Sometimes I feel kind of snobby when I sprinkle something with sea salt flakes, like I’m doing it in slow motion on one of those cooking shows. I got along fine with normal store brand salt and pepper until just a few years ago, so if you haven’t tried them and don’t want to spend the money, then don’t. I bought the Maldon sea salt flakes on a lark to try on roasted potatoes and, given that I don’t have an especially discerning palate, I was shocked that I could taste such a difference. They do taste like the sea whereas regular salt has an almost harsh flavor at the end; I think that’s called finish. Anyways, and the Tellicherry peppercorns have something like a bright kick instead of hot whack. I wondered if it was just that the Tellicherry ones were maybe fresher. I don’t know. In any case, I use these mostly on the top level for roasting or at the end to finish. If I’m making something like soup, I’ll still use regular salt and pepper.