Salt & Pepper Shakers - Which One With Bigger Holes

[pinkchick]

Large holes =Pepper
Small holes=Salt

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Mine are identical so it doesn't matter. What would be the problem for you by your opening statement is they hardly ever get put on the table.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I can't believe I'm answering this either, and I can't believe Yappy is WRONG!

Bigger holes or more holes, it's salt.
I know this because I have spent many years toiling in "fine dining" restaurants. And I collected S & P's for many years, sold all 250 sets finally! Whew, much less dusting.

 

[HorseFeathers]

Why use shakers when you can get little paper packets clearly labeled "salt" and "pepper"?

(JK, BTW.)

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I can't believe I'm answering this either, and I can't believe Yappy is WRONG!

Bigger holes or more holes, it's salt.
I know this because I have spent many years toiling in "fine dining" restaurants. And I collected S & P's for many years, sold all 250 sets finally! Whew, much less dusting.

To each their own my dear. Small holes or more holes is salt. Larger holes or less holes is pepper.

 

[ninjapoodles]

This old "Yahoo Answers" article sums it up nicely:

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!​

 

[Redfeathers]

We put the salt in the shaker with smaller holes to prevent over salting. The pepper in the shaker with larger holes so it doesn't get all stopped up because it is a larger grain then salt.

But that's just us. I guess it's all a matter of what you like.


Now, what do you put your sugar in? a shaker or a dish with a lid and spoon?

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I can't believe I'm answering this either, and I can't believe Yappy is WRONG!

Bigger holes or more holes, it's salt.
I know this because I have spent many years toiling in "fine dining" restaurants. And I collected S & P's for many years, sold all 250 sets finally! Whew, much less dusting.

To each their own my dear. Small holes or more holes is salt. Larger holes or less holes is pepper.

Ya gotta remember, pepper shakers are made for that canned, finely ground stuff. For real pepper, you need the grinder.

I don't use shakers- sold them all- I use a small covered bowl for kosher salt in the kitchen, and a pepper grinder for the table.

Don't give me the flu, Debi!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

ninjapoodles, you stole my thunder!!

Once I got a bunch of replies I was going to post this:

Flavor Camp: Salt goes in the shaker with more holes because people use salt more often, and in greater amounts. This equalizes the need, making one shake roughly the same for either spice.

Flow Camp: Pepper goes in the shaker with more holes because it consists of larger chunks than salt. This equalizes the flow, making one shake roughly the same for either spice.

I'm a die hard "Flow Camp" member and despise anybody that tries to argue in favor of flavor camp!

BIG HOLES & PEPPER FOREVER!​

 

[silkiechicken]

Don't have salt or pepper shakers. Us squinty eyes use soy sauce.