What To Look For When Shopping For A Molcajete

Modern kitchen gadgets can be a blessing whether you're air frying or slow cooking in an Instant Pot. But there's no need to reinvent the wheel when there's a tool that's helped people make delicious foods for thousands of years. The molcajete is a mortar and pestle which originated in Mesoamerica and is still commonly used today to grind spices and herbs, make salsas, guacamole, and other fantastic Mexican dishes. When shopping for your own molcajete, you'll want to think about the foods you plan to make with it and the material it is made from.

Jorge Guzmán, a James Beard Award finalist, chef, and partner at Chilango MN and Sueno in Dayton, Ohio, says to pay attention to the weight and sturdiness of the molcajete. In ancient times, a traditional molcajete was mainly made from a type of volcanic rock, but nowadays you'll find more options available to you like ceramic, cement, porcelain, or even glass.

"When making salsa or dips I find a volcanic one best because the porousness of the molcajete helps grind your ingredients," says Guzmán. "Sometimes a smooth molcajete is best especially if using it to crush spices, it allows for the ingredients to not get lost in the crevices." While shopping for your own molcajete, you'll need to spot the differences.

Once you've got your molcajete in your kitchen, the work doesn't stop there. Before you can make the best homemade guacamole with your new molcajete, there are some steps you should take to ensure your food gets tastier with each use and your new cooking tool lasts for generations.

Similar to seasoning a cast iron skillet, a brand new molcajete needs to be prepped before its first use. On first use, a molcajete will give off grit as you grind, so to prevent that grit from getting in your food you'll need to clean it out.

"I like to use toasted rice and salt," says Guzmán. "Basically you grind the two together until they come out smooth and with no debris. This could take a few times." After that, he recommends brushing out the molcajete with water and a brush — some people use a wire brush to really get the grit out.

Also like a cast iron skillet, people have opinions about how to best care for it. Generally, because of the porous material, you should clean your molcajete with just a brush and warm water. If you do use soap, you run the risk of it soaking into the stone and then getting into your food.

One of the benefits of owning a molcajete is that it gets better and make food taste better with each use. So once you've purchased the right molcajete for you, you can trust it will be a staple tool in your kitchen for years after.