If you are a caffeine addict and someone who cannot start his day without that punch and aroma of morning coffee, it is most likely that you own a coffee bean grinder too. Grinding your own coffee and preparing it has its own uniqueness in flavor and taste. But how often do you clean this kitchen appliance? Even if you are cleaning it frequently, are you cleaning it properly?

Why is it necessary to clean your coffee grinder?

Coffee beans, like all other spices and condiments, releases its natural oils when ground. With usage, these oils and bits of coffee get stuck to the grinder. Wiping it dry or damp with a cloth is not enough. With the passage of time, the grinder will also start to malfunction producing smaller coffee grains than you desire. Eventually, this will affect the taste of your coffee and your morning cuppa’s quality will significantly deteriorate.   

The regularity of a thorough cleanup depends on the frequency of usage. If you are a regular drinker, then you should clean it every alternate day; if you blend coffee less often, then once a week is good enough. The procedure is simple and uncomplicated. Below are a few ways to clean your coffee grinder with natural ingredients:

1. Rice: Take a handful of uncooked white rice and throw it in your grinder. Close the lid and grind until it resembles a powder. Once in that stage, turn it off and open the lid. You will notice the rice has taken a brownish tan- that is because it has absorbed all the coffee grains that were stuck. Throw away the used rice and use a paintbrush or cloth to scrape out any excess powder remaining behind.

• Salt/ sugar: Salt and sugar can both be used following the procedure mentioned above. However, the process may have to be repeated a few times until they come out clean. This method is especially suitable to remove bad odor. However, it does come with the drawback of particles being too small to clean properly.   

• Bread/ Oatmeal: Grinding stale, white bread or oatmeal in your coffee grinder also helps get rid of the residual particles and smell. In this way, you do not have to waste any food but instead use up food that would have rather been thrown away. However, this can get mushy.

Deep Cleaning your Coffee Grinder

If you opt for a deeper, thorough cleansing then these steps shall help you:

1. Grind and remove whatever is left in the grinder and turn off the power.

• Carefully detach the removable parts such as the hopper, hopper lid, grind chamber and grind chamber lid.

• Wash these by hand and dry clean completely.

• With the hopper removed, use a paintbrush to reach inner areas and clean out coffee grounds. 

• Remove the burr grinder and similarly clean the inner areas with a brush.

• Clean the interior and exterior with a damp cloth.

• Reassemble the parts once they are fully dried.