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Regarding salt grinders....

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Botch
Botch Posts: 15,467
in EggHead Forum
Rather than go slightly off-topic on @Captainjimpark 's pepper mill thread, I thought I'd start a separate one.
Folks, you don't need a salt grinder!  Salt is a homogeneous substance, it is a simple compound, it is a rock, and grinding/reducing the size of the particles does nothing other than making them dissolve quicker in solvents (water, etc).  Salt doesn't go stale, it has no "volatile oils" that will evaporate if pre-ground, it won't get musty over the months.  You don't need a salt grinder, it just adds work.
I do keep two different kinds of salt, table salt (which is strictly used in my salt shaker on the table) and kosher salt.  Kosher salt takes up more volume per mole than table salt, but once you understand that it makes no difference.  Kosher, which is irregular in shape, "grips" better when you grab a pinch out of a salt pig (which is what I use in the kitchen) and also provides a nicer "bite/crunch" when sprinkled on a just-grilled steak.  Because I try to season as I cook, the salt on my dining table is very old, I just don't use that shaker.  But, no problem; it doesn't age.  
I've toyed with the exotic salts, gathered from the Brittany seashores and dried in the Mediterranean sun, with their trace minerals and flecks of bird poop; maybe the world-class chefs who cook for a living can taste a difference, but I can't so I save money sticking to Morton's.  
FWIW.    
_____________

Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
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    I agree @Botch, and keep Morton's kosher out with a 1/4t spoon.  Fleur de sel is in the pantry, along with a few good Italian salts...but I don't keep any salt or pepper on the table, season as I go.  

    Have wanted to play around with some of APL's ideas on flavored salts using a dehydrator in Charred and Scruffed.  
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,759
    edited March 2018
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    Morton’s Kosher here...I will smoke it or make flavored salts with it from Herbs, jalapeño  to Bacon...Salt in itself it is a multi talker 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    Totally wrong. I’ll explain why when I’m on a keyboard manana. 
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    I've tried a few fancy salts. There was only one that tasted to me any different. That was India black salt, which has some sulfur compounds in it. Some people find it pleasant, I didn't.

    From what I've read, the fancy salts have different mineral content, so may provide some nutritional value.

    I've also bread table salt has aluminum added to keep it from clumping. So I have some fine ground sea salt on the table now. I have a container of coarse, which does clump, and has to be broken up. That's good as an abrasive added to herbs and spices when pounding in the pestle. Breaks up tough seeds very well.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,741
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    kosher salt at home in a bamboo salt box next to the stove, prefer a fine grind at the table.  the  mccormick disposable grinder of seasalt at camp lasts about a year
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,336
    edited March 2018
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    Kosher salt and Himalayan here. I do have a black truffle infused sea salt that is AMAZING on steaks 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I don't use table salt. I do add kosher while cooking, though probably far less than most. I keep a salt cellar on the counter. I have mostly used Morton coarse though I also have some Diamond Crystal. DC is pure salt. Morton adds an anti-caking agent (yellow prussiate of soda).


    Always seemed to me that a tablespoon of DC would weigh more than a TBS of Morton's. So I finally weighed them. I had it backwards. A tablespoon of DC weighs 11 grams. Morton's, 17! So for the same level of saltiness, you need quite a bit more DC. I think I will start using DC, but use the same quantities I've been using with Morton's. Less flavor, but lower sodium. It won't take long to get used to the change. =)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,741
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    what are the health risks of not using iodized salts nowadays, is everyone risking a thyroid.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
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    Maldon sea salt for everything. Use as is, crushed between the fingers for smaller flakes or pestle and mortar for fine grade.
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,344
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    There is a difference between salts used for cooking and finishing salts. I think it's worth having a few types on hand.

    That flaky Maldon salt is the bomb. In the US tho it used to be pricey enough tho that grinding it into fines seemed criminal.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    Table Salt: 7 grams per teaspoon
    Morton's Kosher Salt: 6 grams per teaspoon
    Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: 4 grams per teaspoon
    Large Flake Sea Salt: 3 grams per teaspoon
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    I’ve been trying to come up with a response that won’t make me sound azzholish. I gave up b
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,467
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    GrillSgt said:
    I’ve been trying to come up with a response that won’t make me sound azzholish. I gave up b
    You had said earlier that you were going to respond once you had a decent keyboard in front of you.  
    Go ahead, but I gotta admit I (once again) I made one thread with two ideas.  There may be a big difference between different "artisan" salts, and several above have already said that.  I couldn't taste a dif, but in no way have I tasted all the artisan salts out there.
    My ORIGINAL premise, however, was that grinding any kind of salt doesn't change it one iota, and I stand by that.  If you disagree, bring it on, bro!!   =)  =)  =).  Its okay if you sound azzholish, I'll slay your argument with my rapier-like wit!  
    I've had some wine.  Seriously, I'd be interested in hearing what you disagree with.   ;)
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Wikipedia sums it up pretty well:
    "Iodised salt (also spelled iodized salt) is table salt mixed with a minute amount of various salts of the element iodine. The ingestion of iodine prevents iodine deficiency. Worldwide, iodine deficiency affects about two billion people and is the leading preventable cause of intellectual and developmental disabilities."

    You need some iodine in you. Although salt is not the only way to get it, iodized salt is an easy way to address the issue.

    We eat a lot of Indian food (shocking!), so table salt for most of the cooking. Some fancier salts are on hand, but don't get used that often. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,610
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    Cultural appropriation of grinders by salt.  Despicable.
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    edited March 2018
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    @caliking Would it be a safe assumption that the sodium in canned and processed foods is iodised? I guess I could Google for myself, but I thought you might have some intuition about it. 

    Edit: It wasn’t a difficult search: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/cut-salt-it-wont-affect-your-iodine-intake
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    HeavyG said:
    That flaky Maldon salt is the bomb. In the US tho it used to be pricey enough tho that grinding it into fines seemed criminal.
    I agree, love the flaky Maldon!
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • gtcharlie
    gtcharlie Posts: 65
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    I have for the most part switched from Morton to Diamond Crystal.  I find the latter with its smaller crystals dissolves much better when cooking pasta, coats foods with a more even distribution and overall works both at the table and in the kitchen.  Your results may vary.
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    If you can't taste the difference between Morton's Iodized table salt and the myriad of sea salts available then you wouldn't need a salt grinder.
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    @SciAggie that article answers your question. I’m guessing that food processors don’t use iodized salt because it’s more expensive. 

    Iodine deficiency is more of a problem in the developing world, where the poor don’t have a lot of dairy, fresh veg, etc in their diet . 

    And if if anyone is interested in the history of salt, this book is a great read:


    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    @caliking Yeah, that's why I added the "edit" - I found my own answer. And - I have that book - you have no idea what a ration of sh!t my family gave me over that. They thought it was odd to read about something like salt. There is also "The Secret Life of Dust - from the Cosmos to the Kitchen Counter" that's a good read.
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • johnnyp
    johnnyp Posts: 3,932
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    GrillSgt said:
    Totally wrong. I’ll explain why when I’m on a keyboard manana. 
    GrillSgt said:
    If you can't taste the difference between Morton's Iodized table salt and the myriad of sea salts available then you wouldn't need a salt grinder.
    I thought I was going to learn something. Anticlimactic 
    XL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,741
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    if you dont have a grinder,  the food processor works fine in a pinch =)  the himalayan pink stuff i have might break a processor
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    johnnyp said:

    GrillSgt said:
    Totally wrong. I’ll explain why when I’m on a keyboard manana. 
    GrillSgt said:
    If you can't taste the difference between Morton's Iodized table salt and the myriad of sea salts available then you wouldn't need a salt grinder.
    I thought I was going to learn something. Anticlimactic 
    I tried to post several different things but they all came out smarmy. I guess I could have gone into a dissertation on the size of the salt granule for different foods, like scrambled eggs or a dinner salad. I'll leave it at that.
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  • jeffwit
    jeffwit Posts: 1,348
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    @SciAggie, I also caught a lot of crap from my family about that book. 
    But it was fascinating. 
    Jefferson, GA
    XL BGE, MM, Things to flip meat over and stuff
    Wife, 3 kids, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs. 
    “Honey, we bought a farm.”
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 901
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    Eoin said:
    Maldon sea salt for everything. Use as is, crushed between the fingers for smaller flakes or pestle and mortar for fine grade.
    Totally agree. It's all I use on plated food, and often in cooking. For larger quantities in cooking I'll use Morton's kosher salt. 
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,344
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    SciAggie said:
    @caliking Yeah, that's why I added the "edit" - I found my own answer. And - I have that book - you have no idea what a ration of sh!t my family gave me over that. They thought it was odd to read about something like salt. There is also "The Secret Life of Dust - from the Cosmos to the Kitchen Counter" that's a good read.
    I'm a nonfiction kind of guy and I particularly enjoy those books where the author takes a deep dive into one specific subject. For me it started a few decades ago with Henry Petroski's classic "The Pencil". Have read many more on such things as salt, coffee, potatoes, cod, bananas, paper, pepper, and some others that escape me at the moment.

    Just read this morning about another (but likely more grandiose) single subject book coming out (possibly next year) that I'm sure will interest many of the folks here - "Modernist Pizza". I'm guessing it will be in the same tradition as the fantastic and $pendy multi-volume sets - "Modernist Cuisine" and "Modernist Bread". Can't wait to see it.

    http://www.foodrepublic.com/2018/03/20/modernist-pizza/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social_Media&utm_campaign=FR_Digital

    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
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    GrillSgt said:
    johnnyp said:

    GrillSgt said:
    Totally wrong. I’ll explain why when I’m on a keyboard manana. 
    GrillSgt said:
    If you can't taste the difference between Morton's Iodized table salt and the myriad of sea salts available then you wouldn't need a salt grinder.
    I thought I was going to learn something. Anticlimactic 
    I tried to post several different things but they all came out smarmy. I guess I could have gone into a dissertation on the size of the salt granule for different foods, like scrambled eggs or a dinner salad. I'll leave it at that.
    @grillsgt seriously, don't worry.  have you seen the amount of chatter generated by topics like.... charcoal??? no one should be offended by your opinion on salt!

    personally i hate grinders because i end up oversalting things.  and i'm too lazy or unsophisticated to use fancy stuff.  morton's kosher salt for me.

    as for iodine, i've been called a cretin more than once... maybe i should pay attention...
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    I use Morton's Kosher for cooking. It's perfect. We use the grinder at the table. I seriously don't like the chemical taste of iodized salts. 

    Regarding being an azzho, I am good at it. Too good. So I've been trying to behave myself here. 
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    GrillSgt said:
    I use Morton's Kosher for cooking. It's perfect. We use the grinder at the table. I seriously don't like the chemical taste of iodized salts. 

    Regarding being an azzho, I am good at it. Too good. So I've been trying to behave myself here. 
    Serious question - do you think being able to taste the iodine is genetic? My comparison is like the individuals that hate cilantro because it tastes like soap? Or do you think in your experience it is a refinement of taste over time?


    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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