> wrote:
> thanks for all the comments.
> ceramic just doesn't seem to be ideal for hard grinding of spices and
> abrasive ingredients--granite (rock) just seems more robust than
> ceramic (glass).

I've also got one of those ceramic ones... vitrified ceramic. The material
is extremely dense and impervious to moisture. It doesn't absorb anything
and doesn't stain. Mine is unglazed and has a somewhat rough finish that
helps in the grinding.

There are different kinds of ceramic mortars and pestles, including
vitrified ceramic, stoneware, porcelain, and even glass. Just as there is a
vast difference between earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain when used for
dishes, there is a vast difference in "ceramics" when used for a mortar and
pestle.

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