How to Use pestle in a Sentence

pestle

noun
  • Use the knife or a mortar and pestle to lightly crush the seeds.
    — Yotam Ottolenghi, The Seattle Times, 26 Dec. 2017
  • Grind the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
    — Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2021
  • Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to gind the spices to powder.
    — Bibby Gignilliat, The Mercury News, 5 July 2019
  • Grind the spices to a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
    — ExpressNews.com, 4 Dec. 2019
  • Let cool; coarsely grind in spice mill or with mortar and pestle.
    — Bon Appetit, 26 June 2017
  • Hand-carved in Tunisia, each mortar and pestle set is one-of-a-kind.
    — Christina Montoya Fiedler, Good Housekeeping, 28 Dec. 2022
  • Coarsely crush cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or with the flat side of a chef’s knife.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit, 18 June 2018
  • My job was to use the mortar and pestle to pound down garlic and ginger.
    — Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Coarsely grind the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
    — Jessica Battilana, SFChronicle.com, 23 Oct. 2020
  • Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind with the allspice.
    — Daniel Boulud, ELLE Decor, 21 Oct. 2015
  • Transfer to a mortar and pestle, add the garlic, and pound to a paste.
    — Jessica Battilana, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Apr. 2018
  • This felt like trying to use a mortar and pestle with my good arm tied behind my back.
    — New York Times, 28 June 2018
  • The best food processor can’t do what a mortar and pestle does.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appétit, 28 Mar. 2022
  • Comes with a durable and attractive chrome stand, as well as a wooden pestle.
    — Erica Van Blommestein, chicagotribune.com, 5 Apr. 2021
  • Grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or crush beneath a heavy frying pan.
    — Jessica Battilana, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2021
  • Grind them in a spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle and put the powder into a blender.
    — Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, 11 Nov. 2020
  • Toasting cumin seeds and then grinding them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
    — Washington Post, 20 May 2021
  • Once cool, grind the pods in a pestle and mortar until the seeds inside are ground down.
    — Aimee Farrell, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2017
  • Transfer to a plate to cool, then finely grind in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
    — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
  • Using a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder), grind with the chile flakes to a coarse powder.
    — Nik Sharma, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2018
  • To crush the fennel seeds, pulse a few times in a spice or coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2021
  • In a mortar and pestle mash the chiles, garlic and sugar into a paste.
    — Justin Phillips, SFChronicle.com, 13 July 2020
  • Using a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron to a fine powder and set aside.
    — Nik Sharma, SFChronicle.com, 11 July 2018
  • Crack peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or with the back of a knife and sprinkle on top.
    — Ellise Pierce, star-telegram, 2 May 2017
  • In a mortar and pestle, mash the anchovies and garlic into a paste.
    — Katie Parla, Saveur, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Some students jumped up to scrutinize the spice jars and the mortar and pestle.
    — Kate Taylor, New York Times, 23 June 2017
  • Crack open the peppercorn using a mortar and pestle; add to the saucepan.
    — Anita L. Arambula, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2023
  • To do this, put the saffron in a mortar and pestle and crush until the threads begin to break down.
    — Jane Black, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2022
  • The respective stone pestle is durable and weighty enough to crush herbs and spices for guac, salsa, pesto, and more.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2025
  • Transfer spices to a mortar and pestle and crush until finely ground.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pestle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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