Patent ID: 8087602

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a pestle, the pestle comprising: a dome-shaped top portion, the top portion formed to be cupped within the palm of a hand of a user; a cylindrical body portion extending from the top portion; and a dome-shaped bottom portion extending from the body portion and opposing the top portion, the bottom portion formed to include a male apex, wherein: a surface of the body portion, a surface of the bottom portion, and a surface of the male apex form a pestle external profile; the pestle body surface comprises elements chosen from the group consisting of flutes and ribs; and the pestle bottom surface comprises elements comprises elements chosen from the group consisting of flutes and ribs; and a mortar, the mortar comprising: a base; a wall extending from the base, the wall topped with a lip; and an interior, the interior comprising: an interior inverted frustum-shaped wall adjacent to the lip; and an interior bowl extending from the interior inverted frustum-shaped wall, the bowl formed to include a female apex, the female apex formed to cooperate with the male apex; and wherein: a surface of the interior inverted frustum-shaped wall, a surface of the interior bowl, and a surface of the female apex form a mortar internal profile; the mortar internal wall surface comprises elements chosen from the group consisting of flutes and ribs; the mortar bowl surface comprises elements chosen from the group consisting of flutes and ribs; the mortar internal profile and the pestle external profile are substantially similar; when the pestle rests within the mortar with the male apex nesting within the female apex, the pestle external profile aligns with the mortar internal profile; and a locus of an axis of the pestle describes a cone when the pestle is rotated through a circular locus, the cone angle being about 40 degrees.