Question 1

How often do you have to cure and season it? (The top review makes it sound as if you have to spend days of work to prevent recipes from tasting like

Accepted Answer

I season mine three times a year with mineral oil. You don't want to use any cooking oil for it can turn rancid. I heat mine in the oven for about 20 minutes at 250 degrees. I take out (it will be hot so be careful). I set it on a heat resistant surface. I pour  enough mineral oil into the vessel to cover the bottom. I take a few paper towels and wipe the interior and the exterior and let it sit overnight. The next morning, I take more towels and wipe off the excess and it is ready to use again. Hope this helps!

Question 2

Is this solid granite? It looks suspiciously like ground granite mixed with concrete.

Accepted Answer

We just got one of these for my wife for her birthday. It is absolutely a concrete and granite blend. Very well-made, heavy duty, with a good surface finish. I would think that the composite will hold up well unless used for grinding some thing really hard. Haven’t used it yet but wanted to leave an answer here since I couldn’t tell from the other posts what the deal was. Very, very clearly not solid granite. Will try to remember to leave a post after we use it a while and speak to the longevity of the blend. One point of caution for those interested, please do not put this in the dishwasher. The detergent and heat could weaken the surface and it would be more likely that the granite pieces could come loose over time. It does look amazing and just like the pictures. And that pestle is huge. Like two racket balls stuck together. Regards.

Question 3

Where is this product made?

Accepted Answer

There is no indication on the box specifying the country of manufacturing. However, Vasconia is a long established company in Mexico. Their website indicates "In 1991, Vasconia and its primary competitor, Ekco, joined forces to emerge as the pre-eminent supplier of cookware in Mexico". Also, "In 2007, Ekco purchased IMASA, its largest competitor, and also partnered with Lifetime Brands to offer authentic Hispanic cookware, utensils & gadgets and cutlery under the Vasconia brand to the U.S. market."So I assume this item is still made in Mexico but can find no information other than that quoted above. It is a great product though! We use ours at least once per week & love it.

Question 4

How long is the pestle?

Accepted Answer

The pestle (el tejolote) is fairly short, prolly about 4" or so, not much longer.  You will get a little bit of mashed avocado on your finger tips when you use it, but it's not a problem.  I'm not so sure that these things are standardized and each one might be a little different because the one in the picture is different from the one that came with my molcajete.  Mine is hourglass shaped and the one end is only very slightly smaller than the other end.  I always look closely at it to make sure to always use the correct end for grinding and the other end for holding it.  But it's pretty easy to tell them apart now that I have been using it for so long.  The grinding end is very smooth now and it's also a lighter color than the "handle" end.

ASIN	B001AVREHA
Best Sellers Rank	#141,625 in Kitchen & Dining ( See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining ) #147 in Mortar & Pestles
Brand Name	Vasconia
Capacity	4 cups
Color	Gray
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (6,030)
Finish Type	Unfinished
Global Trade Identification Number	00024131062584
Included Components	Molcajete
Item Diameter	8.8 inches
Item Dimensions	8.8 x 9.2 x 13 inches
Item Type Name	Granite Molcajete Mortar and Pestle
Item Weight	8.9 pounds
Manufacturer	Lifetime Brands Inc.
Material Type	Granite Stone
Model Number	5031764
Number of Items	1
Number of Packs	1
Part Number	5031764
Set Name	Molcajete Mortar and Pestle Set
UPC	885453854642 024131062584 887685634658 781147947402 885170727403 885273120255 885391738677 793842023299 370377717871 885209059260
Unit Count	1 Count
Warranty Description	Limited Lifetime Brands 1-year Warranty

Vasconia 4-Cup Granite Molcajete Mortar and Pestle, Gray

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