URBINO Salz- und Pfefferset: Filling and Everyday Use
By Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin - KPM Berlin | Published: 2026-11-05
Category: How-to Guides
A practical routine for filling, using, and caring for the KPM URBINO porcelain salt and pepper set, with checkpoints that prevent clogs, stains, and chips.
Quick answer
Fill the URBINO Salz- und Pfefferset only when the shakers are fully dry, load pepper before salt, and refill before the shakers run empty so you never have to guess which one is which.
Why porcelain shakers need a different filling routine
Glazed porcelain is non-porous, so it does not absorb moisture the way wood or unglazed ceramic can. That is good news for cleaning, but it also means any dampness you trap inside the shaker has nowhere to go. Salt left in a humid cavity will cake into a hard block; pepper will turn into a sticky paste that blocks the holes.
The URBINO set is part of the URBINO tableware collection, so it is likely to sit on the table through a whole meal and between meals. Treat filling as a small maintenance task, not a one-time setup.
When a shaker is the wrong tool
Very coarse or oily pepper blends, and salt flakes with large crystals, may not pass through a fine shaker hole. If your seasoning is too chunky, use a small spoon or a mill instead of forcing it into the URBINO shakers. Forcing oversized crystals is the most common way people damage the glaze around the holes.
Filling and using the URBINO shaker set
- Dry the shakers completely: After washing, let both shakers air-dry upside down on a rack until no moisture remains inside. Do not towel-dry the inside, because lint and trapped dampness cause clumping. Checkpoint: run a finger inside the rim. If you feel any cool dampness, wait longer before filling.
- Fill pepper first: Fill the pepper shaker before the salt shaker so that any stray grains on the counter or funnel are pepper, not salt. Use a small dry funnel or a folded paper cone to keep the rim clean. Checkpoint: if you cannot tell the two shakers apart by sight, decide now which one is pepper and keep that position at every refill.
- Leave a small air gap: Fill to about a centimeter below the rim rather than to the top. An overfilled shaker compresses the contents when you close it, which packs the pepper against the holes. Checkpoint: close the shaker, turn it over once, and confirm the contents move freely before setting it on the table.
- Test the flow before serving: Shake once over the sink or a spare plate. If nothing comes out, do not poke the holes with a knife or skewer. Open the shaker, loosen the contents with a dry spoon, and close it again. Checkpoint: a metal tool near the holes is the most common cause of chipped glaze on porcelain shakers.
- Refill before empty: Top up both shakers when they are about a quarter full. Empty shakers are the ones most likely to be filled in a hurry with damp hands or a wet funnel. Checkpoint: refill after each large meal rather than waiting for a visible shortage at the table.
- Clean without soaking: Wash the URBINO shakers by hand in warm water with a mild detergent, rinse well, and dry upside down. Do not leave them soaking overnight, because residue and moisture collect in the cavity. Checkpoint: if the holes look blocked, rinse from the outside first. Do not push water or detergent through the holes from the inside.
Product facts
- URBINO Salz- und Pfefferset: The URBINO Salz- und Pfefferset brings together salt and pepper shakers in the URBINO pattern and belongs to the URBINO tableware collection. Because the pair is designed as a matching set, you can fill and clean both shakers together rather than treating them as two unrelated items.
URBINO Salz- und Pfefferset
