Heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and a little attention at the end

A caprese platter leaves room for two people at the counter without giving either a long list of jobs. One slices tomatoes while the other drains the mozzarella and picks over the basil. Set out the bread and plates before the oil goes on. There is no pan to watch and no advantage in assembling the cheese long before anyone is ready to eat.

Mixed tomato colors look generous on a plain platter, but color is not the whole selection. Choose sound, ripe fruit you want to eat raw. The recipe asks for three large heirlooms; their sizes vary, so use a platter with room for the slices or arrange a second plate. A bowl is optional staging space, not a necessary purchase, and tossing the cheese and tomatoes together is not part of this method.

Slice on a stable board with a suitable knife and keep fingers clear. The work is simple, but it still requires care. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella in overlapping slices rather than squeezing everything into a deep dish. Tear the basil over them. There is no need to promise that tearing prevents all bruising; handle the leaves gently either way.

Measure the finish, then serve

Three tablespoons of olive oil, half a teaspoon of flaky salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper are the measured finish. The final pinch of fleur de sel is separate. Spread those quantities over the full platter rather than adding an unmeasured generous pour to each serving. With salty cheese and two salt additions, it is sensible to taste a small assembled bite before applying all the salt; reserve any you do not want.

Grind the pepper into a dry dish and measure the quarter teaspoon. A fixed number of twists will not reliably give that quantity, particularly after changing the grind. A middle or slightly coarser texture is an option if you enjoy distinct pieces on tomato; use a finer setting if you prefer them less noticeable. The adjustable mill makes that choice convenient, but an existing grinder or suitable ground pepper will also season the salad.

Keep mozzarella refrigerated until preparation and assemble close to serving. Return leftovers to the refrigerator promptly rather than leaving the platter out while the afternoon moves on. The short preparation time assumes ready-to-eat bread; baking or reheating a loaf is a separate job.

Two manual mills for the same finishing task

The OXO Good Grips Contoured Pepper Grinder is the mid-priced choice for practical daily handling. Five settings sit on a sliding tab, and a clear acrylic reservoir makes the fill level visible. It has stainless-steel accents, a ceramic mechanism and a non-slip turning grip. This single manual grinder comes with black peppercorns, not a companion salt mill.

Comfortable turning and convenient adjustment make it useful when moving between dressings and a finished platter. The grinding end sits at the top in storage, which helps limit stray pepper on the counter. The refill closure is the important compromise: it can be awkward to thread or can loosen and spill the contents. Uneven output and disappointing differences between settings are also possible. Do not mistake a practical design for guaranteed trouble-free operation.

The higher-priced Peugeot Paris u'Select is the chocolate-finish beechwood pepper mill, nominally 22 cm and marketed as 9 inches. Six marked settings on its base ring and a case-hardened steel pepper mechanism give it a different construction and control layout. It is sold as one manual mill without peppercorns. It is taller than the compact OXO, but that is not a verified usable-reservoir advantage; the two capacities have not been independently matched.

Peugeot suits someone who values the curved wooden body, smooth turning and ring adjustment enough to pay more. Keep your hand above the ring while grinding so the setting stays where you put it. Its less agreeable possibilities include interrupted feeding, finicky refilling and a split wooden adjustment collar. Good experiences coexist with those failures. The price buys the selected form and mechanism, not a superior tomato or assured service life. Lifetime mechanism coverage is separate from five-year manual-mill coverage, and warranty conditions apply.

OXO is the sensible lower-outlay choice if its grip, visible fill and top-grinding storage solve the everyday annoyance. Peugeot is an optional change in feel and adjustment, with more care for the wood. Keep a working mill if it already gives you the pepper you want. For this salad, the difference between the two mills is a small handling choice beside the food.

Keep tomato juice and wet hands away from either mill. Peugeot calls for dry care, clockwise grinding and suitable peppercorns no larger than 6 mm, not salt. Empty and soft-brush the mechanism and use a soft dry cloth outside. Follow the OXO's own supplied care instructions rather than transferring wooden-mill advice to its acrylic and ceramic construction.

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare both choices.

Check current price: OXO Good Grips Contoured Pepper Grinder, single

Check current price: Peugeot Paris u'Select pepper mill, chocolate, 22 cm / marketed 9-inch