If you’re a bona fide coffee lover, chances are you have a coffee grinder at home to regularly supply you with your caffeine consumption needs so as to keep you awake and energized for the entire day. But with generous use over time, coffee grinders can get clogged with oils brought forth by the coffee beans, which may adversely affect the taste and even safety of your ground coffee.
As such, your favorite small appliance needs to be thoroughly cleaned every once in a while. But notably, cleaning it can be a deceptively simple process that comprises more than just using a damp cloth or paper towel. Not needless to say, some grinders may require specific cleaning approaches that you should look into from the instruction manual.
In this blog post, we’ll get to the nitty-gritty of cleaning coffee grinders, its two main types, and other cleaning tips and best practices.
2 Types of Coffee Grinders
There are two main types of coffee grinders that coffee aficionados brew their invigorating coffee from: blade grinder and burr grinder.
Blade grinder
Blade grinders operate much like a blender. It has two to three rotating blades when powered. It can also be used to grind spices. However, this type of coffee grinder may not be your best best as it produces inconsistent and uneven coffee grounds. Still, it makes for a decent grinder that suffices to serve you with your routine caffeine intake.
Burr grinder
Also known as a burr mill, burr grinders, meanwhile, are designed specifically for grinding coffee beans. Most burr grinders have a separate container for the coffee beans just above the grind chamber. With its inner center burr and outer burr, this grinder type effectively crushes the coffee beans evenly, which allows for a fresh brew that’s guaranteed to sooth loud-and-proud coffee addicts.
How to Clean Your Blade Coffee Grinder in Easy Steps
Cleaning a blade coffee grinder is less complicated than its burr-based counterpart. Without more ado, here’s the step-by-step process of cleaning this grinder type.
1. Fill the grinder with uncooked rice
One of the easiest yet effective cleaning methods is by filling the grinder with a half-cup of uncooked rice, which should be enough to cover the blades. You can also use cleaning tablets, which are typically plant-based ingredients used to rid appliances and other surfaces of grime and dust particles.
2. Run the uncooked rice through the grinder
The next step would be to run the rice through the grinder for a full minute until they turn powdery. Once through, empty the grinder out. The uncooked rice will absorb the coffee oils that stubbornly clung to your grinder. Then, empty the grinder out.
3. Repeat the process but with coffee beans
After using the uncooked rice to remove the excess coffee residues, consider repeating the process but with coffee beans this time. If you don’t want to waste your leftover coffee grinds, just pour in another half-cup of uncooked rice to redo the cleaning process.
4. Wipe the grinder with damp microfiber cloth
After running it to get rid of coffee dust, make sure to unplug your blade coffee grinder before proceeding to wipe the insides with a damp, microfiber cloth. A paper towel shall also suffice. The most important thing is to wipe it down from all nooks and crannies.
How to Clean Your Burr Coffee Grinder
Cleaning a burr coffee grinder can be a tad more labor-intensive. Here’s how you can do the cleaning in a step-by-step process for burr grinders.
1. Remove and thoroughly clean the bean hopper
Unplug your electric grinder after you grind coffee beans. Remove the hopper and pour out the coffee grounds. Then proceed with cleaning the bean hoppy using soapy water.
2. Clean all the removable pieces
Disassemble the burr grinder’s removable and washable parts, which shall include the lid. Wash each item with a microfiber cloth applied with a relatively warm and soapy water.
3. Proceed with the burrs
Scrub all the burr parts and the ground coffee chute using a stiff brush or the brush provided with the espresso machine if any. Take note that these serrated burrs are sharp, so you might want to do the scrubbing very carefully.
4. Consider running an uncooked rice for extra cleaning
Cleaning your burr grinder periodically using a stiff brush often suffices already. But if your grinder looks a tad dirtier, don’t hesitate to apply the cleaning method we mentioned for a blade grinder. Run the grinder with uncooked rice until it turns into a fine powder form. The rice will collect all the particles sticking into your grinder. Cleaning tablets are also a safe method that’s guaranteed to restore your grinder’s use as a prime producer of the freshest brew.
5. Reassemble all the parts
After allowing all the pieces to dry off completely, you can now reassemble all the parts and make a fresh cup of coffee from your freshly ground beans! And just like that, you have a spanking clean grinder and a renewed enthusiasm to begin having a productive day and life altogether!
Coffee is a morning buddy for many people to start their day. The best coffee grinder can hence be a prized possession for bona fide coffee lovers. Having it cleaned periodically to produce the freshest brew is an act of self-love!
Do this in the comfort of your Asterra home. Our modest housing brand is perfect for every caffeine addict who like to kickstart their morning with a warm cup of coffee. Wake up to a relaxing outdoor view by availing of a condo for sale through one of our properties from key locations nationwide!
We partner our best value for money condo in Philippines with quality amenities such as, but not limited to, a multipurpose court, clubhouse, swimming pool, jogging path, and a playground. We also have guarded entrances for homeowners’ safety.
Finally, our housing communities are near vital establishments and institutions, including schools, churches, hospitals, supermarkets, cafes and restaurants, and local tourist spots. Ready to secure your real estate investment with us? Speak to a Lumina representative today and reserve your house and lot Philippines very soon!
