Salt and pepper shaker debate
Person #1 say, salt should go in the shaker with the most holes, because people use more salt. Pepper should go in the shaker with smaller, less holes, because then you can control it better. Person #2 says, salt should go in the shaker with smaller, less holes, because it is more free flowing. And pepper should go in the shaker with more holes because its not so free flowing. Thoughts? PS: This debate has been going on for over 5 years, and since we just brought new salt and pepper shakers, its come to the surface again. |
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| Salt is usually finer and should go into the shaker with the, fewer, finer holes. |
| Salt goes in shaker with more holes.
Go to the department store, find salt and pepper shakers that have salt and pepper written on them. Buy them and take them home and debate is over. |
| Person #1 is correct. Salt goes in the shaker with the most holes. |
I'm waiting for Ron to come with the Wikipedia explaination 
I think I have Key West shakers at home that say salt and pepper, I'll have to check them tonight. |
| Salt goes in shaker with most holes, pepper the least holes. I would suggest getting two sets, one for him and one for her and you can put whichever in whatever you want to. lol |
| Apparently, this is a burning question! According to Yahoo asks:
Monday January 26, 2004 Previous | Next Dear Yahoo!: Which goes in the shaker with more holes -- salt or pepper? Shaken With Doubt Hamden, Connecticut Dear Shaken: Until quite recently, when we started receiving this question from a number of readers, we were blissfully unaware this was the source of much controversy and debate. We had always been taught that salt went in the shaker with more holes and never thought to question this piece of wisdom. However, our confidence was strongly shaken when we started researching the matter and learned that this question of dining etiquette is far from set in stone. We found many sources that completely disagreed with each other with complete authority. For example, About.com states that traditionally, pepper was more expensive than its easier-to-come-by companion salt, and so pepper was placed in the shaker with fewer holes to reduce usage. On the other hand, the International Guild of Professional Butlers asserts that salt shakers generally have larger and fewer holes to accommodate the larger, heavier grains that flow faster than pepper, although they do admit there is no manufacturing standard. One web site indicated there seem to be two distinct camps in this matter -- the "Flow" camp and the "Flavor" camp. The Flow camp preaches that pepper grains are larger than salt grains and hence need more holes to equalize the flow between the two condiments. Interestingly enough, we found this same argument reversed on several sites, which claimed that salt is coarser than pepper and thus goes in the shaker with more holes. Guess it depends on the types of salt and pepper you are using. The Flavor camp dictates that since people tend to use more salt than pepper, the salt should go in the shaker with more holes. Of course, if you are one of many people on a salt-restricted diet, this solution may not make sense for you. Sadly, Miss Manners and Emily Post did not seem to have any say on the matter, and even our favorite food reference site, epicurious.com, was of no help. Our conclusion? Unless you have the kind of cutesy shakers where the holes spell out an "S" or a "P," feel free to go with the flow and do whatever suits you. Now that that's settled, pass the salt, please! |
| PS: I'm person #1! |
| Salt in large holes because the grains are larger than the common near powdered pepper that has been the norm. With more interest in fresh ground pepper, the pepper shaker seems quaint. Same with faced with a multi hole and one hole condiment set. The one hole is the pepper. |
| Joan "The Spice Lady" says:
(Drumroll please....) Salt goes into the shakers which have more holes. "Why?" "Because it just does." |
| Most people use more salt than pepper. I never even use my pepper shaker, but it does has pepper in it, and it has the least amount of holes.
If you want to end the debate, pepper in the grinder, and salt in the shaker.  |
| Of course you are person #1. You are the one with the correct answer!
Technically this is not an etiquette question. At the dining table, salt would be served in individual dishes with teeny spoons. A dish would be next to each plate. In the kitchen salt for cooking would be kept in a jar or other large container. Etiquette-wise, salt shakers are totally incorrect so the question is moot. Yes, I do read etiquette books for fun. |
| Very interesting! I just looked at mine. DAHHHHHH
I have a pepper grinder. No holes My 2 salt shakers ONE ON ISLAND by cooktop has smaller holes 
My other on our table has LARge holes 
Go figure!!!! |
| We have a pepper grinder too, that is mostly used, but our new dishes have matching salt and pepper shakers, and I just HAD to have them! As far as I'm concerned...I'M RIGHT! |
I think you are too Deb. I use the shaker more with lg holes  |
| ha ha-- I use both a salt grinder and a pepper grinder, so this doesn't affect me...
But, I do believe the salt typically goes in the most holes one, although salt is bad for you, so you should limit your intake! |
barney1 wrote: ha ha-- I use both a salt grinder and a pepper grinder, so this doesn't affect me...
But, I do believe the salt typically goes in the most holes one, although salt is bad for you, so you should limit your intake! I used to add salt to things, but now I absolutely hate it when I see my mom doing it. I always tell her things are salty. Then she'll go asking me to taste something to see if it needs any "MORE" salt. That's when usually when I get a migraine and that "itch" b/c I just got finished saying "IT DOESN'T EVEN NEED SALT." I don't add salt to anything we eat during meal time. |
debcram wrote: We have a pepper grinder too, that is mostly used, but our new dishes have matching salt and pepper shakers, and I just HAD to have them!
As far as I'm concerned...I'M RIGHT! You are right. We had this same debate over the holidays when I received a new set to match our dinner ware. Again - YOU ARE RIGHT, and I am going to make hubby read this when he gets home! |
| Most holes = salt. I think the reasoning behind it is that pepper is such a strong spice that you want to use it sparingly. |
| I agree salt shaker has the most holes.......we don't ever have this argument because we have two battery operated grinders one for slat and one for pepper (they're awesome!) but i think this is one of the common debates along with does your toilet paper go over or under!?! |
little bear wrote: I agree salt shaker has the most holes.......we don't ever have this argument because we have two battery operated grinders one for slat and one for pepper (they're awesome!) but i think this is one of the common debates along with does your toilet paper go over or under!?!
Oh- now that is an easy one. Over-- so you can make a little "V" with the corner of the paper. Looks nice, but, then no one actually cares if they need to use the paper. |
| I like them both to have the same (bigger) holes!!
I use coarse ground pepper, and nothing makes me more frustrated than using the sets I have that have holes too small for the pepper to come out. 
I have one set I really like, and had to buy different pepper for that shaker. 
Another question - who else puts rice in with the salt in their salt shakers? |
| it might be a uk thing but our salt shakers have only one hole and pepper several, you can't mix them up they tend to come with S and P on them
zoe and einy |
I just checked the s/p set I have on the table. The pepper is in the one with the bigger holes.  |
Just use a grinder for pepper and sea salt flakes for the other then no confusion to which one goes in which. ????? Never really thought about it, but I do have a set with S & P on them so no brainer there  |
| too funny.........
our family has always used LOTS of pepper in our food, and salt too but not as much as pepper... (dad used to eat Jalapeno's off the vines). So we always put the pepper in the shaker with larger and more holes. so thats the way its always done in my family. Now, I remember some tv expose or something... where a potential businessman was taken out to lunch by his potential new boss. The boss waited to see if the guy a) tasted his food first before he salt & peppered it. Or b)if he automatically seasoned the food. he only hired people that did A because they were not set in their ways. I wouldn't have been hired. I always put more pepper and usually salt on my food. I like very very spicy foods... |
got sheep wrote: I like them both to have the same (bigger) holes!!
I use coarse ground pepper, and nothing makes me more frustrated than using the sets I have that have holes too small for the pepper to come out. I have one set I really like, and had to buy different pepper for that shaker. Another question - who else puts rice in with the salt in their salt shakers? My mother used to put rice in her salt shaker. |
| my mother puts rice in her salt shaker too
stops it getting damp apparently zoe and einy |
| I had no idea there was room for debate on this issue. The salt goes into the shaker with the most holes. Period. Now, most of the time I use the pepper grinder, so it's not an issue. I have been looking, as of late, for a salt grinder, too, which will make it a moot point here as well.
Still, I always thought that was just common knowledge which was which.  What do I know.
And yes, there is rice in the salt shaker to absorb the moisture. |
| Anyone put salt in their rice sack? |
| I have grinders for both. I have never refilled the salt due to the fact that I don't use salt on anything. I have it for guest(s) who may want salt. Pepper is a different story. I put a lot of pepper on my food when eating, and while cooking as well. |
| i put rice in my salt shaker although i dont need too...its not like it gets damp here....just habit i guess...
oh and i put salt in the one with the most holes...... |
shon wrote: I have grinders for both. I have never refilled the salt due to the fact that I don't use salt on anything. I have it for guest(s) who may want salt. Pepper is a different story. I put a lot of pepper on my food when eating, and while cooking as well.
I hardly ever use salt too! I bought one of those blue salt boxes when I first moved to Virginia, and I'm still not through it (5 years later). |
| UsageSalt and pepper shakers can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic, glass, metal, and ceramic.[2] Except in the most casual dining establishments, they are usually provided as a matched set, sometimes distinguishable only by the number of holes on the top of the shaker. Designs range from small, plain glass screw-top containers (invented by John Landis Mason, inventor of the Mason jar) to more ornate works of art. Sometimes the design refers to some pair of related objects, such as a replica of a West Highland White Terrier containing the salt and a Scottish Terrier containing the pepper. Designs may also relate to specific occasions, such as holidays. As a result of this diversity of design, collecting salt and pepper shakers is a hobby.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Design of salt and pepper shakers has also been used to transmit cultural perspectives about race,[9][10] friendships,[11] and other cultural values.[12] The number and size of holes on salt shakers has been observed to influence consumption of salt, within limits, and it has been suggested that proper selection of shakers delivering smaller amounts may be a means to improve diet by reducing sodium consumption. Salt shakers will normally have fewer holes in them than pepper shakers.[13][14] As an alternative to salt and pepper shakers, pepper may be distributed at the table by use of a pepper grinder, while salt may be distributed from a salt cellar or a salt mill. |
| Than you use the pepper grinder and put the salt in both of the shakers you got with your new set. Than both people are right and both people are happy and the pepper is in the grinder if you're looking for it. |
we always put the salt with less holes. But we use a lot of pepper. At resturants we take the lid of the pepper shakers and sprinkle the pepper that way all over everything. Our salads are usually black. (yes we put the lids back on tight) -- they just overfill the shakers that it doesnt come out enough, so take the lid of-problem solved.  But I was always told salt with less holes because its bad for you so you dont need that much of it. |
| In the UK all salt pots have 1 hole & pepper has lots. This is due to salt is not good for you ( too much ) |
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