The first one arrived heavily used and was obviously a returned item before I received it. The box contained no dunnage (packing material) and the box itself was badly dinged up because it contained two heavy pieces of heavy metal tumbling around inside. There was also rust on the exterior and scribbles in black permanent ink inside the mortar bowl. So I returned it and requested a replacement. The replacement arrived loose in its box as well, but was much more rusted, and also had clearly been used (lightly by comparison to the first), but this time it also came with two gloves. yay. The box didn’t appear to have been opened previously but it was in very bad shape. The grit/coating layer was pretty beat up inside both mortars. Neither appeared to have been oiled at any point; so no surprise about the rust. Both have quite a few sharp/jagged edges where the coating either wasn’t applied and/or where it chipped off at some point during transit/previous use. Both were COVERED in fine metal splinters and dust. The splinters were a really fun to pull out of my hand for 90 minutes (I wore gloves before opening the replacement one). Tip - magnets and tape will help if you run into the same issue with slivers and dust. However, probably best to wear gloves and a respirator before opening the box. In retrospect, it would’ve been far less money, hassle, and mess to have purchased a 4 quart cast iron pot or cauldron and a 1”d x 12”l steel rod. I’m sure this set will be functional as soon as I dissolve the rust followed by a good oiling. Since the coating is already wrecked, might just as well brush over it with rust converter…

Made light work of several pounds of gold veined quartzite

Got this mortar and pestle to crush up lapis lazuli so I can experiment with making ultramarine pigment. I got a smaller cast iron mortar and pestle a while back but it just was too small and light weight so I decided to upgrade and I am glad I did! It does the job well! The pestle is a decent weight and sturdy. The depth of the mortar and cover is nice to minimize bits of rock from flying all over the place. I don't have to put nearly as much energy into grinding the lapis into powder in this mortar. The gloves are nice, but they do snag and fibers get caught on the rough surface of the cast iron and cleaning them off is a little annoying. The wire brush is nice, the curved end makes it easier to clean with.This mortar and pestle works great for what I got it for. However, I would not use it for food, at least not without treating the cast iron first. This is raw untreated cast iron, it is rough! I would advise if you are intending to use it for food purposes to sand the inside of the mortar and the end of the pestle a little smoother so it can be cleaned easier. Wash with warm soapy water, but make sure to dry it immediately, and never ever leave to air dry! It will rust and fast. Remember it is cast iron, not stainless steel. Keep it somewhere dry and away from moisture.(I am guessing this could also be seasoned like a cast iron pan, might be advisable if crushing things with more moisture then just dry spices.)

The mortar is great and very grippy. You do need gloves on if you want to use it vigorously and if you don't like that, you could sand down the points and make it easier.The items come coated lightly in an oil and needs to be cleaned off prior to use with food.

This cast iron mortor and pestle is very heavy! Its solidily made. The set came with a silicone lid, heavy cast iron pestle, and wire brush. This set is most definitely not suitable for food. It arrived with no instructions or care guide. I washed the set and let it air dry. It immediately started to rust. The entire set became rusty after 1 wash. I never even used it after it turned rusty. The cast iron is very course and glandular feeling. I'm disappointed I was able to use this product on herbs.