Star Wars Lightsaber Electric Salt and Pepper Mills

Press the button on one of these lightsaber mills and it grinds on its own, while a light in the bottom shows exactly where the salt or pepper is landing. That small light is what makes them useful and not only funny: you can see how much is going on the steak.

The set has two grinders, a red one for Darth Vader and a blue one for Anakin Skywalker, each about 9 inches tall and 2 inches wide. The hilts are molded plastic made to look like the real sabers, with stainless steel and BPA-free acrylic, and a rustproof ceramic core does the grinding. You can adjust the coarseness, and a cap on the bottom keeps moisture out and stops stray salt from leaking onto the counter.

They come from Uncanny Brands, and they suit the fan who cooks, the friend who hosts every movie marathon, or anyone whose pepper grinder is a tired plastic thing from the grocery store. One-handed operation also helps when the other hand is holding a pan.

The catch: each mill runs on four AA batteries and none are included, so that’s eight batteries before the first dinner.