What type of material should a Mortar & Pestle set be made of for cooking purposes?!
What type of material should a Mortar & Pestle set be made of for cooking purposes?
My son loves to cook at home. He will be celebrating his 30th Birthday, and I thought of buying him a Mortar and Pestle set.I see they are made in a variety of materials. What would be best for at home use for cooking?
Answers:
Marble is a popular answer, because it is heavy and pretty to look at. Unfortunately marble reacts with acids to form potentially toxic compounds, so it's dangerous to use with some types of food (like citrus juices or vinegar).
Wood and plastic are both porous, so not only will they absorb potentially unpleasant odours (imagine grinding nuts for ice cream that pick up the scent of garlic), but bacteria as well. Plus, moulds are more likely to grow.
Metal, like marble, is reactive with acids.
The best material then boils down to two things: black volcanic stone or porcelain. Black volcanic stone is the material of choice you see for mexican and asian mortars and pestles--they are heavy, but unlike marble, do not easily react with acids. Plus, the coarse and grainy surface makes it easier to macerate food. Porcelain sets, which are similar to what they use in laboratories, are also non-porous and non-reactive, and their light weight makes them easy to clean.
It's up to you to choose: heavy and sturdy but relatively hard to clean, or light-weight but not as strong. (I'd get him both, if I were you.)