In Cameroon’s kitchens, the blender hasn’t beaten the hand mill ⚙️🇨🇲

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Cameroonian kitchens are having their own quiet tech revolution. The hand-cranked mill and the flat grinding stone, once indispensable for crushing spices and condiments, now share counter space with Moulinex machines, blenders and other electric appliances. These devices promise speed, convenience and versatility. But adopting new technology hasn’t meant abandoning the old. Between power dependency, cost, motor strength, ease of repair, habit and the pursuit of a specific result, Cameroonians are building strikingly different relationships with the tools available to them.

From hand crank to electric motor ⚙️

Turning a crank for several minutes, or working a stone by hand to crush tomatoes, chili peppers, garlic or ginger, is still part of daily life for many families. But over the past several years, electric appliances have gradually changed how these tasks get done. Now it’s often just a matter of loading ingredients into a bowl, plugging in the machine and pressing a button. The job can be done in seconds.

This shift fits into a broader transformation of household equipment. A study on home appliances in Cameroon has already noted the presence of blenders and mixers among the equipment found in Cameroonian households. In appliance shops, blenders and mixers are now standard fixtures among the small appliances on offer to Cameroonian consumers.

« With my Moulinex, I save a lot of time. When I get home from work, I want to cook quickly. I put the condiments in the machine and I can move on to something else. I save energy and I save time, » says Anne Bengono, a young homemaker.

Modern appliances aren’t valued for speed alone. A blender can handle several tasks, making it a genuinely versatile piece of equipment. Depending on the model, users can blend fruit, make drinks, break down certain foods or process different ingredients. For younger households, that versatility can tip the scale toward a purchase.

« I’d rather have one machine that does several things than several different appliances. It’s more practical and it takes up less space, » says Jeanne Mbella, a user.

Technology, in this sense, becomes a tool for streamlining household tasks. But the more sophisticated an appliance gets, the more it typically depends on technical components, a power supply and, in some cases, spare parts that need to be available.

When modern living depends on the grid ⚡

That’s one of the paradoxes of these appliances. An electric machine can do in seconds what a hand mill takes several minutes to do. But without electricity, that speed disappears. In Cameroon, electricity access remains a real factor shaping domestic habits. The World Bank reported in January 2025 that around 71% of the population had access to electricity, with the situation considerably worse in rural areas. In that context, the hand mill holds onto a very particular technological edge: it doesn’t need electricity to work.

« When the power goes out, my blender is useless. But my hand mill or my stone is always there. I’m not dependent on appliances, even though they save me a lot of time. Still, I use the Moulinex when there’s power and the hand mill when there isn’t. To me, the two are complementary, » says Géraldine Akoum, a mother.

The hand mill might look outdated next to electric appliances. But its simplicity is precisely one of its strengths. No motor, no cord, no plug, no electronic button. It runs on simple mechanics and physical effort. For some users, that simplicity is a form of reliability.

« If a hand mill breaks, you can usually find someone to fix it nearby. An electric machine can have a motor problem, and that’s a different kind of repair. A grinding stone doesn’t need any of that, » says Olomo, a repair technician.

Repairability matters in a context where replacing an appliance can mean an extra expense households would rather avoid. The newest technology, in other words, isn’t necessarily the one that feels most durable to the person using it.

Price: innovation’s first filter 💰

Whether a household adopts a given appliance also comes down to the budget. For some, buying a blender or a Moulinex is an investment that has to justify itself.

« If I already have a hand mill that works well, I’m not going to buy an electric machine just because it’s modern, » says Julie Mvogo, a shop owner.

Others are willing to pay more for the daily time they’ll save. « If I’m cooking every day, I’d rather buy a good machine and use it for years, » one young couple explains.

Price, in other words, becomes a technological criterion in its own right. An innovation can be available on the market, and its adoption still depends on whether people can afford to buy it — and to maintain it.

Power becomes the new deciding factor 🔋

With electric appliances, consumers are no longer just choosing between « manual » and « electric. » They’re also weighing motor power, bowl capacity, blade type, motor durability and available features. Two machines that look alike can perform very differently. Some users want a machine that can process a large quantity of food quickly. Others prioritize something small, easy to store and easy to use.

« I mainly look at power and durability. I’d rather buy a machine that costs a bit more but can handle regular use, » says Stéphanie Amos, a user.

But adopting new technology is also a cultural choice. In some families, cooking methods are passed down through generations. The hand mill is part of a way of cooking learned from one’s parents.

« My mother always used the hand mill. Even though I have a blender now, there are certain things I still prefer to do her way — and even the taste comes out different, » says Marie Fouda.

Younger generations who grew up with electronic appliances, by contrast, may be more drawn to fast, automated solutions. What emerges are two generations with two very different relationships to technology.

What’s next for Cameroonian kitchens ?🔮

This shift likely won’t stop at today’s electric appliances. Rechargeable devices, more compact machines and multifunction tools could gradually reshape habits further. The underlying goal remains the same: cut down on effort, save time and simplify certain tasks.

But the Cameroonian experience shows that innovation doesn’t necessarily replace what came before it. The hand mill can go on being used as a main tool, a backup or a fallback option. The blender can be the go-to for certain preparations, and the Moulinex the choice for speed.

Technologies, then, can coexist rather than replace one another. Sometimes it just takes a power cut to remind everyone that a decades-old piece of technology hasn’t said its last word. In a Cameroonian kitchen, the Moulinex can stop — but the hand mill keeps turning.

Your take matters!

What do you reach for to crush your ingredients: the hand mill, the Moulinex, the blender, or something else entirely?