Easy Guide: Clean Your Burr Coffee Grinder Like A Pro

So you have a shiny new burr coffee grinder and want to keep it in tip-top shape? Look no further than this handy 4-step cleaning guide! Keeping your grinder clean will keep your coffee tasting fresh. Cleaning also extends the life of your machine.

Key Note:

The most important thing to remember when you are cleaning your coffee grinder is to NOT use any liquids. Never pour water or liquid soap in your coffee grinder. Don’t even use a damp cloth to wipe down internal components. Any moisture in your burrs will attract coffee grounds. This can gum up your grinder, even breeding mould and bacteria. Burr grinders need to be dry cleaned only. 🙂

What You'll Need

1. A small, soft brush

We use a small paintbrush. You will use this to brush the coffee grinds off the burrs themselves as well as the grinds chute.

2. A cloth

Any soft, dry cloth will do to clean your coffee grinder.

3. Grinder cleaning tablets

We love Urnex Grindz. These cleaning tablets are food safe, gluten free, and vegan. By far this is the EASIEST way to clean your grinder.

4. Old coffee beans

Finally! A use for those old or stale beans you have lying around.

How to Clean Your Coffee Grinder

Step 1. Unplug and empty

First, unplug your grinder. Never, never, never stick your hands or tools into a machine that’s plugged in.

Once you have unplugged your grinder, empty the hopper completely. If you miss this, you will have coffee beans spill everywhere. Once unplugged, remove the hopper and pull apart the burrs.

Note: The grinder pictured here is the Grosche Bremen Electric Burr Grinder. Your grinder may look different, but in general, grinders are very similar in how you clean them. If you have questions, or something seems not quite right, please call us. We’re happy to help, and we don’t want you to have any problems while cleaning your coffee grinder.

Step 2: Clean

Once you have the grinder hopper off and the burrs apart, clean them thoroughly with the soft brush. Use the brush to get into and around all the curves and corners of your grinder. Again, don’t use any liquids!

Once you have brushed everything out, reassemble your grinder. There may be excess oils remaining, but we’ll deal with those in the next step.

Step 3: Grindz

Measure out and put 1 capful of Urnex Grindz in the hopper of your grinder. Leave the coarseness setting at what you usually grind your coffee at, and grind the Grindz. Don’t let the noise surprise you. It will sound like you’re grinding your coffee beans.

The Urnex Grindz absorbs the excess oils that may remain on your grinder and in your burrs. The build-up of oils in a grinder is normal, but you want to remove that buildup regularly. The removal of these old oils helps to keep your coffee tasting as fresh as possible. If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned your coffee grinder (or never!) you’ll definitely notice a difference in your coffee’s flavour.

4. Grind coffee

Now that you’ve removed the oils, run 2 caps of your old beans through your grinder.

Running the old coffee beans through your grinder cleans out any Grindz remaining. There is no harm in any bits of Grindz in the grinder, but it’s better to have nothing but ground coffee in your brew.

The final step after running the beans through the grinder is to wipe out any residue with your clean, dry cloth.

Now you have a fully cleaned, ready to grind coffee grinder. Enjoy the fresh, new taste of your favourite Cupper’s coffee!

FAQs about cleaning your coffee grinder

Can I use soap and water to clean my burr grinder?

No. Never use any liquid to clean the internal components of your coffee grinder.

Can I clean my burr grinder with rice?

Yes. You can substitute Urnex Grindz with a cup of uncooked rice, but you may want to be cautious. Rice is harder than Urnex Grindz, and even harder than coffee beans. Depending on the age and quality of your machine you may wear out the motor faster using this method. For this reason we always recommend using the proper cleaners for the job.

Is my burr grinder dishwasher safe?

No. Do not wash your burr coffee grinder with any liquid. First, if it’s an electrical appliance, your dishwasher will destroy it. Second, regardless if it’s manual or electric, you will gum up your burrs and affect their finish. These will have a bad effect on the flavour of your coffee and the life span of your coffee grinder.

How often should I clean my coffee grinder?

You should clean your grinder in this way about once a month, or as needed.

What is the best brush to clean my burr coffee grinder with?

We use a small, soft paint brush for cleaning coffee grinders.