IMUSA USA Granite Molcajete Spice Grinder 6-Inch, Gray

Bought in 2018 Jan I still have it in 2025 and is perfect as it was. I use this every single day.

This heavy duty mortor& pestle is ideal for crushing nuts etc...

Love it, it is even larger than I assumed

Great quality! Used to grind whole corn into corn meal. Exactly as described and the price is reasonable.

Easily crush your garlic, ginger and other spices. This grinder is sturdy and easy to use.

The media could not be loaded. The IMUSA USA Granite Molcajete Spice Grinder is a game-changer in my kitchen! Not only does it look rustic and authentic on my countertop, but it also crushes and grinds spices, herbs, and even guacamole ingredients like a pro.The granite feels solid and durable, and the texture creates the perfect surface for blending flavors. Plus, using it makes me feel like a gourmet chef—there’s something so satisfying about grinding spices by hand.Highly recommend !

A good size and rough at the bottom for easy grinding.

I really liked this item, while I probably could of bought a mortar and pestle already smoothed and ready to be used, which for this size would cost roughly $30, I wanted to not spend a lot of money and I like DYI projects. To this end I found this item. for the low price of $15.99 I bought this after looking at all the reviews and knowing full well that you will need to condition/smooth out the granite to a usable state.After getting the item, I can see that yes it is really rough, and in no shape to do any kind of food prep. So I researched the best way to go about doing that. I looked at the rice method, and it did not look as if that is a practical way of getting this mortar to a decent smoothness. Then I went on to YouTube and found a video from a guy who bought this exact mortar and he conditioned it by using only water and one rice conditioning at the end, and that is what I did, well with a few additional things. If you want to see his video just search for "Conditioning Granite Mortar and Pestle" on YouTube.Okay here is what I did.1) I used my Black & Decker BDERO100 Random Orbit Sander, 5-Inch and started with AUSTOR 60 Pieces 8 Holes Sanding Discs, 5 Inch Hook and Loop 40/ 60/ 80/ 120/ 180/ 240 Grit Sandpaper Assortment for Random Orbital Sander which I used on the entire mortar/pestle. I went from the 40 grit up to the 60 grit inside the bowl and on the pestle. On the outside of the mortar and the lip I went up to 700 grit to obtain a very nice smooth finish.1a) In between each change of sanding disc, I would wash the granite with a hose, oh I should mention I did this outside on my driveway. This part of the project took a total of 3 hours to complete. Keep in mind I am a bit OCD about my work, so you probably could do this in half the time..2) In the bowl of the mortar AFTER sanding with orbital sander I followed the directions of the YouTube video I mentioned above and finished the mortar/pestle in 2 hours.3) After water grinding the mortar/pestle, I did exactly one rice conditioning of the mortar/pestle and I did not have any granite dust in the rice. I attribute this to the multiple washings in between my sanding.4) I finished my mortar by adding some non-skid pads to the bottom to not only prevent the bowl from moving around but keep it from damaging my counter.Total time of the project was 6 hours. Keep in mind you do not have to do anything to the outside of the mortar since it is not in contact with food, but I wanted a very smooth/shiny surface, plus I like the tactile sensation of the granite. If you omitted doing the outside of the bowl you probably can have it done in 2-3 hours or less.Pro/ConsPro:It is now a very clean, usable and personalized mortar/pestle. It was not very difficult to grind the rice into flour but I wish the bowl was deeper,Very sturdy/durableLooks beautiful after smoothing the outside.High value to dollar ratio.Con: (minus 2 stars)Shallow bowl for some projects.I probably put a bit too much rice (1/2 cup) into the bowl, or my technique is bad in grinding the rice.Tripod base is a bit tippy/wobbly if applying lateral force to bowl (ie. grinding up towards sides.)Pretty much non-existent directions on how to prepare the item for food use. The manufacturer should of made a detailed instruction on how to doit, but they did not, what they did have on the box, was to wash it out before use, which honestly is not going to cut it when you want to grind food,your food would be half granite flakes and the rest granite dust.the 2 star deduction comes from the lack of directions and misconception that you can use this with only a thorough cleaning.So in summation.Buy this if you are handy with tools, or do not want to spend a lot of money. Do not buy this if you want to have a ready to use mortar/pestle.I have added some pictures of the finished project. The white powder is the rice from the first grinding.