When we first heard about the MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon, the pitch sounded almost ridiculous: a pepper mill that claims to be the most powerful, most efficient grinder you can buy. It’s built from aerospace-grade aluminium, has stainless steel burrs, and supposedly churns out pepper like no other mill on the market. At around two hundred quid, it’s also one of the most expensive kitchen gadgets we’ve ever considered. Still, after giving it a fair go, we’ve come away with some strong impressions—good and not so good.
The first thing we noticed is the sheer heft of the thing. The Pepper Cannon feels like a serious piece of kit, more like a premium tool than a simple mill. It’s solid, weighty in the hand, and finished in a sleek matte black that looks great sitting on the counter. There’s no denying it has presence, and compared to the flimsy plastic grinders you get in the supermarket, it’s in a completely different league. Just holding it, you get the sense it’s been engineered to last a lifetime, not just a couple of years.
Once we started grinding, the difference was immediate. This mill doesn’t mess about. A single crank gives us more pepper than three or four turns of a standard grinder. For anyone who loves pepper—on steaks, in sauces, or mixed into rubs—it’s an absolute joy. The wide range of grind sizes is another win. We could go from a fine, powdery grind that melts into soups, all the way to chunky pieces perfect for pressing into a crust on grilled meat. The mechanism is smooth, and once we dialled it in to where we wanted it, we were impressed with how consistent it felt.
Refilling is also easier than we expected. The top pops off with a simple release, so we’re not left unscrewing fiddly parts or spilling peppercorns all over the place. There’s even a little cup that can catch and hold the ground pepper, which is surprisingly handy if we want to measure out a certain amount before seasoning. These small touches make the Pepper Cannon feel more thoughtful than a lot of mills we’ve used before.
That said, not everything about it is perfect. The price is the obvious sticking point. At around £200, this is a serious investment for what is, at the end of the day, a pepper grinder. If you’re only dusting the odd bit of pasta with pepper now and then, it’s hard to justify. We also noticed that because it grinds so efficiently, it’s easy to overdo it. A couple of enthusiastic cranks and suddenly we’ve peppered our food far more heavily than intended. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it did take a little adjusting.
The size and weight are another factor. We like that it feels solid, but we can imagine some people finding it bulky or heavy, especially if they just want something light and easy for the table. On the coarser settings, it can also take a bit more effort to turn, which might not be ideal if you’ve got smaller hands or struggle with grip strength. We also found ourselves wishing for clearer markings on the grind settings—there’s a bit of trial and error involved in finding the perfect point, and it’s not always obvious where we left it last time.
Still, taken as a whole, the Pepper Cannon does live up to its bold claims. For us, it turned a usually dull task into something oddly satisfying. Grinding pepper suddenly felt quick, precise, and even a bit fun. It’s a tool that encourages us to use fresh pepper more often, and that’s never a bad thing. But it’s definitely not for everyone. If pepper is just an afterthought in your cooking, you’ll never get the value out of it. If, however, you cook often, love seasoning generously, and appreciate high-quality gear that’s built to last, then it starts to make sense as an indulgence.
In the end, we think of the Pepper Cannon less as a kitchen gadget and more as a long-term investment. It’s not cheap, and it’s not subtle, but it delivers exactly what it promises: a mountain of fresh, perfectly ground pepper, with almost no effort. For pepper lovers like us, that’s hard not to love.
£175
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