When would a cook reach out for a mortar and pestle rather than an electric grinder for spices and a sharp knife for herbs?

Question

The last person I witnessed use a mortar and pestle was my grandmother, and even she was dissatisfied with how a few grains of coriander might regularly fly off.

But mortar and pestles remain very much on sale at stores and online (and most are not provided with a "safety cover"). This suggests that there is something to them, besides nostalgia.

Now consider a cook who has a good quality blade grinder, a dedicated burr spice grinder for spices (all burr grinders are meant for coffee beans, but it's not a workable arrangement to use the same burr grinder for coffee and spices), as well as a mortar and pestle.

When would a cook reach out for a mortar and pestle rather than an electric grinder for spices and a sharp knife for herbs?

Answer 1

A pestle and mortar are quick to pick up and quick to clean for the next use. Especially with the cleaning, they're probably quicker for small quantities than using a grinder. Mine can also go in my dishwasher if I know I'm not going to use them again before it runs; if I am reusing it, a rinse is all that's needed.

They're also standard equipment and compact. Having multiple grinders, whether hand-powered or electric, takes cost and storage/work space for something that might not be used all that often, and you may well have to unplug something else to use them if electric.

Grinding herbs in a mortar is rather different, used for specific recipes. A sharp knife is the norm. I might get out a motorised chopper for large quantities (e.g. making pesto) but that goes on top of my stand mixer that's always out from making bread, and again can go in the dishwasher. Grinders I've used have always had parts that took effort to clean.

Answer 2

If I want a fine powder I don't reach for the mortar and pestle, I use a grinder as it's faster. A mortar and pestle is useful when you don't want a fine powder, sometimes you want something crushed to a specific consistency and a mortar and pestle is best for that.

Answer 3

There are a few situations where a hand-operated mortar and pestle might be considered superior to an electric grinder or a mixer.

First of all, a mortar is slower, so you have greater control over how fine your crushed spices are, or maybe only partially crushed if you want to keep the texture of e.g. Szechuan peppercorns or coriander seeds.

A big reason mortars are still widely available is that they crush/press rather than chop/cut whatever you process. This can aid in the release of aromatic compounds like basil when making a pesto. SeriousEats has done a side-by-side comparison of mortar and pestle pesto vs. food processor pesto. The difference is clearly visible.

In addition, concerning pesto, the fast turning blades turn the olive oil bitter through aeration. One could apply this answer to other aromatic volatile compounds that are present in many spices/herbs.

Answer 4

One more reason: for some foods, you want to "bruise" or "mash" them and not slice, chop, or puree them. Examples include Thai mango salad, Thai fish "omelette", and guacamole.

Answer 5

I'm speculating a bit. A mortar and pestle may be a far better instrument than spoon (or fork) and bowl for mashing tamarind before straining out the pulp.