The Atlas Pepper Mill set us to dreaming of a summer evening in Nauplion, a hilly town of whitewashed houses across the bay from Argos, and plates of peppery octopus swallowed with shots of ice-cold ouzo. By day, we catalogued dusty shards from an archaeological dig, by night, we sampled retsina and eavesdropped on village gossip at a string of cafes on the harbor. The scandal that summer was the 30-year-old spinster who fled to Athens to marry her unapproved true love.
The Atlas is Greece's gift to frustrated pepperlovers who've searched in vain for the perfect grinder. Made in Crete, it is based on a coffee mill created in the early 1900's for Greek soldiers to use in the field. It is available in various sizes and finishes, but our favorite is the 9-inch 404 model, which retails for about $65. It resembles a handsome copper tower topped with a sturdy brass handle for grinding; bands of embossed grape clusters encircle the body of the mill.
The Atlas 404 passes five important tests. First, it is beautiful in an exotic sort of way, able to move from kitchen to table without ruining the view. Second, it holds a good half cup of Tellicherry peppercorns, enough for a week in our kitchen. Third, it is not too hard to fill: Unscrew the handle, remove the cap and pour in the peppercorns, preferably through wide funnel. Fourth, the grind is easily adjustable by loosening or tightening a screw on the bottom. Inside, a heavy steel mechanism with hand-cut burrs efficiently pulverizes the pepper. Fifth, it produces a shower of fiery coarsely ground Tellicherry nuggets, great on everthing from smoked salmon to Claire's Smashed Chicken.
But the Atlas is not for you if you like a lightweight mill. At one pound five ounces, it has real heft and feels solid in the hand. Nor is it for you if you skittishly prefer your pepper finely ground.
In that case, we must ask: Do you even like pepper?
Go to www.peppermillimports.com, or find it at Dean & Deluca, www.deananddeluca.com (click Kitchenware, then Tools for Spices).