Review on Delectable Dishes Perfected with the Fox Run White Marble Mortar and Pestle by Elvis Bragg

First, it's a (roughly) hemispherical mortar and pestle. The pestle has a slightly smaller diameter than the mortar, leaving room for the grist. Grinding is accomplished by simply moving the pestle back and forth or in a circular motion. There is no need to pay attention to where and how pressure is applied. Just! Other reviewers have noted the ridges and grooves in the mortar, suggesting that they are meant to improve grinding. As a machinist and hobby optician, I recognize them as artifacts of the manufacturing process. These are rotation patterns known as zonal defects (see this in the context of making telescope mirrors to understand more). In the item I received, some of the ridges on the mortar were high enough to cause the pestle to experience a sudden increase in friction. In other words, the grinding was not smooth, as the pestle would get stuck when its protrusion or another protrusion (something non-spherical) hit the mortar's protrusion (again, the area that deviated from the spheroid). Luckily I knew how to deal with it. . Instructions follow if you have a similar situation. Marble is a relatively soft rock. Rub the two pieces together and they erase each other - makes this little craft project pretty easy. To connect the mortar and pestle: Pour some water into the mortar, which will act as a lubricant and medium to keep the marble chips suspended. . When ground, the water becomes milky white. Do not flush or discard this mixture. A fine marble cut is more abrasive and improves the grinding process. Move the ram back and forth about 10 times in four different directions: lengthwise, crosswise, and both diagonals. Then move the handle of the pestle in a circle (following the circumference of the mortar, not rotating around its axis) both clockwise and counterclockwise, again about 10 times in each direction. Stop the grinding process and counter-rotate the mortar and pestle a few degrees. Repeat the process until the movement of the ram reaches the desired smoothness. Rinse both parts with water and admire your work. I didn't keep track of the time, but it took me ten minutes. Grinding ingredients is now almost effortless. The longer you grind, the better it gets. If I didn't have to spend a little time making this tool the way it should be, this is definitely a five star product.