One kitchen implement I can’t live without is my pestle and mortar. Mine gets used almost every time I make a meal. The one I have is solid unglazed porcelain with a comfortably sized handle on the pestle. I use it to bash or grind whole spices and I have had the same one for years!
If you have a good pestle and mortar then you really don’t need to buy ready ground spices which lose their flavour before you use them up. Whole spices last way longer and taste a million times better. If you don’t have a good solid pestle and mortar then treat yourself!
Its important to have a good one that is the right size. A small, awkward to use pestle and mortar will just gather dust on the shelf. You need to be able to get a good grip on the handle and be confortable bashing hard with it. You can find them made from granite, ceramic, marble, porcelain, stone, wood…Just feel it out before you buy.
