Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Chances are that you found this product from the excellent review it got from Cooks Illustrated. I did. However, if you do a search of the Amazon reviews, there are a few low rated reviews and most of those are based upon a broken top. Persuaded by the overwhelming number of positive reviews, I disregarded the warnings of the tops breaking and purchased the pepper and salt set. Unfortunately, the top to my salt mill broke on its first turn out of the box. I'll post a photo on Amazon to help explain the defect in my salt mill. The top to the mill is made up of a plastic piece and a metal piece. The plastic piece acts like a lid to a jar or in this case the mill and, when turned, causes the mill to grind the pepper or salt. A stainless steel cover/cap fits over the plastic lid to make it look nice. To prevent the steel cap from merely spinning over the sides of the plastic lid when turned, a tooth is welded inside the steel lid, which is supposed to fit into a notch built into the plastic lid. However, the notch to the plastic lid is rather shallow and the torsion from spinning the mill caused the tooth of the cap to jump out of the notch. So now the notch no longer holds the tooth; and turning the metal cap causes it to spin around the plastic lid rather than causing it to turn the plastic lid and mill. If you look at my photo, you'll also see a point or horn protruding from the top of the plastic lid that tapers to point that is glued or welded to the cap, to prevent the cap from being pulled away from the plastic lid. Unfortunately, since the notch doesn't hold the tooth, the torsion from turning the top caused the glue or welding to separate and now the metal top easily falls off. I'm sure that this falls within both Amazon's and Cole and Mason's return policies but I think I'm going to choose a refund rather than an exchange. I've seen enough reviewers with broken tops to look to other brands.