Olde Thompson 4-3/4-Inch Biscayne Peppermill and Salt Shaker Set

I really like the appearence of this set, but when the salt ran out, and I had to refill, I discovered that the top of the salt shaker does not unscrew. So you have to tape over the holes in the top, turn it upside down, and pry off a rubber stopper to fill it. Why not make it so that the top uncrews? The pepper mill fills from the top so why not the salt shaker? Seems like a poor design to me.

We bought a different set a couple of years before these. They were large, opaque plastic, black for the pepper mill, and a white salt grinder. Well grinding the salt, and purchasing special salt to do it, turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. The pepper mill wouldn't keep its setting and required constant tightening of the screw to get the grind we wanted. These look nicer on the table, don't require adjustment, and for salt all we've got to do is give it a shake. I love fresh ground pepper though, and this is the way to go. They're a little clumsy to fill, but we only have to do it a couple times a year, so it's not a big deal. I'd recommend them.

After my wife somehow broke our salt shaker of 9 years (not even dropped, it literally fell apart) we needed a new one (and a new set.) This set was well within my target range for price and I felt that it would meet our needs. And they have.

Some of the concerns of other reviewers concerned me, but I did not find the product to be that bad. It is plastic. It does not look like plastic and the only way I could tell would be to tap on it (it sounds plastic.) But I don't mind that, hopefully our guests won't either. It does come prestocked with salt and pepper (not ground.) Being the product is made in china we dumped everything that came with it and washed it in the dishwasher to hopefully wash away any chemical residues leftover (the salt originates in Belgium, but it does not say if the plastic was washed before filling.) Which reminds me of the concern of the bottom loading of the salt shaker, I did not notice a problem. Odd, yes, problem no.

In...Read more