I liked this mortar and pestle and it worked great to crush pills. That is- until the bottom of the mortar just fell out one morning while I was using it. It was never dropped and did not have a chip or crack in it. I contacted Amazon (the seller) and they said it was past the point where they could return/exchange it. ALso the manufacturer would not discuss an exchange either.I think that there is something wrong with a product when the it completely splits in half for no reason.There are other, less expensive versions out there. I'm going to try one of those. I would not buy this brand again.