How to Fill Your Pepper Mill Without Making a Mess

Here’s my first tip: Don’t try to use your hand as a funnel. That just makes a mess.

If you don’t have our thoroughly tested ATK-Recommended funnel nearby, I have a few DIY substitutes that come together in a few seconds and will definitely do the trick. Best of all, you can make them instantly from stuff you probably already have lying around the kitchen. 

Depending on whether you want to transfer dry or wet substances, here are DIY funnel suggestions that we’ve tested. 

If you’re trying to transfer something dry, such as peppercorns into a pepper mill or nuts, dried beans, or spices into a jar, the quickest, easiest way to whip up a useful funnel is to grab a stray piece of mail you likely have on the kitchen counter. Go for paper with a bit of structure to it, like an envelope or an index card if you can find one, but any sheet of paper will do. 

Then, follow these steps:

1. Twist the paper into a cone. 
2. Pinching the overlapping paper at the wide end of the cone, insert the cone tip into the jar or pepper mill. 
3. Release the tension on the paper at the tip end just enough to widen and snug up against the opening. 
4. Pour in the peppercorns or spices. 
5. Recycle the paper. (Or enjoy its new peppery or cinnamony scent.) 

Got liquids to transfer? Same technique, but use a sheet of parchment paper, foil, or even a silicone baking mat instead. (After testing, our favorite was parchment, but we wanted to offer a few alternatives if you don’t have it.)

We tried waxed paper, too, but it lacked structure once it dampened. In a pinch it would do, but double up the sheet and work fast.