TL;DR: Cellar or Pig?
- Salt cellar: compact, usually lidded, sits by the stove for pinch-as-you-cook seasoning. Best for everyday cooking salt.
- Salt pig: wider, open-mouthed vessel with a hooded opening — bigger capacity, faster access, but no lid means less protection from steam and splatter.
- Humid Australian kitchens: a lid earns its keep. Marble adds weight, keeps contents cool, and never absorbs odours the way unglazed ceramic can.
- Real numbers: the Marbliss marble salt cellar with lid & spoon is 10.16 cm across, 8.89 cm tall with the lid on, ships with a 12.7 cm spoon, and costs $49.85 AUD (July 2026).
Two containers, one job — done differently
Both a salt cellar and a salt pig solve the same kitchen problem: getting your fingers into good salt quickly while you cook, without wrestling a cardboard box or a shaker that clogs. Where they differ is in how much they hold, how exposed the salt sits, and how they look on the bench.
A salt cellar is the smaller, tidier of the two — typically a squat jar or bowl, often with a lid, sized for a few weeks of everyday cooking salt. A salt pig is the bigger, more rustic cousin: a rounded vessel with a wide, hooded opening angled toward you, so a wet or floury hand can dive in mid-recipe. The name likely comes from an old Scots word for an earthenware vessel, not the animal — though the rounded shape and snout-like opening made the nickname stick (more on the history here).
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Salt cellar | Salt pig |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Top opening, usually lidded | Wide hooded mouth, always open |
| Capacity | Smaller — everyday pinch salt | Larger — bulk flake or cooking salt |
| Protection | Lid keeps out steam, dust, splatter | Open to the air — refill more often |
| Access speed | One-handed if lid is loose-fit | Fastest — no lid at all |
| Bench footprint | Compact (the Marbliss cellar is 10.16 cm across) | Bulkier, needs clearance for the mouth |
| Humid climates | Better — lid slows clumping | Salt can cake near the opening |
| Doubles as | Jewellery, keys and trinket jar | Mostly single-purpose |
Comparison based on the vessel styles themselves; dimensions from the Marbliss range, July 2026.
Which one suits how you actually cook?
Choose a salt cellar if…
- You season in pinches while cooking and want salt beside the stove, not in the pantry.
- Your kitchen runs humid — anywhere coastal in Australia, or any kitchen where the kettle and stovetop share a corner. The lid genuinely slows clumping.
- You want one piece that can migrate: plenty of customers use a second cellar as a jewellery or trinket jar on a dresser — the lid makes it dust-proof.
Choose a salt pig if…
- You bake often and grab salt with floury fingers — the wide mouth is quicker than any lid.
- You go through salt fast enough that exposure to air never matters.
- You like the farmhouse look and have the bench space to spare.
If you're torn, the cellar is the safer default. It does everything the pig does, a beat slower, while protecting the salt far better — and a good one looks after itself for decades.
Why marble specifically?
Most salt pigs are glazed ceramic; most cheap cellars are timber or plastic. Marble brings three practical advantages to a salt vessel:
- It's heavy. A marble cellar doesn't skate across the bench when you lift the lid one-handed mid-stir.
- It stays cool and doesn't absorb. Stone won't take on odours or oils. Unglazed timber and porous ceramic eventually do.
- Every piece is one of one. Natural veining means the cellar on your bench has no twin anywhere — if a "marble" piece looks perfectly uniform, it isn't marble.
The Marbliss salt cellar with lid and serving spoon ($49.85) is cut from solid natural marble — 5.71 cm tall (8.89 cm with the lid), 10.16 cm in diameter, with a 12.7 cm marble spoon so damp fingers never touch the salt at all. If you'd rather skip the lid for speed, the open salt cellar with spoon ($44.85) splits the difference between cellar and pig. The full range, including salt-and-pepper sets, lives in the salt cellars collection.
Care: thirty seconds, once a week
- Wipe with a damp cloth and dry — that's the whole routine for the outside.
- Don't submerge or dishwash marble; standing water can dull the polish over time.
- If cooking steam ever clumps the salt, a dry spoon breaks it up — with a lidded cellar you'll rarely see it happen.
- Keep acids (lemon juice, vinegar) off the stone; wipe promptly if they splash.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a salt cellar and a salt pig?
A salt cellar is a small, usually lidded jar for everyday pinch salt. A salt pig is a larger open-mouthed vessel with a hooded opening for fast access. Cellars protect salt better; pigs are quicker to reach into.
Does a salt cellar need a lid?
Not strictly — but in humid kitchens a lid noticeably slows clumping and keeps out cooking splatter and dust. If the cellar lives right beside the stove, a lid is worth having.
What size salt cellar should I buy?
Around 10 cm in diameter suits most home cooks — big enough for a few weeks of cooking salt, small enough to live beside the stove. The Marbliss cellar is 10.16 cm across and 8.89 cm tall with its lid.
Can I put things other than salt in a salt cellar?
Absolutely. A lidded marble cellar works well for jewellery, rings, keys or pins on a dresser or entry table — the same dust-proof, non-absorbent qualities apply.
Is marble safe for storing salt?
Yes. Marble is inert, doesn't absorb odours and stays cool. Wipe it with a damp cloth rather than submerging it, and it will outlast the kitchen.
Why is it called a salt pig?
"Pig" is thought to come from an old Scots word for an earthenware pot — the rounded body and snout-like opening kept the name alive.
Salt sorted
Every Marbliss salt cellar is hand-cut from natural marble, so the veining on yours exists nowhere else. Lidded, open, or paired with pepper — the full range is in one place.
About the Author: Mayuresh Pande works with natural marble and onyx homeware every day at Marbliss, sourcing and testing each piece in the range — including the salt cellars this guide is based on. Questions? Reach the team via the contact page.
Last updated: July 27, 2026
More on keeping stone pristine in the marble care guide.
See how a salt cellar fits the wider set in our marble kitchen accessories guide.