Tools & utensils
Spice Grinder vs Mortar for Ras el Hanout
Freshly ground spices transform Moroccan cooking, and a blend like ras el hanout — a dozen or more whole spices — is far better made at home than bought as tired powder. The question is how to grind it: with a heavy mortar or an electric grinder. Each has real strengths, and the right answer often depends on how much you make and how much control you want.
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- Tools & utensils
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- An electric grinder is fastest for large, dry batches of a blend like ras el hanout.
- A mortar gives control and texture, and never overheats delicate aromatics.
- Toasting whole spices first, whichever tool you use, deepens their flavour.
- Many cooks own both: the grinder for volume, the mortar for finishing and pastes.
How each performs
An electric spice grinder, essentially a small blade mill, pulverises hard, dry spices in seconds and makes a fine, even powder ideal for a big batch of ras el hanout you will store. Its weaknesses are that the fast blade generates heat that can dull the most volatile aromas if you over-run it, it struggles with tiny quantities, and it copes poorly with wet or sticky ingredients.
A mortar and pestle, the brass mehraz of the Moroccan kitchen, works by crushing rather than cutting, which many cooks feel releases oils more gently and gives a more nuanced flavour. It lets you feel the texture and stop exactly where you want, handles garlic, chilli and herb pastes an electric grinder cannot, and never overheats. The cost is effort and time, especially for large amounts of hard spice.
Choosing for the job
Rather than pick a winner, match the tool to the task in front of you.
- Big dry blend: use an electric grinder for a jar of ras el hanout in seconds.
- Small pinch: use a mortar; a grinder cannot reach tiny amounts well.
- Pastes and wet mixes: a mortar for garlic, chilli, saffron and herbs.
- Delicate aromatics: a mortar, or short pulses in a grinder, to avoid heat damage.
- Coarse texture wanted: a mortar lets you stop before a full powder.
Getting the best from either
Whichever you use, toast whole spices briefly in a dry pan first, until fragrant but not scorched, then let them cool before grinding; this draws out their aromatic oils. Grind in small enough amounts to work evenly, and with an electric grinder, pulse rather than run it continuously to limit heat. Clean a grinder between very different blends by whizzing a spoon of dry rice, and wipe a mortar out promptly.
For most home cooks who make Moroccan food regularly, owning both is ideal: a cheap electric grinder for volume and a mehraz mortar for pastes and fine control. See the essentials in our utensils guide, and put your blend to work in our recipes.
Frequently asked questions
Should I grind ras el hanout in a grinder or mortar?
For a large, dry batch to store, an electric grinder is faster and makes an even powder. For small amounts, pastes or maximum control over texture and aroma, a mortar is better. Many cooks use a grinder for volume and a mortar for finishing.
Does a mortar make spices taste better than a grinder?
Many cooks think so. Crushing in a mortar releases oils gently and never overheats the spices, giving a more nuanced flavour, while a fast electric blade can generate heat that dulls the most volatile aromas if over-run. The difference is real but modest.
Can you grind wet spice pastes in an electric grinder?
Not well. Blade grinders are made for dry, hard spices and clog or smear with wet, sticky mixtures like garlic and chilli pastes. Use a mortar and pestle for those, and reserve the electric grinder for dry blends such as ras el hanout.
How do you clean a spice grinder between blends?
Grind a spoonful of dry rice or a piece of stale bread to absorb residual oils and aromas, discard it, then wipe the chamber. This clears strong smells like cumin or cinnamon so they do not carry over into the next, different blend.