How to Clean a Manual Coffee Grinder

How to Clean a Manual Coffee Grinder

Many people prefer a manual grinder to an automatic grinder because they believe it produces a slightly better taste than an electric grinder.

It can also be good deals, less expensive, make more consistent grounds, and last longer.

But for your manual grinder to be long-lasting, it’s important to know how to clean your manual coffee grinder.

So in this article, we will discuss how to clean a manual coffee grinder. Keep on reading to learn how.


Materials needed

Manual coffee grinder produces slightly better taste than the electric grinder.

Before cleaning your manual grinder, it’s important to know the things needed for coffee grinder cleaning. Below are the following materials that you need to prepare:

Needed Materials

  • Dishwashing liquid/mild dish soap – Do not apply dishwasher liquid directly to the coffee grinder. You can add this to a bowl of water to ensure that the dishwashing liquid does not leave a strong scent and that any soap residue is easily washed away.
  • Large bowls – This is where you can make a soapy water and soak small parts of the burr grinder.
  • Soft brush/toothbrush – To remove any coffee grounds, dust, and stubborn oil residue, especially of the burrs. Make sure to use a soft brush to ensure that you will not damage any parts.
  • Water – It’s needed for soaking some parts into the bowl and running water for rinsing the coffee grinder parts.
  • Dry towel – You will need to use it for drying the inside and outside of the hopper, the grinds container, the burr grinder components, etc.
It's important to know the proper materials you can use to clean the grinder.

Additional Materials

  • Grinder cleaning pellet/rice – Pellets are natural and safe. They are recommended when you thoroughly clean your burrs and casings. Raw rice can also be a great alternative if pellets are unavailable at home.
  • Wooden toothpicks -They help clean the hard-to-reach parts of the grinder, particularly the burr grinders.

How to clean a manual coffee grinder

Cleaning your coffee grinder should not be neglected.

Not all coffee grinders are the same. But here is a simple step that can help you clean your coffee grinder.

Disassemble your coffee grinder

Before doing a deep cleaning, all hand grinders should be properly disassembled.

If you are unfamiliar with and not careful with dismantling coffee grinders, you may accidentally damage them or lose some of their parts.

That being said, you should consult the manual for the correct way to disassemble your grinder for your model. But basically, the things that require cleaning are:

  • The bean hopper
  • The hopper lid
  • The outer and inner burr
  • The grinds container

It would be best to take the parts apart on a flat surface with a white or plain towel under the grinder.

That way, the tiny parts, like the plastic and metal washer, would be visible, preventing them from getting lost.

Cleaning the burr coffee grinder/blade coffee grinder

The burr of a burr coffee grinder usually does most of the job. It turns coffee beans into freshly ground coffee beans. You have to make sure that they are well-cleaned.

  • Remove the lower section of the grinder and then pull out the conical burr set. To remove the burr pieces, you may need to use a tool. But on most coffee grinders, you can remove either the inner, outer burr or both. When disassembling the burr, remove only the components that are supposed to come off. Because each grinder is different, it’s best to consult the manual.
  • Using a soft and dry brush or toothbrush, clean the inside of the burr on all sides, or gently tap it on a cloth as a ground catcher to ensure no remaining traces of coffee. Brushing and cleaning them thoroughly is essential to ensure that no traces of coffee ground residue and oil buildup remain on the burr, making it harder for your grinder to produce even coffee grounds.
  • For areas that even the soft brush cannot reach, use a wooden toothpick can be a great help to remove coffee stuck in the burr’s crevices 
  • Put warm water in a large bowl, then soak the plastic or ceramic pieces of the burr.
  • Brush them using dishwashing liquid for thorough cleaning. Quickly rinse them in running water.
  • Make sure all the coffee beans burr pieces are thoroughly dried using a dry cloth or air-drying
  • Assemble the burr parts right away once they’re all dry

Avoid washing the metal or steel parts with water, as this can eventually create rust. Use a dry brush only.

Hand cleaning the hopper

Clean every corner of the grinder.

Because hoppers and lids are typically made of plastic or glass:

  • Brush them with soapy water to remove any remaining coffee particles, coffee dust, and oil residue.
  • Rinse it with water
  • Wipe it down with a dry cloth or paper towel
  • Let all the components dry completely before storing

Cleaning coffee grinders container

Cleaning coffee grinders container is the fastest and easiest step. You have to wash them using soapy water or mild dish soap. Scrub it lightly using a damp cloth or a soft brush.

Rinse well, then dry it thoroughly using a dry towel.

Reassembling the Manual Grinder

You can now reassemble the coffee grinder once every component has been thoroughly cleaned and dried. Are you worried about reassembling it incorrectly after cleaning?

You don’t need to worry! Putting them back together is less complicated than an electric grinder. Here’s a simple cleaning guide for your hand coffee grinder.

Basically, the first thing that you need to do is:

  • Insert the metal rod back through the top of the coffee grinder. Then there’s the plastic washer, the spring (it could go either way), and the metal washer; insert them into the metal rod. 
  • You can now carefully insert the burr pieces into the body. 
  • Lastly, put the grinds container back. 

You can now start grinding again. Enjoy your clean manual grinder!

IMPORTANT! Make sure that you don’t miss any of the parts. Follow the manufacturer’s direction if necessary!


Why Should I Clean My Manual Grinder?

How to Clean a Manual Coffee Grinder.

Cleaning and maintaining a manual coffee grinder should not be taken for granted. Grinding coffee beans produces coffee grind residue, which produces oil and a bad odor and can cause a sour taste in your coffee.

As a result, it’s important to wash it on a regular basis to ensure that it won’t have a rancid effect on your coffee. It will also affect the durability of your handmade coffee grinder.

So regularly cleaning a coffee grinder will provide you with the finest quality of coffee as well as the best performance of your coffee grinder.

Aside from that, a manual coffee grinder can last longer compared to most electric grinders if cleaned and maintained properly! And who wouldn’t want that?

So you have to clean your manual grinder regularly and adequately.


How Often to Clean Coffee Grinders

Frequently clean it.

The frequency with which you clean and maintain your manual coffee grinder affecting by how frequently you use it and how many coffee beans you are grinding.

If you’re a hard worker, you can do a quick cleaning every time you use it.

You do not need to disassemble it completely every time you clean it because it does not always require intense cleaning. So you can do it once every two weeks at the very least.

However, you must clean it once a week if you use robust and dark coffee beans or if you usually grind a large number of coffee beans.

Cleaning your coffee grinder is necessary to keep it in good working order.

So you must do it regularly while following the cleaning instructions carefully.


Grinder Cleaning Conclusion

Overall, cleaning a coffee grinder is something that you should not neglect.

This will ensure that your manual grinder will keep providing you with quality ground coffee and for it to keep on running.

Also, cleaning and maintaining it is not complicated. You just have to follow the simple steps carefully.


FAQs

Can I Wash My Manual Coffee Grinder in the Dishwasher?

You can wash the removable parts of the manual coffee grinder just like the hopper and the grinds container. But you can only use the top rack of your dishwasher to prevent any possible damage. Use a mild detergent.

Should I use Pellets?

You don’t always need to use grinder cleaning pellets, especially if it’s light burr cleaning. But simply using a brush won’t remove the residues. So when you notice uneven grounds and feel that there’s a rancid taste in your supposedly fresh brewing coffee, those are just some signs that you need to do a bit deeper cleaning of your grinder.

Is rice a good substitute for pellets?

Yes, some people use raw rice as an alternative for cleaning since it’s readily available at home. But because rice is harder than pellets, using it for cleaning could shorten the grinder’s lifespan, so many still prefer using pellets.

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