I needed a good pestle, as the mortar and pestle set I have refused to properly break down anything that might offer it a bit of a challenge. I thought that if I got a good-quality pestle, I could use the mortar I have, and I'd have a stronger set. This was not the case. The quality of this pestle is far greater than the set I had, as this pestle literally started to break down my mortar along with the Ceylon cinnamon I was working with.This solid block of black marble is absolutely beautiful. It's big and much heavier than I anticipated, weighing 312 grams. When I first picked this pestle up, I knew it was going to be the answer to my Ceylon cinnamon problem. I couldn't get my pestle to break it down into anything more than twigs. I filled up my small mortar with cinnamon, and when I first pressed this pestle to the top of the pile, I realized the weight of the pestle mattered. The weight adds to the pressure of the grinding, so I don't have to work as hard. I was also surprised to find out that the polish on the marble helped my hands grip onto the pestle. I thought my hands would slip and slide all over it, so I had a silicone glove ready to use with it. I didn't need it. The pestle did most of the work, however; I had to contribute a bit, and it was pretty easy to do. Considering I was working with Ceylon cinnamon, and we managed to get powder, I was surprised I didn't have to work harder than I did. The pestle made quick work of the cinnamon.I'd never used a mortar and pestle before, so I learned a lot with this one. A textured pestle really matters because it grabs onto whatever it's crushing to break it down. Because this pestle is heavy and has a large grinding surface area, it quickly did most of the work. All I did was move it around and add slight pressure. When I reviewed the pictures later, I realized that the sides of my mortar were chipping off into the cinnamon and the pestle was breaking it down in the cinnamon. That's how strong it is, so this pes.
