A salt cellar is an open dish which was made to hold salt. They could be round or oblong and did not have lids. These dishes were used from as early as the middle ages in wealthy homes.

Salt cellars can be made in a variety of substances such as porcelain, glass or wood. There are also silver ones but these will either be gilded inside or have glass liners as the salt reacts with the silver. A salt cellar would have been passed around and each guest would help themselves to some salt with a small spoon. He would pass it around the table to his guests, and each would help themselves with a small spoon.

After the salt cellar came the salt mill. Early salt came in rock form so these salt mills had a piece inside the shaker that would break the salt into small pieces. Eventually, salt production improved and salt was supplied in the way that it is today so these salt mills were no longer needed. This led to the invention of the salt pot that we know today.

Today it is possible to get salt pots and cruet sets in a wide range of shapes and sizes, making them extremely popular collectible items. They can be found made in silver or novelty ceramic items.