Detailed Pepper Mill Mechanism Disassembly Instructions - Repair and Maintenance for Our Peppermills

Printable Detailed Disassembly and Maintenance Instructions

For Our Chef Specialties Pepper Mill Mechanisms

Grinding peppercorns works best when they are driest. Depending on your climate, how often you use your peppermill and the kind of peppercorns you use, as they sit in the peppermill peppercorns may absorb moisture from the air and become soft and possibly moldy. When this occurs they may get stuck in the mechanism. At this point it will be necessary to do a simple maintenance procedure, disassembling the peppermill and cleaning the mechanism. To accomplish this carefully perform the following steps taking note of how it comes apart so that it can be put back the same way.

1. Remove the silver screw-on top and the wood top, setting both aside where they

won't roll or become damaged.

2. Empty the peppercorns into a container and examine them. Discard or try drying

them out in a microwave or toaster oven.

3. Turn the peppermill body upside down and with a #1 Phillips head screwdriver

gently remove the two screws holding the metal plate and remove the plate.

4. The male portion of the mechanism and the shaft with spring should slide out of

the bottom. The female part of the mechanism should remain inside of the

peppermill body but it is possible that it and the retaining clip may come out as

well. If so no problem.

5. Use a toothpick or small toothbrush to clean the channels on both parts of the

grinding mechanism.

6. If desired, use alcohol to clean and disinfect mechanism and wipe out interior of

the hole in the bottom of the peppermill, being careful to let both dry completely

before reassembly.

7. If the retaining clip and female portion of the mechanism came out during

disassembly, place the retaining clip back into the peppermill body being sure to

line it up with the screw holes.

8. Place the female portion of the mechanism back into the peppermill body, being

sure you can read the words "stainless steel" and with the indention's on the

mechanism part lined up with the retaining clip.

9. If the spring and the male portion of the mechanism were removed from the shaft,

place the male portion of the grinder back on the shaft with the flat side down and

place the spring back on the shaft with the big end of the spring up. Slip both back

into the peppermill, through the female part and retaining clip.

10. Position the metal plate back over the screw holes and gently screw the Phillips

head screws back into position. Special Note: Since we have metal screws

against wood it is possible for the screw to strip out the wood and keep turning. If

this occurs remove the screw and place a drop of Elmer's glue on the screw and

tighten the screw just until it looks like it has bottomed out. When the glue dries

the screw shouldn't go anywhere.

11. Refill the peppermill with fresh dry peppercorns, replace the wooden top and the

silver screw-on top to the setting you enjoy. To prevent future problems, it is a

good idea to turn your peppermill upside down once in a while and shake the

peppercorns free in case they have become packed too tightly and also when

changing to a fine grind setting.

Enjoy Your Fresh Ground Pepper once again!

Contrary to what you see Sara Moulton doing with her pepper mills on TV, no pepper mill finish will withstand being placed too close to a heat source. Our recommendation is to keep your pepper mill far enough away from your cooking surface so it won't get too hot, and never store it over the back of your cooking space.

Gourmet Peppercorns | Gourmet Salts

Our Refinishing Service Plan

Continuing our Customer Service!

Sometimes accidents happen and your Pepper Mill may have become damaged. If you find you need to return your mill to us for refinishing, please contact us first.
You can then use this Buy Now Button.
Purchase Our Refinishing Service Online Our service plan covers sanding away any damage and refinishing with lacquer and our outstanding hand rubbed polishing. We will also clean and replace if needed any mechanism parts and return it to you just like it was brand new. The return shipping is included, so all you need to do is contact us first, Package it well protected and ship it to us insured. We will take care of all the rest.