Unicorn Magnum Plus vs MANNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon — two high-output steel-burr pepper mills compared, and where an everyday wooden salt-and-pepper set fits in.
These aren’t everyday mills — both are cult, high-output pepper grinders for people serious about pepper. The Unicorn Magnum Plus is the long-running chef favourite; the MANNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon is the modern, engineered powerhouse. Both run steel burrs and grind pepper only. Here’s how they compare, and where an everyday salt-and-pepper set fits in.
The two mills
- Unicorn Magnum Plus (made by Tre Spade, designed in the US) uses an oversized tempered-steel conical burr in a lightweight ABS plastic body, holds about a cup and a quarter of peppercorns, and refills through a side port. Adjustable coarseness, decades of kitchen use behind it, and a friendlier price.
- MANNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon runs high-carbon stainless-steel conical burrs on a double-bearing shaft, in a machined aerospace-grade aluminium body. It holds about half a cup (three-quarters in the XL) and grinds across an unusually wide 8 to 60+ mesh range, with high output per turn — a premium tool.
Head to head
| Unicorn Magnum Plus | Pepper Cannon | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Tre Spade (designed in the US) | MANNKITCHEN |
| Burr | Tempered steel, conical | High-carbon stainless, conical |
| Body | ABS plastic | Aerospace aluminium |
| Capacity | About 1¼ cups | ½ cup (¾ in the XL) |
| Grind range | Adjustable | 8–60+ mesh, very wide |
| Grinds | Pepper only | Pepper only |
| Best for | Capacity and value | Output and grind range |
Where to buy: Unicorn Magnum · Pepper Cannon
Where each one wins
- Choose the Unicorn Magnum Plus for huge capacity and proven value: a big hopper, an easy side-load refill, and decades of restaurant service behind it.
- Choose the Pepper Cannon for output and range: the widest grind span, high volume per turn, and a machined aluminium build — a splurge for pepper obsessives.
The third option: an everyday salt-and-pepper pair
Both of these are pepper specialists with steel burrs — superb for pepper, but steel and salt don’t mix, so neither grinds salt. If you’d rather have a matched salt-and-pepper pair that grinds both safely, a wooden mill with a ceramic core is the everyday tool: one design for both, in solid oak or acacia. See best manual grinders, how a pepper grinder works, and ceramic vs steel.
Verdict
For a dedicated pepper cannon, it’s capacity versus engineering: the Unicorn Magnum Plus for a big hopper and value, the Pepper Cannon for the widest grind range and highest output in machined aluminium. But if what you actually want is a salt-and-pepper duo for the table, neither steel-burr mill grinds salt — a ceramic-core wooden set from our wooden ranking does both.
Frequently asked questions
It depends what you value. The Pepper Cannon offers a wider grind range and higher output in a machined aluminium body; the Unicorn Magnum Plus offers a much bigger hopper and proven value. Output and build versus capacity and price.
No — both use steel burrs, and salt corrodes steel, so they are pepper only. For salt you need a ceramic mechanism; many cooks keep a separate ceramic salt mill.
The Unicorn Magnum Plus, at about a cup and a quarter, holds more than the original Pepper Cannon (about half a cup). The XL Pepper Cannon holds around three-quarters of a cup.
Use a ceramic-core mill, which grinds both from one design. A refillable wooden set in oak or acacia is the everyday salt-and-pepper answer these pepper cannons do not cover.
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