My Favorite Little Work Horse Seed & Herb Grinder

In a pinch or for small grinding tasks, my favorite go-to grinder is the

Proctor Silex E167CYR Fresh Grind Coffee Grinder

Inexpensive, small, and yet a work-horse. I use this model for grinding herbs, herb mixes, flax seeds, chia seeds, as well as small amounts of oat flour from rolled oats. It is a treasure. I loved it so much, when I got back into drinking coffee again, I bought whole beans and ordered a second grinder to just use for coffee! There is nothing less appealing to me than rosemary, oregano, or thyme flavored cuppa first thing in the morning!

My first Proctor Silex grinder is well over 10 years old now, and yet is still going strong. I had picked it up on sale at a local pharmacy after the holiday season one year, and have had it ever since. I love that it has a good sturdy motor, still grinds all my herbs and spices, grinds seeds easily and finely, AND that it is compact on my counter. I also like that the cord rolls up inside for travel, too. We have been known to toss it into a suitcase for fresh ground coffee on the road.

My only complaint is that it IS noisy when it grinds. Some might find it noisy enough to use ear protection when grinding. I have to say, though, that I have yet to hear a quiet grinder of any kind. Let's face it - it is grinding seeds and things, and therefore, by default, is noisy. It is not the motor so much that makes it loud, but the sound of everything whirling around in the little plastic top.

This is a nice addition to any kitchen, and maybe even buy two or three to designate for different purposes. It would be nice to have it around for just the seeds, while using the old one for herbal mixtures like Cajun spice, Mexican Spice, or Italian Seasoning mixes that I make myself to our tastes. We don't always want our oat flour or seeds to taste like these savory and spicy flavors.

A quick note about some ads I see for it online. When it says that it has a large 10-cup capacity, that is NOT the size of the “hopper” for grinding. It seems that is actually the amount of coffee it is capable of grinding - just enough for about 10 cups.