Much quieter than using a food processor, this simple, beautiful, and functional mortar and pestle set adds an old-fashioned touch to grinding nuts, herbs, and spices. The sides of the five-inch-diameter bowl are high enough to contain the food being ground, and a rounded lip enables the contents to be poured out. The pestle features a flat top that provides a good pushing surface for the palm of the hand. Shaped with slightly uneven sides, the set exhibits the rustic yet modern look consistent with the rest of the Sophie Conran tableware and bakeware collection.

Sophie Conran, an English food writer with her own gourmet pie company, infuses her namesake tableware with a flowing organic nature and tactile expression, as evidenced by the ridges and dipped rims that recall handcrafted pottery. Made of lightweight yet durable porcelain expressly for Portmeirion, the collection comes in glossy white with select pieces available in cool blue celadon and a creamy biscuit color. While the bowl in this set is safe for use in the oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher, the thick pestle might be better off staying out of the microwave and freezer.