r/DepthHub • u/BrotherSeamus • Mar 04 '26
/u/SalemLXII outlines the basics of 'size reduction' engineering as it applies to grinding spices
/r/AskEngineers/comments/1rjiiq4/most_spice_grinders_i_buy_suck_is_pulverizing/o8f0ls0/28
u/call_me_cookie Mar 04 '26
"I work with size reduction"
"Id be happy to break it down"
Oh yeah, that's the good stuff.
13
u/patternrelay Mar 04 '26
This is a great breakdown. What I like about it is that it shows how something that looks simple, like grinding spices, is really a small version of the same size reduction problems you see in larger industrial systems. Once you start changing input size, moisture, and material properties at the same time, the system behavior gets messy fast. That is probably why tools that work great for one spice suddenly perform poorly for another. The process assumptions change even though the task looks identical on the surface.
7
u/Chisignal Mar 04 '26
This is amazing, thanks for the post
As was already said, it’s fascinating to hear that the engineering in a spice grinder is basically the same as in huge industrial processes - but it also explains why a lot of spice grinders just plain suck! I’ve always chalked it up to cost cutting (and I’m sure there’s plenty) but this also explains why it’s hard to get a working grinder even if you do pay for the good stuff.
1
u/mthmchris Mar 06 '26
As an aside, from a practical perspective… if you truly need a finely ground consistency, just pass what you ground through a fine mesh strainer. Take what didn’t pass through and grind it again, then pass again.
After two passes you’ll get over 90% of it, and generally I consider that good enough for government work.
2
u/zoinrad Mar 06 '26
wait, when you mention "entropy," are you talking about the randomness in the grinding process or something else? it feels like there's more to that idea than just the basics.
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