Alexander Chefs Mate – solid brass pepper mill, 13.5 cm
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The pepper mill that lives by the stove
Some pepper mills are made to impress on the table. The Chefs Mate is made to be used. At 13.5 cm it is Alexander Handcrafted Mills' most compact pepper grinder, small enough to sit next to the hob or the cutting board and always within reach when a dish needs seasoning.
The small format does not mean a smaller mechanism. The Chefs Mate is made of solid brass and carries the same cast, adjustable grinder as the larger Alexander models – the reason chefs and home cooks search for this model by name.
For pepper and dried spices
The Chefs Mate is built as a pepper grinder and is intended for whole peppercorns and dried spices. The adjustable mechanism lets you go from a fine grind for sauces and dressings to a coarse grind for steaks, vegetables and the grill. Suitable for:
- Black, white and green peppercorns
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin
- Fennel seeds
- Cardamom
- Other dried spices
Note: this model is not intended for salt. Salt needs a separate mechanism, which is why Alexander makes dedicated salt mills.
Also available in chrome
The Chefs Mate comes in solid brass (this listing), in polished chrome-plated brass and in brushed chrome-plated brass. The mechanism is identical; only the finish differs.
Solid brass develops a warm, natural patina with use. If you prefer the original shine, polish it now and then with a standard brass polish; if you like the patina, simply wipe it with a dry cloth.
Specifications
- Model: Chefs Mate, pepper mill
- Material: solid brass
- Height: 13.5 cm
- Grind: adjustable, fine to coarse
- Handmade in Thessaloniki, Greece
Alexander Handcrafted Mills
Alexander Handcrafted Mills has made spice grinders by hand in its workshop in Thessaloniki, Greece, since 1977. The construction is simple and has not changed much: a solid metal body, a cast, adjustable grinding mechanism and no plastic parts that wear out. Many Alexander mills are passed on within the family, which says more about the quality than any marketing claim.
Rune-Jakobsen Design is the Scandinavian agent for Alexander Handcrafted Mills, and every grinder ships from Denmark. For the UK, the US and Australia, duties and taxes are calculated at checkout, so the price you see is the price you pay. Full right of return applies to every grinder.
Alexander Handcrafted Mills – Greek mills since 1977
Rune-Jakobsen Design has agency for the handmade spice mills from Alexander Handcrafted Mills.
The story behind the mills
Alexander Handcrafted Mills has been manufacturing spice and coffee grinders in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, since 1977. The company was founded by two mechanical engineers, H. Ioannou and G. Zarkadis, with a clear goal: high-quality, functional grinders, created for many years of daily use.
The grinders have been exported since 1981 and are today sold in more than 20 countries – but production still takes place in Thessaloniki, where craftsmanship, precise machining and personal quality control go hand in hand.
The traditional models are based on a portable coffee grinder that was developed for Greek soldiers in the field in the early 1900s – a simple and robust construction that has proven its durability for over a hundred years.
Materials and mechanics
All grinders are made of solid brass, copper or chrome-plated brass – the chrome-plated models with either a polished or matte surface.
The grinder is significantly larger than the mechanism in regular spice grinders and works in three stages – the so-called 3DCut technology: First, each peppercorn is cracked, then it is cut into smaller pieces, and finally it is ground to the desired fineness, adjustable from fine to coarse. The grinder thus grinds the spices rather than simply mashing them – this releases more flavour and aroma, even with larger quantities.
Pepper, spices, coffee and salt
The pepper mills also handle dried spices such as cardamom, coriander seeds, cumin and cumin. Selected models are built for coffee, and the salt mills have a special 38 mm grinder made of stainless steel and glass-fiber reinforced polyamide that resists the corrosive properties of salt.
Used by both private food enthusiasts and professional kitchens, the grinders can be disassembled, cleaned and maintained – solid tools made by people with a thorough knowledge of materials and mechanics.
Why have we chosen Alexander Handcrafted Mills?
At Rune-Jakobsen Design, we select products that are created to be used for many years – not just for the next season.
Alexander Handcrafted Mills combine solid metals, proven mechanics and local production – precisely our philosophy of fewer, better products. They are mills with a real history and a clear purpose: to function well, patina beautifully and last for many years.
If you have any questions about the grinders, Kari is available at info@rune-jakobsen.dk .
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Inspiration: Salt mill vs pepper mill – is there a difference in the grinding mechanism? · Pepper mills that grind — not mash. · Which pepper should you use for what?
Relevant products and collections
All measurements in our webshop are given in centimeters (cm). If you use inches, here is a quick overview:
cm → inches: multiply by 0.39
inches → cm: multiply by 2.54
Examples:
| cm | inches |
|---|---|
| 20cm | 7.9″ |
| 40cm | 15.7″ |
| 60cm | 23.6″ |
| 80cm | 31.5″ |
| inches | cm |
|---|---|
| 10″ | 25.4cm |
| 20″ | 50.8cm |
| 30″ | 76.2cm |
If you need an exact conversion, a quick Google search — e.g. "20 cm in inches" — is the easiest solution.
Application:
Before use, it is recommended to grind a small amount through the mill's grinding mechanism and then discard it.
In most mills, the handle is located inside the mill body and must be installed before the mill is used for the first time. Unscrew the bolt at the top of the mill and remove the top, take out the handle, put the top back on, place the handle on top of it and screw the nut on.
All mills listed as pepper mills are made for pepper, but can also grind dried spices. It is generally not recommended to grind spices with a soft core in these mills.
Salt should only be ground in mills listed as salt mills.
The coffee grinders are fitted with a removable container at the bottom to collect the ground coffee.
To insert peppercorns, coffee beans or salt, unscrew the bolt at the top of the mill and remove the top. You can determine the coarseness you want to produce by adjusting the screw at the bottom of the mill. Salt mills are not adjustable.
However, the Chefs Mate model is refilled from the door on the side of the mill and the coarseness is set on the screw at the top of the mill.
Care:
The exterior of brass and copper mills will naturally oxidize and develop a patina over time and through use.
If you want to maintain a bright and new appearance, you can polish the outside of the mill with a soft cloth applied with regular metal polish.
Never wash or immerse the mill in water as water will corrode the mechanism.
Inspiration: Salt mill vs pepper mill – is there a difference in the grinding mechanism? · Pepper mills that grind — not mash.
Relevant products and collections
Our customer service is not a call center or an AI chatbot.
It's Kari or Torben.
When you write to us, you will receive a personal response from us — with in-depth knowledge of the products and a genuine interest in helping you make the right choices.
We have collected the most common questions in our FAQ and on the product pages. If you can't find the answer there, or if you want a product in a special size, you are always welcome to write or call us.
If we cannot respond immediately, you will hear from us within a few hours on all weekdays.
Real products, honest pictures
With us, craftsmanship, materials and aesthetics are at the heart of everything we do. Our product images are designed to give you an honest and inspiring impression of what you're getting – without unnecessary staging.
The vast majority of product photos in our webshop are therefore taken by us – whether it's a grinder, a magnetic knife holder, a serving board or one of our textiles. The images of our wooden products always show genuine, handmade products that we photograph before they are packed and sent to their new owners.
To give you a better idea of how the products will look in different homes and kitchens, we sometimes insert these original photos into AI-generated rooms or backgrounds. Only the background is artificial – the product itself is never altered or AI-generated. Every grain, edge, color, and detail you see belongs to the physical product we created.
We also occasionally receive photos from satisfied customers who give us permission to use them in the webshop. These photos provide an honest and inspiring insight into how our products look in real homes and environments.
No artificial product renderings. No misleading visual enhancements. Just real craftsmanship, photographed honestly.
Indicative images when choosing a variant
We are constantly expanding our product gallery. As many of our products come in a variety of sizes and variations, we do not yet have images of all of them. The image shown when you select a product primarily illustrates the selected wood type – not necessarily the specific size or design variation.
Every piece of wood is unique
Wood is a living natural material, and our passion is to create unique products with character. The grain patterns and color play will therefore naturally vary from product to product. Please consider our images as guiding inspiration and an indication of the quality we deliver.
If you have any questions, we're happy to help.
Do you have any questions about design, size, wood type or special requests? Do not hesitate to contact us at info@rune-jakobsen.dk so that we can guide you to the right choice before you order.
In brief:
- Fixed prices all year round — no sales, no Black Friday, no discount codes. Buy 3 or more tea towels and get 10% off.
- Payment by MasterCard, VISA, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, MobilePay and local payment methods. In-stock items are charged on dispatch; Woodworks orders are charged when production starts.
- 30-day right of withdrawal on all products — including made-to-order Woodworks products.
- 2-year right of complaint for manufacturing and material defects under the Danish Sale of Goods Act.
- Seller: Rune-Jakobsen Design ApS, Tiendemarken 14 A, Gudum, 9280 Storvorde, Denmark. CVR 46593359.
In-stock items are dispatched within 1-2 working days. Handmade products are made to order — the current lead time is shown on the product page.
We ship with Postnord/DPD, GLS, DHL or UPS, and you choose the carrier and service level yourself at checkout. Shipping is calculated by weight, dimensions and delivery address — we add no margin to shipping.
Starting prices (the final price is calculated at checkout):
- Denmark: From 39 DKK to a parcel shop / 59 DKK to a private address. Free shipping on orders over 2,500 DKK.
- Sweden: From 135 SEK. Free shipping on orders over 2,500 SEK.
- EU countries: From 9 EUR.
- Norway: From 159 NOK. Free shipping on orders over 4,000 NOK.
- United Kingdom: DDP from 14 GBP.
- Switzerland / Liechtenstein: DDP from 19 CHF.
- USA: DDP from 35 USD.
- Canada: From 49 CAD.
- Australia: From 85 AUD.
- New Zealand: From 89 NZD.
- Rest of the world: From 35 USD.
Read the full shipping policy · Customs, VAT and taxes by country
You have a 30-day right of withdrawal on all products — including made-to-order Woodworks products. Notify us at info@rune-jakobsen.dk within 30 days of receipt; you then have 14 days to return the item unused and undamaged.
You pay the cost of the return shipment yourself, unless it is a complaint. Danish customers can order a return label via Shipmondo. Once we have received the item, we refund the full purchase price.
Return address: Rune-Jakobsen Design ApS, Att.: Kari Rune-Jakobsen, Tiendemarken 14 A, Gudum, 9280 Storvorde, Denmark.
Complaints: Under the Sale of Goods Act you have a 2-year right of complaint for manufacturing and material defects. For a justified complaint we cover the cost of the return shipment.
All orders are shipped from our workshop and warehouse in Denmark. For customers in the EU, Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, VAT is included in the price at checkout.
- EU: Local VAT is included — no customs duties, no fees.
- Norway: Norwegian VAT is paid in the webshop (VOEC 3053342). Below 3,000 NOK: no customs duty, the order is shipped DAP. Above 3,000 NOK: any customs duty is calculated and paid in the webshop, the order is shipped DDP. No extra charges on delivery.
- United Kingdom, Switzerland/Liechtenstein and USA: All orders are shipped DDP — VAT and any customs duties are paid at checkout. The price you see is the final price.
- Australia: Shipped DAP. Under 1,000 AUD: no duties or GST. Over 1,000 AUD: duties and GST are collected by the carrier before delivery.
- Canada: Shipped DAP. GST/HST and any handling fee are collected on import; goods of EU origin are duty-free under CETA.
- Other countries: Shipped DAP — local duties and fees are collected by the carrier on arrival.
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Whole pepper for your pepper mill
