Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

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. Our Himalayan vs sea salt vs kosher salt labels guide compares its label with pink, sea and table salt. It is handy for salting the water for Banza chickpea pasta. Browse more healthy pantry staples.

Comparing options? Our healthy pantry staples guide explains what to check on the label and spec sheet.

Key facts

• Ingredient: salt, with no anticaking agents; the box states “This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient” (Giant Food listing; America’s Test Kitchen)
• Made in Michigan with the Alberger process, which heats and agitates brine in open pans so hollow crystals form; ATK says Diamond Crystal is the only US company using it (America’s Test Kitchen)
• Nutrition Facts: 280 mg sodium (12% DV) per 1/4 tsp (0.7 g) (Giant Food listing). By our arithmetic that is about 53% less per spoon than the 590 mg on Morton Iodized Table Salt, but about the same per gram, so compare by weight
• America’s Test Kitchen weighed 1 teaspoon at 2.8 g, against about 6 g for table salt (America’s Test Kitchen)

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, citing Tasting Table, reports that the Good Eats kitchen stocked 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.