Kota Japan 6” Granite Mortar & Pestle Stone Grinder Set For Mixing Spices Natural Medicines Pastes Pestos And Guacamole Ergonomic Design Cooking Grinding Bowl Every Kitchen

This is nice looking, and capable of smashing probably anything. I didn't look at the weight before ordering it -- 8 pounds! I need to carry it in two hands, and it's difficult to hold it up to get things out of it; I have to hold it on my forearm, and I probably won't be able to manage it when I'm older. I'm attaching pictures with it next to a mason jar and a pen, so you can see just how enormous it is. The well goes down about halfway, which means the bottom half is solid rock. Make sure you can lift a smooth eight pound rock in one hand before ordering it. I'm pretty sure if you dropped it, it would break your foot, or a tile floor, or dent a wooden one. I was, however, totally able to smash to bits what I wanted it for, so I'll just plan on using it as a doorstop when I can't lift it anymore.

This seems like a quality item but you’re led to believe it is made in Japan. However it’s made where all other stuff is made, China. I feel it’s deceptive. Thought I was paying extra to support another country other than China.

I like to try to make mundane dishes get a new edge to them using ingredients and tools for that help, but there are some things using a food processor is like using a torch to light a candle. The Kota brings simplicity to the experience. I made pesto and crushing, then muddling it all together was easy and cathartic. This is a large heavy duty tool that was so easy to use because of that weight. Whether you’re cracking peppercorns or creaming citrus zest, you will feel in control because of the tapered comfortable handle.Next up: hummus and guacamole!

We needed to replace our mortar & pestle set and have been looking for a while now. Our current marble one is about 25-years old, with a smaller bowl and a much larger pestle base, but it has cracked with age. I have always been put off by the reviews of many of the newer marble sets and haven't found one I liked - until now.I settled on this white marble one, hoping that the pestle would not be too small for crushing our vitamin supplements, and was concerned about how much bigger the set is from our old one.Well - I have to say that there are absolutely no disappointments with this set. It's a beautiful white marble with a hint of black/gray in it, the base of the pestle and the bottom of the bowl of the mortar are a little bit rough in texture which makes it very easy to crush the supplements, and there was no marble dust to deal with.As a precaution, I did grind some white rice before using it for the first time, but as it turned out, there was really no need to do so.Also, the set was very well packed and arrived with absolutely no damage. I would certainly consider purchasing this as a gift for someone.

Functionally, this is a great product because it has the weight you need for cracking open seeds and spices to open up that aroma in them. It's super simple to clean and easy on the eyes. It fits in with just about any décor and we keep it right out in the kitchen for easy access and use. Putting it away will be a bit of an effort due to it's weight.. again, I wanted a HEAVY HEAVY item which makes this a great buy for me!