Good pepper mill

I have a Kuhn Rikon and love it. I've had it about 5 years and its still working great. Its easy to fill and adjust the grind.

Peugeots are indeed as excellent as everyone says, and depending on the model, they can be quite afforable. This 7" one in our Shop is $39.99: http://bit.ly/jqNrpv

I've never been happy for long with any mill that did not have the Peugeot mechanism. I bought a very expensive Miu electric for those times when I want to dispense pepper using only one hand, but the grind is inconsistent and the batteries run out quickly, like your experience.

I'm just getting started using a Cuisinart spice and nut grinder which I hope will let me use more whole spices. Think about how much we spend replenishing those little bottles of expensive preground dust!

Thanks to Sam1148 for a nice tip.

One hint if you use coffee grinder for fine grinds on spices: Clean it by grinding a tablespoon or so of uncooked rice with a tsp of baking soda. Grind that and rinse out.
It'll remove all the odor leftover from pungent spices.

I am a fan of the Peugeot, mine is quite old and well used and still does everything I ask it to. If you like a little more pizazz on your cook top, don't discount a find at the flea market of a turkish coffee grinder. I have had a trudeau, but the burrs went smooth within a year, user error? I'm not sure.
Depending on how fine you like your pepper ground and how much you use, I use an electric coffee grinder for talcum fine grind on spices. Be careful when you pop the lid off.....A-CHOO!

Believe it or not, Ikea has a pretty nifty spice grinder for $5.99. It's my kitchen grinder and not unsuitable for use at the table. It has an adjustable ceramic grinding mechanism that's not as durable as a Peugeot but, at that price, one hopes you can afford more than one. The inevitable downside is that it's only available in store.

Here's a link:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10152875

I have numerous pepper mills. The Unicorn Magnum is my go-to for cooking. It grinds a whole lot of pepper really quickly. Its only fault is that it's not as attractive as the Peugeots. On the other hand, for some reason, my Peugeot does not work as well as my brother's. I can only adjust if for a pretty fine grind.

Vic Firth mills are works of art and they work. No batteries. you use your muscle.

Anything by Peugeot. Won't be cheap, but won't be $100 either. And it'll last forever. Totally adjustable. Maybe put it out to family for your birthday/christmas list.