Fresh salt and pepper make a camp meal, but a full-size grinder takes up room in the camp kitchen. The AGS Mini Salt and Pepper Grinders are the opposite: two tiny grinders, filled, for $7 a pair. They’re really small and compact, which is handy, and they live in a little pouch on the back door of our Prado.
What’s in the box
A twin pack of two mini grinders: one with 10 g of coarse sea salt and one with 5 g of whole black peppercorns. They’re made of clear, shatterproof styrene plastic with a clear cap over each grinder top, and the box says they can be refilled up to 3 times. The brand on the box is ASG, Aussie Spice Grinders from Queensland; BCF sells them as AGS.
What we like
- Really small and compact
- $7 for a pair, filled
- Refillable, up to 3 times
- Fine or coarse grind
- Clear: you see what’s left
What we don’t
- Skips on some turns
- Plastic, not the strongest
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | AGS |
| Material | Styrene plastic |
| Pack | 2 grinders |
| Holds | 10 g sea salt5 g black pepper |
| Features | RefillableFine or coarse grind |
Design
Each grinder is a small clear tube with the grinding head on top under a clear cap. Take the cap off, turn the top and the salt or pepper comes out of the holes; a push-pull adjustment sets it for a fine or coarse grind. Because they’re clear, you can see at a glance how much is left.
How well they grind
They work ok enough, but they’re plastic, and the grinder isn’t the strongest part. On some rotations it skips and doesn’t grind anything, so you end up giving it a few extra turns to get the salt or pepper you want.
The box says they can be refilled up to 3 times, so once the salt and pepper run out you can top them up with coarse salt and whole peppercorns from the supermarket.
Why we keep them
Despite the grinding, we keep them with us because they’re so small. They live in the little storage pouch on the back door of the Prado, next to our MSR Alpine Salt and Pepper Shaker, and take up almost no room at all.
Grinders vs MSR shaker
The two do different jobs. The AGS grinders grind whole salt and peppercorns fresh, one spice each; the MSR is a single shaker with two sealed chambers for ground spices, which we use for salt and smoked paprika.
This review AGS grinders |  MSR Alpine | |
|---|---|---|
| Refillable | Yes | Yes |
| Type | Grinder | Shaker |
| Spices | 2, one each | 2 in one |
| Price paid | $7 | $21 |
| Our score | 8.4 | 8.9 |
Conclusion: AGS Mini Salt and Pepper GrindersConclusion
The AGS Mini Salt and Pepper Grinders are two tiny, refillable plastic grinders that come filled with coarse sea salt and black peppercorns for $7 a pair. They’re really small and compact, which is why they live in the pouch on our back door. They’re plastic, though, and the grinder isn’t the strongest, so on some turns it skips and doesn’t grind. They work ok enough, and for car campers and couples who want fresh salt and pepper in almost no space, they’re a cheap little extra.
A pair of tiny, refillable plastic grinders with sea salt and black pepper for $7.
Really compact, but the grinder skips on some turns.
- Car campers
- 4WD tourers
- Couples
Yes, at $7 for two. They’re not the best grinders, but they’re filled, refillable and so small they fit anywhere.
