30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASEThe design of a pepper mill has one very specific communication problem: which part are you supposed to turn? Most mills solve it half-heartedly, through differences in size or vague visual cues. Konstantin Grcic solved it with geometry.
The body of the KG01 is machined from a single piece of aluminium, sandblasted and anodised to create a finely textured surface. The upper section is cylindrical, towards the grip it transitions into an eight-sided profile that naturally guides the hand into the correct position and direction. Nothing has been added for effect, the form itself communicates how the object should be used. Alessi describes it by saying that sandblasting gives an unexpected tactile pleasure, and that feels accurate: the material is closer to a precision instrument than an ordinary kitchen utensil.
Grcic was born in Munich in 1965, trained as a cabinetmaker and furniture maker, and later graduated from the Royal College of Art in London. His studio KGID was founded in 1991 in Berlin and is known for a design language informed by industrial design and mechanical engineering. KG01 is a typical Grcic object: the function is total, nothing is decorative.
Inside is a ceramic grinding mechanism with adjustable coarseness, from coarse to fine. The mill is suitable for salt, pepper and dry spices. It is filled from the top, the upper section lifts off to reveal the opening. KG01 is available in three versions: natural aluminium, dark grey and red, all in the same form and all with the same mechanism.
A tool precise enough that you never have to think about it again.
