A couple of years ago my sister gave us a chilli grinder. I’m not sure where she got it but it was essentially a clear pepper mill
that was filled with dried chilli flakes and a small amount of salt. It lives on the dining table alongside the salt and pepper as we tend to spice most of our food up.
Every time we have people over for dinner they always spot the chili grinder say how cool it is then ask where they can get one. The simple answer is to make your own. All you need is a clear pepper mill, some dried chili flakes and sea salt.
Simply take an empty salt/pepper mill and fill it with chilli flakes and you have your very own chilli mill.
You can buy the chilli flakes ready made however this can be an expensive option as they are usually sold in small quantities. It usually works out much more efficient to make your own chilli flakes from either home grown chillies or shop bought dried chillies. If you you want to make your own flakes from home grown chillies you can find out how on our preserving chillies page. Alternatively you can buy dried chillies very cheaply and turn them to flakes yourself.
Making your own chilli flakes is extremely easy. You could use a pestle and mortar to bash up your dried chillies. Be warned this can release chilli fumes that will result in you burning your eyes. A much easier way is to get hold of a bladed coffee grinder
and use this to pulse your dried peppers into flakes. You should either buy a dedicated grinder to use for chillies or use an old one that will no longer be used to make coffee for obvious reasons.
