility. A single-speed motor may not give you the flexibility you need for delicate tasks. The handle part that you use for carving or grinding sits at the end of a 90 cm flex shaft. This means the part you hold is kept to a minimal size and weight for extra manoeuvrability. The shaft has a decent amount of rubber to it thanks to Ryobi’s patented GripZone over-moulding. It means you could use this for extended periods of time without getting too tired.

My Top Recommended Rotary Tools

Firmly filling the position of decent quality but budget-friendly tools and accessories is Terratek. The 235 Watt rotary tool they manufacture comes as a huge kit with hundreds of different bits and even a case to keep things safe. This extremely budget-friendly rotary tool kit is an ideal solution for the weekend DIYer who wants to do some crafting without emptying their wallet.

The biggest name in rotary tools, someone might ask to borrow your Dremel no matter what brand you own. They’ve been in the game for a long time too, so they know a thing or two about making the best cordless rotary tool on the market. The 8220 12V cordless muti tool is a lightweight and highly versatile tool with a comfortable grip and great performance. It’s a really useful piece of kit that will make your life a lot easier whether you’re a DIYer or a craftsperson. Schlader loves this Oxo grinder for a number of reasons, but chief among them is its “built-in intelligent scale” — which means you won’t lose extra money or counter space buying a separate one. The feature “simplifies the process of grinding coffee for your average home brewer and cuts down on equipment,” he says. Enter the number of cups you’re going to brew and your preferred coarseness for whatever coffee-making method you employ, and the grinder spits out exactly what you need. “It’s an incredibly thoughtful product,” he says. Cordless rotary tools are also very popular – the smallest and lightest ones are almost pen-size and usually feature a 3.6 Volt battery that is charged with a micro USB cable. There are also more powerful cordless rotary tools too that run off 18V batteries. The best rotary tool should be robust and powerful, yet versatile and comfortable to use with a rubberised grip, so you can perform delicate tasks with precise control and work for extended periods without becoming tired.I’ll be honest: I’m not a coffee snob. Give me a cup — pretty much any old cup — and I won’t complain. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a particularly good one. And as any actual coffee snob will tell you (trust me, I’ve talked with a lot of them), your coffee is only going to be as good as your beans. And your beans won’t be any good at all if you’re not grinding them yourself right before brewing. If you need a spice grinder mainly for salt and pepper, the Eparé Dual Manual Mill can handle both at the same time. Its dual design combines two separate chambers in a sleek space-saving device that has separate milling blades on each end. Dials on the end of each blade cap allow you to independently control the fineness and coarseness of each spice. Although this cordless tool doesn’t come with a fully adjustable variable speed range, there are four variable speed settings to choose from that give you enough range for a portable multi-tool like this. You don’t need any tools to change over the bits either, thanks to the clever end cap that can be used as a spanner as well as a grip. Unfortunately, most decent coffee grinders — even those made specifically for home use — cost a very pretty penny. We’re talking hundreds of dollars. So to figure out which models are worth the investment, I asked baristas, roasters, and coffee shop owners about the versions they keep on their own kitchen counters (and sometimes in their suitcases because apparently, good coffee never takes a vacation).

Needing no special introduction, Dremel have been making the best rotary tools for close to a century now. The 3000 series corded rotary toolis one of the more affordable Dremel tools that boasts excellent performance without costing too much. If you want a powerful rotary tool for making things, and don’t mind the power cord, this is a hard tool to beat for the price. The two-blade grinding bowl is meant for handling dried ingredients from herbs, like rosemary and thyme, to spices, like peppercorns and cardamom. Our tester noted that it created a fairly consistent, fine grind on most spices and worked beautifully to create enough freshly ground pepper for cacio e pepe in about 10 seconds. She noted that lightweight herbs like mint had a hard time staying down near the blade, so the results were less even, but these types of herbs generally don't need a super consistent grind.The Secura also brings power in a compact, counter-friendly size. The 200-watt motor can easily handle most spices as well as larger items like nuts and coffee beans, while the built-in overheat protection extends its lifespan so you can keep it around for a while.