Most coffee-lovers use an electric grinder buthand grindersare still available if you need a good workout before every cup!

The electric versions are either blade or burr grinders.

Blade grinders use a rapidly spinning blade to pulverize the coffee beans.

Disassembled coffee grinder next to yellow cleaning cloth and coffee beans

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

They come in a variety of sizes and are inexpensive.

Burr grinders use either two flat serrated disks or a conical serrated disk to grind the coffee.

Coffee shops use the more expensive conical grinder because it produces a more consistent grind.

Materials and tools to clean a coffee grinder

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

The oils can quickly become rancid and spoil the flavor of yourcoffee.

Tip

Mini coffee grinders are perfect for grinding whole spices so that you get the most flavor.

Keep separate grinders for coffee beans and spices to prevent the mingling of flavors.

Uncooked rice placed into hopper of the blade grinder

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

Clean the spice grinder after every recipe preparation so it is ready for the next cooking session.

Grinder cleaning tablets composed of natural grains are available in coffee shops or online.

Or, you’ve got the option to use plain, dry, uncooked rice.

Grinder being run to make rice as powder

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

Empty the Grinder Hopper

Dump the pulverized rice into a trash can.

Wipe Clean

Dampen a lint-freemicrofiber toweland wipe down the interior of the hopper.

Take extra care around the blades.

Coffee grinder unplugged after rice is pulverized

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

Dampen the towel to remove any fingerprints or grime from the exterior of the grinder.

How to Clean a Burr Coffee Grinder

Burr grinders are a bit more complicated to clean.

Burr grinders vary in size and configuration but all, including hand grinders, should be disassembled before cleaning.

Grinder hopper emptying powdered rice into green trash bag

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

Always refer to the owner’s manual for cleaning instructions for your model.

Rinse well with hot water and dry with amicrofiber cloth.

Immediately unplug the grinder.

Yellow microfiber towel wiping down outside of coffee grinder

The Spruce / Olivia Inman

This may require a screwdriver.

Use a stiff bottle brush to loosen and remove the coffee grounds that are stuck to the burr surfaces.

Use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe down the burrs and absorb any oils.

Cleaned burr from coffee grinder dried with microfiber cloth

The Spruce / Almar Creative

Do not wash the burrs with soap and water.

This can cause rusting.

After processing them through the grinder, add about one ounce of coffee beans to the hopper.

Coffee grinder and plug held in hand to turn on

The Spruce / Almar Creative

Tips to Keep Your Coffee Grinder Clean Longer

Coffee grinder parts washed in bowl with hot soapy water

The Spruce / Almar Creative

Flat burr disks cleaned with stiff bottlebrush

The Spruce / Almar Creative

Burr reassembled into coffee grinder

The Spruce / Almar Creative