Mortar and pestle substitutes
Mortar and pestle substitutes — 6 options, ranked
Also called pestle and mortar, molcajete, suribachi
Use Electric spice or coffee grinder
For whole dry spices, use an electric spice grinder or a blade coffee grinder: pulse for 10 to 20 seconds, shaking it between pulses. It gives a finer, more even powder than a mortar but cannot make a wet paste. With no grinder, seal the spices in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or the base of a heavy skillet for a coarse grind. For garlic or ginger paste, mince it, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt and drag the flat of a chef's knife across it.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Fill the grinder no more than half full, at least 1 tablespoon so the blades catch. Pulse in short bursts for 10 to 20 seconds, shaking it between pulses. Let the dust settle for a few seconds before opening. To clean out the smell, grind 1 tablespoon of raw rice to a powder and wipe it out.
- Best for —
- grinding whole spices
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what’s the mortar and pestle doing?
Pick your caseIs it dry spices or a wet paste, and how fine does it need to be?
Use an electric spice or coffee grinder: at least 1 tablespoon, pulsed 10 to 20 seconds. Toast the spices in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes and let them cool first; they grind more easily.
Notes on electric spice or coffee grinder or rasp grater
Seal them in a freezer bag and press with a rolling pin or the base of a heavy skillet. Stop when the pieces are the size you want.
Notes on zip-top bag and rolling pin or sturdy bowl and a rolling pin end
Mince, add a pinch of coarse salt, and drag the flat of the knife across it for about 1 minute. A rasp grater is the quickest way for garlic and ginger alone.
Notes on chef's knife and coarse salt or rasp grater
Use a mini food processor or blender. Cut tough ingredients small, scrape down often, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid only if the blades will not catch.
Notes on mini food processor or blender
A sturdy bowl and the end of a rolling pin, pressing and twisting.
Notes on sturdy bowl and a rolling pin end
A mortar and pestle crushes; it does not cut. For dry spices that means cracking or grinding seeds to any size from coarse to powder, in any amount down to a pinch. For wet ingredients, garlic, chiles, herbs, nuts, it means bursting the cells and working them into a paste that holds together, which is where pesto and curry pastes get their strong aroma and their body. No single substitute does both jobs. Grinders handle dry spices, a knife or a processor handles wet pastes, and a bag and rolling pin handles anything that only needs to be cracked.
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of mortar and pestle | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric spice or coffee grindergrinding whole spices | See notesWorks | Works |
| 2 | Zip-top bag and rolling pincracking peppercorns and coriander | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Chef's knife and coarse saltgarlic paste | See notesWorks | Works |
| 4 | Mini food processor or blenderpesto | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Sturdy bowl and a rolling pin endmuddling herbs with sugar or salt | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Rasp graterwhole nutmeg | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Full-size blender for dry spices | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
| Not a swap | Drinking glass or thin bowl as the mortar | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Electric spice or coffee grinder
similar taste · finer and more even
A small blade grinder turns whole dry spices to powder in seconds, finer than most people get by hand.
- Best for
- grinding whole spices, spice blends and rubs, dried chiles, flax and sesame seeds
- Prep
- Fill the grinder no more than half full, at least 1 tablespoon so the blades catch. Pulse in short bursts for 10 to 20 seconds, shaking it between pulses. Let the dust settle for a few seconds before opening. To clean out the smell, grind 1 tablespoon of raw rice to a powder and wipe it out.
It cannot make a wet paste and it cannot bruise fresh herbs; garlic and ginger smear around the bowl. It gives powder, not a cracked or coarse grind, unless you stop after 2 or 3 pulses. A grinder used for coffee carries coffee flavor into spices and the reverse, so clean it with rice each way.
Zip-top bag and rolling pin
similar taste · coarser, uneven
A sealed bag keeps everything in place while a rolling pin, heavy skillet or meat mallet does the crushing.
- Best for
- cracking peppercorns and coriander, crushing whole spices coarsely, nuts, crackers and cookies for crumbs, bruising cardamom pods
- Prep
- Put the spices in a heavy zip-top freezer bag, press out the air and seal it. Lay it on a cutting board with a folded towel underneath, and press and rock a rolling pin or the base of a heavy skillet over it until the pieces are the size you want.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
This gives a cracked or coarse grind, never a fine powder, and very hard spices such as cloves and fenugreek mostly stay whole. Sharp pieces can pierce a thin bag, so use a freezer bag or two bags. Press and roll; hammering sends pieces through the plastic.
Chef's knife and coarse salt
similar taste and texture
Salt acts as grit under the flat of the blade and grinds garlic, ginger or anchovy to a smooth paste on the board.
- Best for
- garlic paste, ginger and chile paste, anchovy for dressings, small amounts of fresh herbs
- Prep
- Mince the garlic, sprinkle it with a pinch of coarse salt, then hold the knife almost flat and drag the side of the blade across the pile, pressing down. Gather it up and repeat for about 1 minute until it is a paste. Leave that salt out of the recipe.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
It handles a few cloves at a time, not a batch of curry paste, and it does nothing for hard, dry spices. The paste carries the salt you added, so reduce the recipe's salt by the same pinch.
Mini food processor or blender
slightly less aromatic
Blades chop wet ingredients to a paste quickly, which makes this the practical choice for a full batch.
- Best for
- pesto, curry pastes, salsa and guacamole, marinades and wet rubs
- Texture
- smoother and looser, less rustic
- Prep
- Chop tough ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal and chiles into ½-inch pieces first. Process the hardest ingredients first, scrape down the sides every 20 to 30 seconds, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil or water if the blades spin without catching. For pesto, pulse the garlic, nuts and basil, then stir in the olive oil and cheese by hand.
Blades cut where a pestle crushes, so pesto is smoother and a little less fragrant, and curry paste is looser and wetter from the added liquid. Extra-virgin olive oil can turn bitter when it is blended at high speed, which is why it is stirred in at the end. Most machines need at least ½ cup of ingredients to work.
Sturdy bowl and a rolling pin end
similar taste, coarser texture
A heavy bowl with the blunt end of a rolling pin or a wooden spoon handle is a rough mortar and pestle.
- Best for
- muddling herbs with sugar or salt, crushing garlic with salt, soft spices and toasted seeds, mashing avocado or chiles
- Prep
- Use a thick stoneware or stainless steel bowl set on a damp towel so it does not slide. Add the ingredients with a pinch of coarse salt for grip, and press and twist with the end of a rolling pin; do not pound.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A smooth bowl gives the spices nothing to grind against, so hard seeds skid away and stay coarse. It works for soft, wet or toasted ingredients and not for cloves, cinnamon or peppercorns. Do not use a thin glass or delicate ceramic bowl.
Rasp grater
similar taste · fine and fluffy
A fine rasp grater, such as a Microplane, shaves hard whole spices to powder and garlic or ginger to a near paste.
- Best for
- whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, garlic and fresh ginger, citrus zest for pastes
- Prep
- Grate over a board or straight into the pan. For garlic and ginger, peel first and grate across the fibers; scrape the pulp off the back of the grater.
It only works on pieces large enough to hold: nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, garlic cloves, ginger. Small seeds such as cumin, coriander and peppercorns cannot be grated. Watch your fingertips at the end of the piece.
Full-size blender for dry spices
not applicable
A tablespoon or two of whole spices in a standard blender jar.
- Best for
- nothing in small amounts
- Texture
- mostly whole seeds
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A small amount of seeds sits below or flies around the blades without being ground, and a wide jar never pulls them back in. It only starts to work with ½ cup or more, which is more spice than most recipes need. Use a grinder or the bag method.
Drinking glass or thin bowl as the mortar
not applicable
Pounding spices in a tumbler, a measuring jug or a thin glass or china bowl.
- Best for
- nothing that is pounded
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Thin glass and china can crack or chip under pounding, and chips end up in the food. Use a thick stoneware or steel bowl and press, or use the bag method.
Don’t swap it here
3 cases- SafetyPounding in thin glass or china.Crush in a sealed freezer bag on a board, or press in a thick stoneware or steel bowl.
- A wet paste, garlic, ginger or fresh herbs, in an electric spice grinder.Use a knife and coarse salt for small amounts or a mini food processor for a batch.
- A recipe where the coarse, hand-pounded texture is the dish, such as a rustic pesto or a pounded Thai salad.Chop by hand with a knife and press with the flat of the blade, or accept the smoother version from a processor.
Questions
6 questionsWhat can I use instead of a mortar and pestle?
It depends on the job. For dry spices, an electric spice or coffee grinder, or a zip-top bag and a rolling pin. For garlic or ginger paste, a chef's knife and a pinch of coarse salt. For pesto and curry paste, a mini food processor.
What is the best mortar and pestle substitute for spices?
An electric blade grinder, pulsed for 10 to 20 seconds, gives a fine, even powder. If you do not have one, crush the spices in a sealed freezer bag with a rolling pin or a heavy skillet; that gives a coarse grind, which is right for rubs and cracked pepper.
Can I use a coffee grinder to grind spices?
Yes, a blade coffee grinder is the same machine as a spice grinder. Grind 1 tablespoon of raw rice in it before and after, and wipe it out, so the coffee does not taste of cumin or the spices of coffee. Many cooks keep a separate one for spices.
How do I crush spices without a mortar and pestle or a grinder?
Seal them in a heavy zip-top bag with the air pressed out, lay it on a cutting board, and press and rock a rolling pin, a heavy skillet or a meat mallet over it. A pepper mill also grinds small whole spices such as coriander, cumin and allspice.
Can I make pesto without a mortar and pestle?
Yes. Pulse the garlic, pine nuts and basil in a food processor, then stir in the olive oil and cheese by hand. It will be smoother and slightly less fragrant than pounded pesto. Stirring in the oil at the end avoids the bitterness that blending extra-virgin olive oil can cause.
How do I make garlic paste without a mortar and pestle?
Mince the garlic, sprinkle on a pinch of coarse salt, and drag the side of a chef's knife across it, pressing down, for about 1 minute. Or grate the peeled cloves on a rasp grater.
Tips for substituting mortar and pestle
5 tips- Toast whole spices in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant, and cool them before grinding. Warm spices clog a grinder.
- Grind only what the recipe needs. Ground spices fade within months; whole ones keep for a year or more.
- Clean a spice grinder by grinding 1 tablespoon of raw white rice to a powder, tipping it out and wiping with a dry cloth.
- A pinch of coarse salt or sugar gives grip to anything slippery, on the board or in a bowl. Count it against the recipe's amount.
- Put a folded towel under the board or bowl before you crush. It stops it sliding and takes some of the noise and shock.