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The 5 Absolute Best Kosher Salts [Of 2024]

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Salt is the most common seasoning agent used around the world and throughout history. Humans would not survive without it and, though that sounds like an extreme statement, we do need sodium to survive.

While most of us use standard table salt in our day to day lives, for the sake of our health and our tastebuds, it may be time to turn our attention to Kosher salt.

So what is the best Kosher salt? We recommend the Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt from Selina Naturally, primarily because it combines the benefits of being Kosher sea salt with trusted quality manufacturing that is recommended not just by chefs, but also doctors and nutritionists. 

There are many reasons to say goodbye to your conventional table salt and hello to a healthier alternative like Kosher salt, and more than one great brand to choose from as well. We cover all these details and more in this article. 

What is Kosher Salt?

You’ve probably been seasoning your meals with iodized table salt since before you can even remember holding a fork, which begs the questions, what’s special about Kosher salt that will make you want to change your habits.

To answer that, we have to delve into the basics of what Kosher is, let alone Kosher salt. 

Is Kosher salt blessed? No. There is no dedicated salt-blessing Rabbi. Kosher salt is called Kosher to set it apart from all other salts to be used in the koshering process. 

In Jewish law, before any meat can be ingested, it must have had all the blood removed. This is often accomplished using salt to draw out the blood. Kosher salt is a large, coarse grain that is more effective for this process. 

Sea Salt vs Kosher Salt

Sea salt is also well known to be large, coarse grains and many sea salts are also Kosher salts, but there may be a difference between the two, depending on the circumstances.

Some sea salts are smoked or enhanced by the minerals of the water in which they’re found, giving them a more complex flavor.

The added minerals may also impact the koshering process, so it wouldn’t necessarily be ideal.

Kosher Salt vs Table Salt

Table salt is the most commonly used household salt, and it’s harvested from underground sources. Once dug up, it’s heavily refined to remove every trace of mineral and impurity and then it is ground very fine. 

Most table salt will also be treated with a chemical called an anti-caking agent, which is necessary because, after being ground so finely, it would naturally clump together and clog up your salt shaker otherwise. 

Finally, table salt is iodized. At one time, iodine deficiency was a serious problem causing problems with underactive thyroids. To combat this, iodine was added to salt because it is consumed by nearly everyone.

While iodine deficiency is still a problem in parts of the world that don’t generally have access to or use highly processed, iodized salts, such as much of Africa or Russia, it has ironically caused a major health concern with hyperthyroidism in much of South America, the USA and parts of Asia.

Kosher salt, in direct contrast to table salt, is not processed and is not iodized.

The Best Kosher Salt

If you a discerning home cook and want to be sure that all your recipes turn out exact and consistent, Kosher salt is an excellent step in the right direction. We do have our favorite, but there are a few really great options.

Just be sure that once you decide on a brand, you stick to it as even between brands you may lose some consistency of flavor.

Rank
Product
Description
1.Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt Moist, grey salt from the Celtic Sea with 74 trace minerals
2.Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt Traditional, lower sodium, koshering salt
3.SaltWorks Pacific Blue Kosher Flake Sea Salt Gourmet quality Kosher salt sourced from the Pacific Ocean
4.Redmond RealSalt Kosher Sea SaltHighly unique ancient sea salt with 50+ trace minerals
5.Kosher Fine Flake Sea Salt by Wild Foods Professional quality Kosher salt sourced from the Pacific Ocean

1. Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt

Check the current price on Amazon.

The Celtic Sea Salt brand by Selina Naturally has a very respected legacy and is known to be very conscious of proper harvesting techniques.

The company uses artisanal methods to protect the mineral integrity of the salt and, for this reason and many others, has become one of the most trusted brands by chefs, doctors, and nutritionists, not to mention thousands of home cooks around the world.

Key Features:

  1. Moist, grey sea salt from the Celtic Sea that has a collection of over 74 trace minerals and elements essential to your health
  2. Harvested and packaged with very high standards and absolutely no refinement or additives
  3. It comes in a large, resealable bag that is perfect measuring out the moist salt with your fingers or measuring spoons, as all great chefs do.

Biggest Drawback: Because of the moistness, it can be a bit of a nuisance to your salt grinder, so it’s best to season your cooking while you’re cooking, rather than using a salt shaker or grinder at the table after the food has been served. 

2. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

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Diamond Crystal is one of the original Kosher salt suppliers and, to date, one of the most respected providers for salt to use in the koshering process.

The manufacturer uses a proprietary evaporation process that creates hollow crystals, perfect for the process.

Key Features:

  1. Less than 50% of the sodium of table salt, this salt will have a reduced impact on your blood pressure
  2. The unique crystallization helps the salt adhere to your food better, improving the flavor with less salt required
  3. Light and smooth texture achieved even though it has no additives and it’s not processed and compacted, but rather the flakes are formed naturally

Biggest Drawback: Based on reviews and not our own experience, the biggest drawback of this product seems to be that the size of the box, 3 pounds, makes it less ideal to ship. The vast majority of complaints are due to damage during the shipping process, though the salt itself is very highly praised for quality.

3. SaltWorks Pacific Blue Kosher Flake Sea Salt

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SaltWorks is self-proclaimed “America’s Sea Salt Company” because they’re the first gourmet sea salt company to be established in the USA.

The company was founded with the primary goal of sourcing the world’s highest quality, all-natural and mineral-rich sea salts and supplying it to Americans on demand. They do a very good job of it, too.

Key Features:

  1. With 17 different types of Artisinal Sea Salt, their Kosher variety is sourced from the Pacific Ocean, offering a variety of beneficial nutrients alongside the optimal Kosher texture
  2. Is packaged in a Pour Spout Pouch which makes a bulk supply more convenient in a home cook’s cupboard
  3. Unrefined and with absolutely no additives, this salt is ideal for baking, cooking or for a burst of flavor in ready-to-serve foods

Biggest Drawback: For some reason, some cooks find that salt sourced from the Pacific isn’t as salty as the salt that comes from other sea sources.

4. Redmond RealSalt Kosher Sea Salt

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The story of a volcano erupting over an ancient sea and preserving the seabed and salt it contains is enough to earn this brand a spot in our top 5 favorites, but the flavor stands on its own.

It’s truly a one-of-a-kind salt.

Key Features:

  1. A subtle flavor that has been described as sweet, this salt is highly coveted for its uniqueness
  2. Contains more than 50 trace minerals 
  3. Mined from an ancient seabed in the heart of Utah, this salt has also been historically protected from pollutants thanks to being sealed by volcanic eruptions

Biggest Drawback: Along with the unique flavor, it also has a stand out grittiness that can shock some users. If you’re highly sensitive to texture and crunch, the minerals in this salt might be a bit too obvious for your taste.

5. Kosher Fine Flake Sea Salt by Wild Foods

Check the current price on Amazon.

The branding and packaging on this Kosher flake salt admittedly had a lot to do with catching our attention for addition in our review, but the product also stands up.

It does its job well, in multiple capacities.

Key Features:

  1. Harvested from the Pacific Ocean, this Kosher salt has 60+ trace minerals to keep you healthy
  2. Valued for its professional quality, the flake salt is easy to use and reliable for its consistency and flavor
  3. Is just as useful for finishing your recipes as it is for preparing them, whether that’s in the koshering process, brining, or baking

Biggest Drawback: Despite being strategically marketed as a flake salt, some users find the grain too fine for their preferences.

Related Questions

Why do chefs use Kosher salt?

The reason chefs use Kosher salt is that Kosher salt crystals are larger than table salt, which makes it easier for the chef to pick up and measure with nothing more than their fingers.

Chefs are more likely to specifically recommend Kosher salt over sea salt, despite similarities in size and coarseness mainly because there’s more variety in sea salt, both flavor, and texture, making it harder to predict exactly how it will affect a recipe. Kosher salt is very consistent.

Which salt is the healthiest?

Most experts agree that sea salt is the healthiest form of salt you can ingest simply because it is subjected to the least amount of refining and doesn’t have any preservatives.

Depending on which sea the salt comes from, it may also have unique minerals that bring added health.

Pink Himalayan salt is generally considered to be the highest quality and most pure of all the sea salts, so is the #1 choice for cooks who are shopping with health in mind.

Is sea salt better for blood pressure?

Technically it’s specifically the sodium content in salt that creates a problem for blood pressure, which means that any form of salt will increase your blood pressure.

This includes everything from the lowest quality iodized table salt to the highest quality Pink Himalayan sea salt and everything in between.

There are a few low-sodium salt alternatives that use potassium instead of sodium to get the salty flavor, but they can also create a risk for anyone with kidney disorders, so use them carefully.

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