The Real Reason Salt Grinders Exist, According To Reddit

Every kitchen in America has salt. Not only is it one of the most basic seasonings in American cuisine, but salt is also a pretty important part of a healthy diet — within reason. The Food & Drug Administration recommends including no more than 2,300 mg of sodium in your daily diet, but the average American actually consumes about 3,400 mg a day. Oops.

Although salt shakers are typically filled with standard table salt, that isn't the only kind of cooking salt. Sea salt, pink salt, and Himalayan black salt are also popular, says Food Republic. These salts come in larger crystals that may be too large to cook.

Enter salt and pepper grinders, invented as a less labor-intensive alternative to the mortar and pestle method (via Peppermate). Grinders allow larger pieces to be ground down to a manageable size — or at least that's the story we've been told. Salt grinders might just have another purpose. 

If you were to ask Reddit why salt grinders actually exist, "to grind salt" wouldn't be the top answer. So why do we have salt grinders? According to kittyglitther, "The grinder is pretty, it makes a fun KRTCH noise, and twisting stuff brings joy and light into my dumb little life."

Williamtbash added, "There's more control. My normal salt shaker shoots out salt like its life is on the line. The grinder I can do a little. A lot. Grind over part of the plate. Get a little wild. Take it easy." Ebeewtf chimed in, "Why simply dump when you can crunch?"

Staplesuponstaples said, "The act of twisting the salt grinder to grind the salts rather than just shaking a shaker actually makes you feel more involved and will make the food taste better." ManOnThePaperMoon commented, "Grinding the salt leads to me using a lot less than just pouring it out of a container. Gotta trick my monkey brain into thinking I added more salt than I did." Those are definitely all very good reasons.