Yes. The ceramic mechanism works for both salt and pepper, making this a truly versatile mill. Ceramic is mandatory for salt (as it resists corrosion) and works excellently for pepper. The interchangeable knobs let you mark which seasoning you're using. If you want to switch from salt to pepper, clean the mill thoroughly between uses to avoid flavour transfer.

The interchangeable knobs serve two purposes: they let you clearly mark whether the mill contains salt or pepper, and they allow you to mix and match colours if you buy multiple Kenton mills. This visual distinction prevents confusion at the table and helps avoid accidentally using salt when you meant pepper, or vice versa.

Yes. The interchangeable knobs are designed to work across the entire Kenton range. Buy mills in different colours (Rosemary, Turmeric, Sichuan Pepper, Sea Salt, Sage, Blue Salt) and swap knobs to create your own colour combinations. This lets you personalise your collection whilst maintaining clear identification of contents.

Selling mills unfilled gives you complete control over what goes inside. You can choose your preferred salt variety (rock salt, coarse sea salt) or pepper type (black, white, or mixed peppercorns). This also keeps the mill lighter for shipping and ensures your seasoning is fresh when you first use it.

This is Cole & Mason's premium range. The ceramic mechanism with lifetime guarantee confirms this. The supermarket versions (distinctive red packaging) use inferior nylon mechanisms. The Kenton range uses quality ceramic that will last decades with proper care.

Use rock salt or coarse sea salt. The ceramic mechanism handles standard salt crystals effectively. Avoid light finishing salts like Maldon or Fleur de Sel - these are too friable for mills and should be sprinkled directly onto food by hand. Very wet sea salts may work but dry salt gives the most consistent results.

Black, white and green peppercorns are ideal for mills due to their hardness. Pink peppercorns are very soft and when used alone will clog your mill because they don't crack. If you want to use pink peppercorns, make sure to mix them with harder varieties to prevent clogging. 

Ceramic mechanisms are corrosion-proof (essential for salt), maintain sharpness up to 10 times longer than steel, and allow zero flavour transfer between salt and pepper. The trade-off is that ceramic is brittle and can crack if dropped on hard surfaces. For versatility and longevity, ceramic is excellent. For absolute peak pepper grinding performance, carbon steel (like Peugeot) has a slight edge, but cannot handle salt.

The colours are purely aesthetic - all Kenton mills use identical ceramic mechanisms with lifetime guarantees. Choose based on your kitchen aesthetic: Rosemary (soft green), Turmeric (warm yellow), Sichuan Pepper (rust red), Sea Salt (cool blue-grey), Sage (muted green-grey), or Blue Salt (contemporary blue). The mechanism quality and performance are identical across all colours.