Shi - Salt & Pepper Grinder
釋 “Shi”: To release
Shi is a manual spice grinder that pairs a cherry wood body with a ceramic grinding mechanism. Each turn is deliberate, a quiet ritual that reconnects the act of seasoning with craft and intention.
DATE - April 2024
CATEGORY - CMF Design
Most kitchen tools optimize for speed,
Spice grinders are often treated as purely functional objects. Plastic, disposable, forgettable. SHI reimagines the grinder as something worth keeping on the table, as an object with weight, warmth, and a satisfying resistance to every turn.
SHI asks you to slow down instead.
Form
Tapered to rest naturally in the palm, with a turning action that feels smooth and deliberate.
Material
Cherry wood and aluminum chosen for their tactile contrast, warmth a rigidity present in each grind.
Ritual
The act of grinding becomes a moment of pause. Being intentional, tactile, and present.
Prototypes
Material used: vacuum formed PETG, cherry wood, aluminum, spray paint.
Manufacturing material: frosted glass, ceramic, cherry wood, aluminum.