I had no idea how large and how heavy this product was going to be! It's made of pure granite and does a great job crushing nuts and spices to add to my dinners. Found there were lots of different methods for using a mortar and pestle (I suggest people look them up). It looks great in my kitchen too.

At 8.5 kg, it is heavier than I expected. It does the job of mashing ginger and garlic very well. It would be nice if instructions for breaking in the unit was provided. There was a lot of grey dust (from the granite) in the bowl when it arrived. Using instructions on the internet: I mashed garlic and left it there for 24 hours. Then I mashed a handful of wet rice into a paste. I mashed a second handful of wet rice but I am not sure if I was overthinking it. The inside surface of the bowl was becoming smooth. Overall very happy with the product.

A wonderful kitchen tool

It was like all the other reviews said, with a kitchen tool this good it almost does the work for you. The Pestle has a great weight to it and the Mortar is big enough to handle pretty much anything.The first thing I did was grind fennel seeds to a powder, no problems at all.

Avanti Rough Granite Mortar & Pestle 20 cm

When I opened the parcel I had to laugh. What a solid piece of kit this was. There was no way anybody could damage this piece if gear when using it , it's solid . But what's great about it , it has a deep well to throw all your herbs in and and the rough finish makes it easy to pick up with wet hands If you need to move it about .It's the pride and joy of my kitchen , great fun to use and I know my friends are envious of it. Good stuff.

Beautiful beast of a mortar and pestle

This mortar and pestle is a big beast of a thing but I think it's beautiful. It did take me a few days to get used to just how big it is but now I love it. It is a large item and of course heavy considering its construction. I especially like how deep it is. Easy to follow instructions for how to cure and season it are on the box. I recommend using the curing instructions on the outside as well just to get rid of the granite dust feel. Sturdy as can be. Great item.

Excellent

Great product, surely amongst the best on the market. Requires thorough cleaning and seasoning before use. Has some weight to it and a large bowl. Makes 2 - 3 cups of pesto without spilling over while pounding etc. Useful feature for the kitchen benchtop

I was sick and

I was sick and tired of buying packaged herbs and spices that were lacking full flavour and freshness, especially when combined as ingredients for the one recipe. The Avanti Green Granite Mortar and Pestle allows me to buy fresh herbs and spices and blend my own mixtures and the larger, more solid version also gives me bench stability when preparing paste mixtures!

Rough textured for easing use & heavy to avoid movement

Super heavy which is good as doesn't move around while using. Love the rough texture inside as makes crushing a lot more easier. Weighs about 9kgs so you may not have to pick up dumbbells after your kitchen work out 😉

Simple, Do It Yourself;.

Simple, Do It Yourself;. Throw the ingredients in and bash away. Fresh beats the processed junk you buy. Curry pastes, pesto etc... Fresh Fresh Fresh and with this heavy, sturdy, great looking mortar and pestle you will wonder how you persisted with boring modern technology to prepare ingredients. I love my Avanti.

The Best Mortar & Pestle

I love its wide and deep surface, don't have to pound too hard and slowly you'll have a fine paste of your spices and all.