How To Clean A Coffee Grinder And Its Burrs (+ How NOT To Do It)

How To Clean A Burr Coffee Grinder

Let’s teach you how to clean a burr coffee grinder the right way!

Serious coffee lovers know that a burr grinder is an essential tool in making a perfect cup of coffee. No matter what brewing method you prefer, quality grounds equal a quality brew. And you can’t get quality coffee grinds from a dirty grinder.

Luckily, cleaning your grinder is reasonably quick and easy. Keep reading to learn how to clean your grinder so you can enjoy great-tasting coffee.

How To Clean and Maintain Your Coffee Grinder

Coffee grinders get dirty from a variety of things. Coffee dust gets everywhere, and the oil from the beans can also cause problems – especially for dark roast fans. Oils can build up and eventually go rancid, which can seriously affect the taste of your coffee.

Taking the time to clean your grinder takes care of all of this.We assume you’re here because you already have a dirty grinder needing some TLC. But perhaps you’re researching how difficult they are to clean before you buy. In that case, you’ll also want to check out this list of the best burr grinders.

What You Need

• Burr grinder
• Soft brush
• Microfiber cloth
• Grinder cleaning tablets
• Wood toothpicks
• Cotton swabs (aka Q-Tips)
• Screwdriver (maybe)
• Inexpensive coffee beans to season your grinder

At A Glance

Time:

30 minutes

Yield:

One clean grinder

Soft Brush

The brush helps you get the grinds out of those hard-to-reach places. A soft-bristled toothbrush or paintbrush works well.

Grinder Cleaning Pellets

Use grinder cleaning tablets when you need to do a deeper clean. There are plenty of food-safe options on the market to choose from, including Urnex Grindz, Full Circle brands, and this one.

Wooden Toothpicks And Cotten Swabs

Wooden toothpicks help when you get into hard-to-reach spots. While not always necessary, I find them helpful. Just don’t buy flimsy ones that will snap off as you are cleaning.

Cotton swabs slot nicely between the soft brush and the wooden toothpicks in size and reach. Because they are flexible, you can use them to clean the ground coffee exit chute. If you like oily dark roasted coffee beans, this is a crucial place to keep your grinder clean.

Beans For Seasoning

This step is optional. But if the cleaning was serious, you might want to season the grinder once you are done.

After you clean the grinder, run a few beans through it. This puts some oil back into the machine and removes any lingering invisible residue, making a subtle taste difference when you brew your next cup.

Can I Use Rice To Clean My Grinder?

NO. There are some who say that using rice is a good, inexpensive substitute for pellets, but we don’t recommended it for several reasons. First off, rice is much harder than pellets and can damage the grinder’s motor. Second, grinding rice can leave a starchy residue on your burrs, which actually makes cleaning your coffee grinder more challenging.

Some manufacturers, such as Baratza, won’t cover damage caused to the grinder when you use rice. I tend to respect their advice as one of the top coffee grinder manufacturers (​1​​​).

“Our experience repairing Baratza grinders has shown that using rice or other natural materials to clean a Baratza grinder can cause mechanical damage to your grinder.”

It’s better to spend the coin and get the tablets.

What Is The Best Way To Clean A Coffee Grinder?

A clean coffee grinder means better performance and a more consistent grind, whether you are making beautiful espresso drinks or extracting exotic single-origin pour over coffees. So how do you clean a burr coffee grinder? It’s not the most glamorous part of enjoying great at-home coffee, but it is important. So let’s get to it! These steps can also work if you use a grind and brew coffee maker.

1. Unplug The grinder

This might seem obvious, but sometimes people forget, and the consequences can be dangerous. You don’t want to mess around in there when electricity is present.

2. Disassemble the grinder

Each grinder is different; you should check your manual to see which parts are user-serviceable. You don’t want to take it apart if you can’t put it back together.

Typically, you remove the hopper and the upper grinding casing, which allows you to access the burrs. Often, the top burr can also be removed. This lets you access the corners and crevices to remove coffee dust and any other crud.

3. Shake And Scrub

Turn the grinder upside down and give the sides a smack. You may be surprised at how much comes out of it. Repeat until nothing comes out.

Now, use your soft brush to remove any remaining coffee grounds and dust clinging to your grinder’s inside. Here’s where those wooden toothpicks and cotton swabs might come in handy. Make sure you get old grinds and coffee oils out of your burrs and other inside surfaces.

Give special attention to the feeder channel, the chute where ground coffee is guided down into the bin that catches the grounds. It can easily get clogged by fine, oily grounds. This is one of those spots where a cotton swab might be your best friend. Use the cotton end to wipe down the sides of the channel and bend the stalk to get into tight places.

4. Wipe It Down

Wipe down or rinse any plastic pieces you have removed, or use your soft brush to remove any dust. You can use a bit of soapy water and a microfiber cloth for this. Or, depending on your grinder, the bean container and ground coffee container might be dishwasher-safe.

Just ensure no soap or coffee residue is left on the pieces and that you dry them thoroughly before reassembly.

The metal pieces must be kept dry. Do not clean burrs with soap and water, and don’t spray anything into the grinder.

PRO TIP: For the plastic parts, a little baking soda on a damp paper towel will scrub away residual coffee oils, plus any dust stuck to them, and leave the plastic pristine.

5. Suck It Up

You don’t have to do this every time, but it’s a worthwhile step when you’re doing a big clean. Take the hose attachment of your vacuum cleaner and use it to suck up any tiny coffee particles left after all your other cleaning efforts.

Take extra care if you have small pieces like screws that you have set aside. They can easily get sucked into your vacuum, and that’s a pain.

6. Put It Back Together

Reinstall the top burr, reassemble the casing, and add the hopper. You will probably feel a flood of relief when all the parts go where they are supposed to go – none in the vacuum, on the floor, or otherwise mysteriously absent.

Plug the grinder in and turn it on.

7. Clean The Burrs

Use grinding tablets to wash the burrs. Follow the directions on the package, and run them through your grinder on a medium-fine setting (​2).

Now, run the grinder with a small amount of coffee. This ensures all the pellet dust is gone, seasons the burrs, and puts a bit of coffee dust and oils back into the machine.

I like to run about 30 grams of coffee through the grinder, in two or three batches. It also lets me check that the grind adjustment settings are correct. This is a good opportunity to use up stale or cheap beans. Don’t waste good specialty coffee on this step!

How Often To Clean A Burr Grinder

How often you should clean your coffee grinder really depends on your usage habits. Remember that grinding oily dark roasts means your grinder will need to be cleaned more frequently.

In general, we recommend a light cleaning of the grinder every week. Use a dry cloth to wipe the exterior, clean the grounds bin, and tap any dust from the chute. A more thorough deep clean, as described in the steps above, should be done every month or two.

Ready To Clean Your Grinder?

So, do you feel ready to clean your grinder? It’s really not that difficult, and the more often you do it, the less work it will be each time.

Remember, a clean grinder makes your coffee taste better and gives your grinder a longer life. If you are going to move out of your comfort zone and make some creative, kick-ass coffee drinks, you want a clean machine!

Let us know what you think about this tutorial and if it helped make cleaning your grinder easier. And if you found it useful, please share it with your coffee loving friends and family!

FAQs

Can I use the same grinder for coffee and spices?

You shouldn’t use the same grinder for coffee and spices unless you want your coffee to be spice-flavored and vice versa. We recommend buying an inexpensive blade grinder to use as a separate spice grinder for things like peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.

Should you wash a coffee hand grinder?

Yes, you should wash a hand grinder using essentially the same steps as above. Just as with an electric grinder, a hand grinder will perform better when it’s clean. You don’t need to worry about damaging electronics in the cleaning process, but it’s still crucial not to let the burrs come in contact with water.

Why are coffee grounds getting stuck in my grinder?

Coffee grounds get stuck in a grinder for a variety of reasons. Oily beans leave behind a residue that can lead to clumping and trapped grounds. Freshly ground coffee can get stuck in the grinding chamber or exit chute if the grinder is poorly designed or has static issues. High humidity can also be a factor.

References

1. Rice, It’s Just Not a Good Idea (for cleaning!). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.baratza.com/rice-its-just-not-a-good-idea-for-cleaning/
2. Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner: Instructions. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://urnex.com/grindz-grinder-cleaning-tablets