I found this small cast-iron spice mill on a German website a couple of years ago and find that it is perfect for small grinding jobs — spices, not garlic or herbs.
You will get a slightly coarser grind than with an electric mill, but I prefer coarser to finer in my cooking. You can store spices such as peppercorns in the top of this gizmo, but I leave mine in their jars and grind them as needed. — Christopher Kimball