Kosher Salt (Diamond Crystal)

Diamond Crystal was founded in 1886 in St. Clair, Michigan, using a patented process called the Alberger process that creates uniquely hollow, multi-layered flake crystals by evaporating saturated brine on heated rollers. The name referred to the diamond-like clarity of the crystals. The company became the dominant American kosher salt brand and remains so, with professional chefs across North America almost universally specifying Diamond Crystal by name in cookbooks and recipes.

Formation: Vacuum pan evaporation creating unique three-dimensional hollow crystal structures

The Science of Hollow Crystals

The Alberger process that creates Diamond Crystal's signature flakes begins with a supersaturated sodium chloride brine. This brine is fed onto slowly rotating heated drums. As the brine contacts the warm surface, rapid evaporation causes sodium chloride crystals to form in a unique pattern - hollow pyramidal structures that then collapse into flat, multi-layered flakes. These flakes are lighter and larger in volume than cubic crystals formed by other processes. The hollow structure dramatically affects cooking behavior - the flakes shatter when pressure is applied, dissolve faster in moisture, and adhere better to food surfaces than dense cubic crystals.

The Industry Standard Kitchen Salt

Diamond Crystal has achieved an almost canonical status in professional American cooking. Virtually every major American cookbook published in the last 25 years either specifies Diamond Crystal or instructs readers to use it. Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat, perhaps the most influential American cooking book of the 2010s, was written with Diamond Crystal as the default salt. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's Serious Eats guides specify Diamond Crystal throughout. This is not brand loyalty - it is a recognition that Diamond Crystal's consistent behavior, clean flavor, and gentle salting profile make it the most controllable salt for recipe development and home cooking.

Mineral Profile

Composition per 100g for kosher salt (diamond crystal). Values vary by harvest location and depth.

Best Uses for Kosher Salt (Diamond Crystal)

Chef's tip: Diamond Crystal is half as salty by volume as Morton Kosher or table salt due to its hollow crystal structure. Always measure by weight, not volume, when substituting. If a recipe calls for 1 tsp Morton kosher, use 2 tsp Diamond Crystal. Many professional cooks use it exclusively for its clean flavor and controlled salting.

Quick Facts

Health note: Pure sodium chloride with no additives. The hollowness of the crystals means less sodium by volume than other salts - beneficial for those monitoring sodium intake if measuring by teaspoon. Identical to other salts when measured by weight.