My pepper mill is too advanced for me

September 27, 2009 7:02 PM

I have a William Bounds pepper mill that kind of looks like this except that it has a hard plastic ring around the ball at the top that is impervious to my wrench. It needs to be refilled with more pepper. How do I get the damn thing open?
posted by Saucy Intruder to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

You have to unscrew the little silver ball on the top - then the whole top part will come off easily to refill it.

At least, that's how the similar one I have works.
posted by insectosaurus at 7:06 PM on September 27, 2009

Response by poster: The plastic thing around the ball prevents me from doing that.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:08 PM on September 27, 2009

I did a search and found only this. It probably does not meet your needs. Perhaps you can google for more links.

How to refill a William Bounds pepper mill?

A William Bounds: Unscrew the metal knob and remove the ball. Holding the metal rod in the centre of the cavity, fill with peppercorns or salt chrystals as required. Replace the top.
posted by JayRwv at 7:51 PM on September 27, 2009

It sounds like the plastic ring was supposed to be removed but never was. Can you cut the plastic ring off? Wedge part of a pair of scissors in there and cut it?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:04 PM on September 27, 2009

Their site says:

For Re-filling the mills*:
1. unscrew the knob on the top of the mill
2. remove the top itself
3. under the top is space through which you can pour your peppercorns.

*Genie mills, Traveller mills and Neat mills
1. turn your mill upside
2. grasp the acrylic body in one hand and the chrome base in the other, pull the two pieces apart, when you have clearance turn the chrome
base to a 90 degree angle.

Tthe base will stay in this position and will give
you space through whichg you can pour your peppercorns. After you are done filling the mill you simply turn the base back into a parallel position with the body and let go, the two pieces will fall back into place.

and then lists all these ways to contact them if that doesn't work.
posted by nicwolff at 9:06 PM on September 27, 2009