Prepsolutions by Progressive International is a unique product line of kitchen food-prep focused products, for use with salt, pepper, herbs and spices. Prepsolutions is different from traditional tabletop mills in that the focus is food preparation. Each mill and grinder is unfilled offering both versatility and customization. The ceramic grinding mechanism won’t rust or corrode and is harder than carbon steel. Prepsolutions features include large capacity, high output, easy filling, easy adjustment of grind mechanism, less mess, ergonomic design and a modern and clean aesthetic. The Prepsolutions Combine multi spice grinder includes a removable base that catches, measures and dispenses accurate amounts of herbs and spices up to 1 tablespoon. Simply add your favorite combination of dried spices to the top portion and grind to release more flavor. The Combine has a fully adjustable, non corrosive, ceramic grind mechanism. It’s simple design features a white storage lid, clear acrylic top and bottom and white center hiding the grind mechanism. The design allows for measuring and dispensing at the bottom of the grinder and storage of spices on the top. The Combine multi spice grinder has a 1/4-cup capacity.
PetsPicks –
ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT ! ! !Purchased the Prepsolutions Multi Spice Grinder to use for Pepper and just Love It !!! Exactly as I had hoped. In fact, I will be buying more for other peppers, salt and spices. Easy to fill…Easy to use .. Easy to clean .. and Unique in that it helps keep surfaces clean as the detachable bottom will collect/hold/measure grounds, .. your option. As mentioned in other reviews, just mind the top stays on and the slot on the side of bottom jar/base, is turned up, while grinding so that your spice doesn’t spill out while in use. That jar/base is marvelous, for purposes of measuring and when detached, that slot helps guide the ground spice into a spice bottle. Once you receive yours. it will be self explanatory …but know that like everyone else, you will probably forget about the top and the slot @ the bottom at least once, when you first use it, but it’s a fast learning curve and a quick laugh &% … This “Foodie” Positively. Loves this ” NIFTY” little wonder ! ! !
Hanna.w. –
Does what it’s supposed to do – beware size*NOTE* The item I received is slightly different than what is depicted in the stock photo and item description. It is also available on Amazon:
Prepsolutions by Progressive International Combine Multi Spice Grinder, Gray
.Item description on this page (what I was supposed to get): 3/4 cup capacity, measures up to 2 tablespoons, adjustable 3 grind settings, clear acrylic body throughout with colored top w/ slide door for filling.
Item I received
: 1/4 cup capacity (1/3 at most), measures up to 1 tablespoon, adjustable grind setting (there are no instructions to explain how to adjust – I found there is a white plastic bit underneath the grinder that you can twist manually to make the grind finer or coarser; you should see it move up or down a screw), clear acrylic body with colored band around middle where grinder is and colored rubber top that simply pops on and off.That said, the grinder with measuring catching bin at the bottom is quite nice. I took out all my teaspoons and tablespoons and measured the ground pepper I made according to the lines on the measuring bin, and all were quite accurate. The measuring bin has markings for 1/4, 1/2, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2, 1 tablespoon. I would have no problem trusting it when cooking. Having the measuring bin at the bottom is nice since it allows me to measure without trying to land everything on a spoon (where most of what I grind from the traditional grinder falls not on the measuring spoon) and/or doesn’t make me dirty another dish into which I would grind the spice first and then measure out of later with a spoon. I also like that I can keep any leftover ground spice to use later in the bin. One thing you might keep in mind is the rubber top does not require a lot of force to come off, so when you’re tilting the whole mill to empty out spices from the bottom bin, the weight of the contents at the top of the mill might press against the rubber top and make it susceptible to coming off. Just keep an eye on it as you tilt. Also, keep an eye on the end of the catching bin that has the open hole for the spice to exit, or you might end up with a lap-full/floor pile of ground pepper as I did. The hourglass shape of the mill was very comfortable to hold. The bottom measuring bin is completely removeable, so you can also just use the grinder to drop spices directly over food as you would any other mill.This is a good grinder that does what it’s supposed to do.*EDIT* It looks like Amazon has fixed stock photos and description to accurately depict the item being sent
craftyjava –
Great idea, maybe not the best executionI was really excited to receive this, I LOVE fresh ground pepper but when making a recipe I never use it… why you ask? Well because using my standard pepper grinder and getting a specific measurement is to much trouble. I’d have to grind into a small bowl, and then use my measuring spoons to measure out the required amount always having to much or two little when I was done. This looked like the prefect solution. […] Furthermore the lid/top of mine wasn’t even in the box. So while I’m able to use it I have no way to keep the pepper/spices in the mill or to keep them fresh making this pretty useless as who wants stale spices? It did do a great job of grinding the pepper and it was easy enough to see how much I had in the base, removing the base portion to pour it out was also easy. That said I think even if I had received the lid it wouldn’t have worked well, it appears it just rests on the top, I see no signs that it screws on etc.I think a measure mill is a great idea, but I don’t think the one I received is the best option. Now that I know they exist though I’ll be shopping around for a keeper. That said, I also think the price is to high for what this does, $9.99 or under seems fair.
Shaun –
Does what it says…This grinder can be very useful in the kitchen, however a few design flaws stand out to me. First, I have to say that I received this item as part of the Vine Voice community. My grinder does not look the same as the one pictured above. Mine came with a very flimsy, rubber cover, that seems to pop off and never fit snugly, which could be a problem if the “hopper” is filled with fine ingredients – clean up would be a pain.However, I used the grinder for dried rosemary and tarragon and the grind came out beautifully. The measurements in the dispenser part seem to be accurate.Overall, 3 stars for a design flaw, however, judging by the photo above, they may have fixed the problem already!
Ann –
Prepsolutions by Progressive International Measure MillI also received the smaller version. For my purposes, it is OK.The mill works as intended. I really like the idea that I can mix my own set of spices and then grind it as needed. The mill seems to be sturdy and the ceramic gear is supposed to work better then regular steel one. I like that it has measuring cup underneath and that it can measure in both tablespoons and teaspoons. You can measure one or one half only, though.You can only hand wash the rubber lid and the acrylic measuring base, and wipe the rest inside and out. They do not recommend immersing the grinder in water. I like the advice to grind some sea salt crystals to clean the gears between uses.
Jacopo –
Not the best grinder out there but it works okayI cook a lot, and my pepper mill of choice is the
Unicorn Magnum Plus Pepper Mill 9-in.
. I know this is a ridiculous statement, but that is pretty much the “Ferrari” of pepper mills, so it was hard to review this when comparing the two. For the price however, the Prepsolutions is fairly decent. It grinds very well, and I didn’t have any problems with peppercorns getting stuck between the grinders, like I’ve had with some cheaper models. Grinding salt works well also. My plu was very secure and I had no fears of it coming off, like some other reviewers have said.My only problem with it is that I couldn’t find much use for the measuring cup. Very few recipes will give you an exact measurement for salt or pepper. Most say to “salt to taste,” and I rarely see a recipe calling for “1 tablespoon of pepper, etc.” I used the measuring cup a few times to see how it worked, and that was it.I will say though that if you don’t use freshly ground pepper, you are really missing out. It’s hard to believe, but it tastes so much better than pre-ground pepper, and I think everyone, regardless of how much you cook, should have a pepper mill, even if it’s a cheap disposable one.
Rachel B –
Very handy grinderIt has a rubber cap instead of the slide top and instead of the 3 quick-click adjustable grind settings you adjust the grind with a knob on the bottom of the grinder. That allows you to grind from a fine powder that is perfect for making your own seasoned popcorn salt (love that!)to very coarse for something like cracked pepper for steak au poivre. You can also use it with out the measuring base as a table grinder for salt or pepper.You can mix whole spices and dry herbs together and it will do a good job of grinding and combining the dissimilar sizes and the grinding also releases more aromatics from the dry herbs.It is very convenient to load and grind so it is easy to create a custom blend for any application.They recommend using sea salt to clean the grinding mechanism but I found that I could set the grinder to fine and use kosher salt which is much cheaper.The rubber cap could be a little more secure and you need to hold the it with a finger over the pouring slot while grinding so your mixture doesn’t spill out(they really could have omitted the pouring slot it is no big deal to remove the base for pouring)so I give it 4 stars but still this is a valuable tool in my kitchen.
A. H. –
Useful Culinary ToolThe measure mill is a handy thing to have in the kitchen. I do a lot of grilling, and many marinades and rubs call for specific amounts of ground spices. This mill handles them well. It’s easy to clean, and it has built-in measuring marks on the removable base, which also has a small hole in the top of its back side that makes it easy to pour out the ground herbs or spices. The mill itself is largely made out of an acrylic-like substance, so it’s durable. The grinding mechanism is adjustable and works reasonably well. The only complaint I have is that the lid for the spice compartment, which is soft rubber or plastic, is a little on the loose side — it doesn’t screw on; it is more like a plug. I dock the product one star for that. I’m just waiting until I knock it on its side and it spills.All in all, I would recommend this mill to someone looking for an inexpensive solution to all of those recipes that call for precise amounts of freshly ground herbs or spices.
John of California and Japan –
Wonderful, except it wont stay closed.My wife and I love this mill. It’s very attractive, it measures, and the pepper is amazingly flavorful and fragrant when it’s freshly milled. I’ve used other pepper mills–the old wood ones and such–but for some reason the pepper smells and tastes better coming out of this one. I can’t explain that; it just does.But we did have one problem which prevented us from ordering a second one for salt and maybe more for other spices and combinations. The top wouldn’t stay closed, so we ended up spilling peppercorns all over the kitchen and then into the trash can. Of course we can tape it or put plastic wrap over the top, but shouldn’t have to. And especially with an ingredient as common as pepper this means we have to untape and retape it rather often as we use need to refill.Despite the major design flaw, I’m only taking one star away. This is a great item. I hope they correct this mistake or that another company sells one as nice but doesn’t simply fall open as this one does.
Stephen Cunningham –
Handy, but a bit overpriced…Yes, as per the norm, I received the smaller capacity grinder. I love the stylish look of it, and have used it several times for combinations of dry peppercorns + sea salt + other assorted large spice seeds. It works fine, and I have been able to easily adjust the coarseness, if necessary. I use it mostly,though, for grinding salt, since I love sea salt, but find it a pain to try to grind, then measure, in a regular tea spoon. This little item makes it easy to grind the proper amount for a specific recipe.Now, the reason I didn’t rate it at a full 5 stars, is the lid. The top lid is a soft rubbery plastic, that just barely sits on top of the unit. If I turn it upside down, it will drop off easily. It’s a disappointment that this feature is designed this way, since a slightly better/tighter fit would allow you to store spice combinations in it, between uses.