Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, 3 lb Box

Diamond Crystal kosher salt is a single-ingredient salt with no additives, sold here in a 3 lb box. Its light, hollow flakes are easy to pinch and spread by hand.

Who it suits

It suits home cooks who season by feel and want plain salt without anticaking agents. If you need iodized salt, or you bake from recipes written for table salt, you will need to adjust or keep a second salt on hand. It is handy for salting the water for Banza chickpea pasta. Browse more healthy pantry staples.

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Key facts

• Ingredient: kosher salt, with no additives (Diamond Crystal listing)
• Made with the Alberger evaporation process in St. Clair, Michigan, which forms hollow, multifaceted crystals (Diamond Crystal)
• The brand states about 53% less sodium by volume than table salt because the flakes are lighter, so compare by weight (Diamond Crystal listing)
• Endorsed by the American Culinary Federation, per the listing (Diamond Crystal listing)
• Best used within 3 years of the manufacturing date printed on the box (Diamond Crystal listing)

What reviewers say

America’s Test Kitchen has called it its favorite kosher salt for more than 25 years, citing soft flakes that crush easily, dissolve quickly and spread evenly. Cook’s Illustrated prefers its fragile, hollow grains because they are easier to pinch and cling to meat better than denser flakes. Sporked explains why Alton Brown stocks only this salt, though it notes the 3 lb box is a lot for home cooks.

Pros and cons

• Pro: No additives or anticaking agents
• Pro: Flakes are easy to pinch and dissolve quickly
• Con: Not iodized
• Con: Cannot be swapped 1:1 by volume for table salt

Cautions

• Not iodized; get iodine from another source if you rely on salt for it.
• Much less dense than table salt or Morton kosher salt, so adjust amounts when a recipe calls for those.
• If you follow a sodium-restricted diet, follow your doctor’s guidance on total salt.