Depresso! It’s a feeling you might encounter if you run out of coffee. Are you one of those who see paradise on the earth while sipping a cup of coffee? Well, your love for this wonder drink is clear as you have made up your mind to clean your grinder, or in other words, the begetter of your delectable brews.
Similar to any other equipment, the coffee grinders also require maintenance. However, the process is pretty simple, and it won’t demand much of your time. Moreover, you’ll probably find the necessary stuff to clean your coffee grinders in your kitchen itself. This post works as a definitive guide to clean a coffee grinder. Keep reading to enjoy sipping those lovely cups uninterruptedly!
Why is Cleaning Coffee Grinders Important?
Put simply, you need to clean your coffee grinder periodically to enhance its durability and efficiency. Unlike your kitchen sponge, the grinders might not get as stinky and revolting, but they will certainly affect the quality of your brews. The leftovers of old coffee beans, like oils and residue, spoil the taste of fresh coffee beans, which may bulldoze the dream of enjoying a perfect cup to satisfy your reasonless coffee cravings.
If you don’t have a grinder yet, consider reading our guide to Best Coffee Grinders.
How Often is the Cleaning Required?
Well, the answer depends on how intense your coffee love is! The more you love spending time with cups of coffee, the greater the use of the grinder will be. However, when you notice buildups, it’s a signal for you to schedule a cleaning immediately.
Ideally, you should clean your grinder at least once every two weeks. For those who consider themselves coffee addicted, the cleaning should be scheduled once a week. In case you come up with a new roast or disparate beans, cleaning the grinder beforehand will ensure producing cups with an untouched and unharmed flavor profile.
Cleaning Your Coffee Grinder – A Bargain for The Best Practices
Now that you know why and when to clean your coffee grinders, it’s time to answer the most important question, how do you clean it. Let’s delve deeper and learn!
One of the easiest ways to clean your coffee grinders is by grinding substances that have a good absorbing potential without releasing any of their own. Such objects are pretty available in our day-to-day lives, but when it comes to cleaning your grinder, they are no less than a knight in shining armor. You can consider a slice of white bread, sugar, kosher salt, or even instant white rice. Once you are ready with any of these, mentioned below are the steps to follow –
- Clear up the excessive ground out from the grinder
- Choose any of the substances mentioned above, and grind it well till it turns into powder
- Take out the grubby powder, and of course, dump it
- Unplug the grinder, take a dry paper towel and wipe out thoroughly
- Once done, take a damp towel for wiping and then again a dry one subsequently
- Leave the grinder open without the lid to allow it for air drying
There you go! Your grinder is clean and ready to deliver mind-boggling pour-overs. However, if you still notice some residues, you can repeat the same process to get rid of the gunk completely.
Hold on! Are you an aficionado and upgraded to burr grinders? Well, in this case, the process is slightly different. Let’s check it out!
Cleaning Burr Grinders – It Demands Some Extra Efforts
The grinding process of Burr grinders is different if compared to the blade ones; thus, their maintenance process differs as well. Regardless of the model, you are using, the overall technique to clean burr grinders remains the same. Take a look at the steps mentioned below, and you’ll be ready to set your burr grinder free from residues.
- Unplug the grinder to start the cleaning process.
- Bring out the hopper and grind chamber. Clean both the components with your hands using a lint-free cloth so as to remove oil buildup and coffee dust completely.
- In case the oil residue is ornery, consider using a mild soap along with warm water to clean the same. It is important to rinse them immediately after cleaning so as to prevent soap flavors. Besides, to avoid corrosion, dry these components properly before placing them back in the grinder.
- Now it’s time to bring out the outer burr. To do so, gently twist it, and it will lift out of the grinder. Let the inner burr in its place as it is pretty difficult to get them out.
- Use a toothpick, brush, a vacuum, and lint-free cloth to clean both the burrs thoroughly to get rid of the coffee particles, specks of dust, and oils. Make sure you clean each and every corner, which is feasible.
- Once done, reassemble your grinder and get it ready for mild grinding.
- Take around 10-15 grams of coffee, and grind it well.
And we’re not done yet! In case you’re using a manual coffee grinder, the cleaning methodology will, again, differ.
The question might tickle your mind, what’s the use of grinding such a small quantity of coffee after cleaning when you can start enjoying numerous cups with your friends and family. Well, there are two reasons affixed to the process.
The first being, ensuring proper calibration, and the other is developing a thin coating of coffee oil. Of course, extensive oil buildup isn’t good, but a thin layer of coffee oil coating will keep the grinder free from oxidation and rust. Now, your burr grinder is all set to rock!
Cleaning a Manual Coffee Grinder – It’s Simple!
Cleaning manual grinders is quite a simple job. All you need to do is, take the grinder apart, use a brush to clean the grounds and it’s done! Good quality manual grinders can be taken 100% apart, which allows you to clean every surface thoroughly.
Takeaways
So, this is how you can clean your coffee grinder conveniently. Bring in your favorite coffee beans and enjoy delightful coffees until your grinder signals for cleaning.
Well, there are chances that you might get nervous about disassembling your precious coffee grinder. In such scenarios, consider checking out the user manual, and it will make your job easy. Happy brewing!
Resources
- https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/139793/how-to-clean-your-coffee-grinder/
- https://www.epicurious.com/shopping/how-to-clean-your-coffee-grinder-article
- https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-clean-and-maintain-your-coffee-grinder-burr-grinder
