Burr Coffee Grinder Cleaning

[@frankie4337]

I also use that coffee grinder. I take it one step further in cleaning. If you firmly grasp the machine with the hopper out, holding it over the sink upside down, repeatedly rap the sides and back with the the 'heel' of your hand. You will be amazed at how much ground coffee is trapped inside around the hopper. I know I was. THEN put it back together. Great video

[@helpfulnatural]

Yes that is true! I have another video showing how to take this model apart to clean it as the instructions that come with it don't explain how it's done. I also take it to the sink and rap it a good 3 or 4 times to dislodge everything in there. It's amazing how much gets caught in there! Thanks for watching! :)

[@aharvey11]

Super helpful! My husband was planning to just buy a new grinder, but using your video to clean it makes it run like new! Thank you

[@Jacksirrom]

Glad I searched on Amazon that this is NOT dishwasher safe despite instructions and looked up this trick. I just unearthed one of these that must be unused for 10 years from the back cupboard. Gonna make coffee with it and its similarly neglected chemex partner tomorrow. After running a bunch of minute rice through of course.

[@BeLikeJimin]

Thank you for a great demo. Works perfectly on my Bodum. I saw where you were rudely criticized in the comments of another video for pointing out that minute rice is soft and will not harm the burrs. Apparently that person has never seen minute rice.

[@helpfulnatural]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad the video was helpful to you with your Bodum. It's very possible that there are some people that have never seen or heard of Minute Rice. And I'm certainly not the only person to use rice to clean a coffee grinder but, to each his own, I guess. :)

[@padude131]

Excellent video! I just bought this grinder today and I now know how to keep it clean! Thanks.

[@annm.1561]

you're such a great presenter... very valuable video..thx!!

[@trinadaulton1863]

Thanks for posting this video...Rice worked like a charm.

[@forliberty1805]

After quite a bit of research today I decided to take the leap and order this coffee grinder off of Amazon. I needed something better than my old cheap machine so I can make good French Press coffee. This and your other video were super helpful. I know there have been complaints about this grinder no longer working but that's because people didn't clean it. So I'll be sure to do that. In fact I also bought a coffee grinder brush for cleaning. Now I just need to go purchase a baby toothbrush and some minute rice.

[@helpfulnatural]

I'm so glad my videos were helpful to you! It is a nice grinder but like any other machine, it has to be well maintained to keep working. I'm always shocked when people tell me they never clean out their grinders, regardless of the brand/model they own. Then when they complain that their coffee tastes stale or bad in some way, I just roll my eyes. :/ I usually do my coffee grinder cleaning and espresso machine descaling on Sundays. That way I'm all set for the week with clean machines! :) Thanks again for watching!

[@D__Lee]

I’ve had the same coffee grinder for several years (5+ years) and clean it the same way that you demonstrated. Recently, I’ve noticed coffee grind debris on my kitchen counter where it sat. I shook it and I could hear loose coffee grind debris inside the bottom part. I shake and shake it to get it out, but I can still hear loose coffee grind debris. Now days, I store the coffee grinder in a plastic shopping bag to contain any loose coffee grind debris. I thought about opening it to do a thorough cleaning, but I there’s no easy way to do this.

[@helpfulnatural]

I've never taken mine apart other than removing the upper burr/bean hopper assembly. Over time I would imagine some grounds getting into the body of the grinder. Have you tried using a vacuum hose attachment to clean out the lower burr area when you have the upper burr removed?

[@D__Lee]

@@helpfulnatural I tried to vacuum the trapped coffee grounds without success through the upper burr. From shaking it, I could tell that there was a lot of trapped coffee grounds so I pulled off the four rubber plugs on the bottom cover, loosen the four screws, and pulled the bottom off about 2-inches. I found about 1/3 cup of trapped coffee grounds that I was able to vacuum and shake loose. I was able to screw the bottom back on, test the grinder, and it works for now. It took a long time for the coffee grounds to get trapped so I don't think I'll have to do this again anytime soon.

[@helpfulnatural]

@@D__Lee Wow, that's a lot of coffee trapped in there. Glad to hear it's working okay.

[@spaztic80]

+helpfulnatural It worked for me! I ended up using the entire box of Minute Rice to get that Huckleberry oil out of there. I also blew through it with an air compressor. But my wife would say I'm OCD about coffee. Thanks again!

[@helpfulnatural]

You're welcome! I'm so glad to hear that it worked for you. My husband doesn't drink coffee and probably thinks the same thing about me! :D I buy the biggest box of Minute Rice I can find and store it in a large canister in the cupboard where I keep my canisters of whole bean coffee. When I posted this video, the canister you see is with the entire box of rice. Right now in December, there's about an inch and a half left. Time to restock! Thanks again for watching! :)

[@HungLikeScrat]

Thank you for this video. I thought it would be a good idea to run some cocao nibs through my grinder to add to my coffee. Well, it gummed up the grinder (the exact model you have here) pretty bad and I thought I might have to trash it. I tried to clean it with various methods and none worked. It smelled like the grinder was overheating and I had to let it cool for a while between different methods. This one finally did the trick. My grinder was saved!

[@helpfulnatural]

Yea!! So glad it worked to get your grinder working again! Thanks for watching! :)

[@celenelopez3939]

This video was so helpful! Thank you so much!

[@lindaparker6501]

I just bought my DBM8 model and can not wait to use it. Thank you for your excellent videos on Disassemble and the one on Cleaning. Very helpful, indeed. I would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions on using the DBM-8 model for grinding spices.

[@helpfulnatural]

Glad my videos are helpful to you! :) It is a nice little grinder however I would suggest using a small blade grinder for spices. The DBM-8 has ceramic burrs which could crack grinding some spices that are much harder in texture than coffee beans. Plus, if you ever decide to use it for coffee you'd never get all of the spice flavors out of the grinder. And even though the manual that comes with it states that some parts can go into the dishwasher, I wouldn't because as others have stated on my coffee grinder videos of this model, it's almost impossible to get all of the water out. Any moisture left in the grinder will ultimately turn whatever you are grinding into a mushy mess that can cause a clog. The grinder I use for spices is made by Krups. It has 200 watts and does a great job grinding any and all spices, herbs and seeds. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! :)

[@lauwe54]

Great interesting video iam going to try this seems so good Thank you

[@kathyfann]

Thank You so much how often does this need doing if it’s used everyday am once.

[@helpfulnatural]

If you use the grinder every day, I'd clean it once per week, taking it apart and brushing it out along with running the Minute Rice through. It is a small machine that can get clogged fairly quickly. Thanks for watching! :)

[@cutnshine]

Absolutely brilliant advise. Thank you

[@helpfulnatural]

Thank you....and you're welcome! Thanks for watching! :)

[@melissadevries1061]

Can I keep doing this until the rice comes out white? I’ve done 3 rounds and it’s still coming out with some brown grinds in it.

[@helpfulnatural]

I only run rice through once, then disassemble the grinder and brush everything out. I have another video showing how to take the bean hopper off to get at the burrs.

[@angelawittmer527]

I have the exact grinder. I cleaned the hopper in soapy water before I used it. Now there is water trapped between the clear plastic and black plastic. It will not come apart. Is it ruined?

[@helpfulnatural]

I don't think it is ruined but it will need to dry out for a while. If you have a blow dryer, lay the hopper on it's side on a folded towel to keep it from rolling around. Using the warm setting on the dryer, aim the air flow into the area between the clear and black plastic rotating the hopper slowly to get air in all around it. Also if you have a small desk fan, set it up to blow onto the area overnight to get it dried out quicker. Even though the instruction manual states that it can be washed with water, I never have because of this reason. As long as you clean the grinder regularly and brushing out all of the accessible areas, it should be fine without getting it wet or soapy. Hope this helps. :) Thanks for watching!

[@genesclean1]

Using the brush at the end of the included scoop I go up in the discharge port to clear the fines that accumulate therein

[@helpfulnatural]

Yes that little brush works well for that. Unfortunately, I've bent all the bristles out of shape on both of mine. :-O

[@oatmilk4454]

you're such a nice lady... love this video too although i dnt have one of those machine and im not a coffee drinker lool... you know upon till now i cant get to purchase my oster pro 1200 tht you reviewed on you're channel due to tht im in the Caribbean .. gave a relative of mines the link to get it for me and im going to send the money has one our other relative was coming to ja but they give me six for a nine. but thts life.. hmm! not begging them bcuz i have my own.. but keep bringing you're videos helpfulnatrual bcuz you're very nice watching n listening too.. lool

[@helpfulnatural]

+Oat Milk Thank you so much for your kind comments! :) I hope you can get your blender soon! When I decided to post videos on KZbin, it was because I wanted to help others looking for specific information, mostly about kitchen tools, gadgets, or small appliances. I'll be adding more soon so stay tuned! Thanks again for watching! :-)

[@oatmilk4454]

Ok.. And thank you too..

[@tfrosier]

Thanks for great tip👍

[@helpfulnatural]

It works great!

[@sarahschuety4090]

Thanks! Would this cleaning method work with the conical burr grinder, the other Cuisinart one? Does it come apart the same?

[@helpfulnatural]

If you are referring to the CBM-18, I have a video of that grinder as well. The hopper comes off, then the upper burr can be removed for cleaning.

[@marycdark5416]

FIRSTLY------> Thank you so much for sharing your expertise @helpfulnatural!! Been following and using this awesome cleaning method for a while but don't think I've ever commented before ;) SECONDLY-----> Am I the only OCD crazy coffee person that takes GREAT pleasure seeing how clean my grinder looks after running the rice cycle, cleaning etc?! THIRDLY----> Have an awesome day ya'll :) :) :)

[@helpfulnatural]

Ha ha! No, you are not the only one! :D Glad my video was helpful. Thanks for watching! :)

[@gf.calabretta]

Thank you for your video, so for a daily coffee drinker.... How often you advise to do this deeper clean? Thanks!

[@helpfulnatural]

Generally I do it once per week, especially if grinding finely for espresso. Or if using dark/oily beans it's a good idea to do it often to prevent clogging. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! :)

[@magee26]

Holy moly, sounds like it's about to take off. Good tip, very hard to find pre-cooked rice in Oz though....

[@helpfulnatural]

Lol! Cuisinart coffee grinders, this model in particular have been compared to a vacuum cleaner! It's not something you want to use early in the morning if everyone else is sleeping! :-D Have you tried amazon for the rice?

[@neilsklar3509]

Thanks for your helpful videos! Do you have any idea whether it's possible to not just clean, but also disinfect the burrs and whatever other parts make contact with the coffee?

[@helpfulnatural]

Water breeds bacteria so if you don't allow the burrs or motor base to make contact with it, disinfecting shouldn't be something you need to do. I never place any grinder parts in my dishwasher or sink, just clean with a dry cloth. Once the internal parts get wet, it's almost impossible to get it completely dry again. As for coffee beans, buy the freshest beans you can find and only buy as much as you'll use so they don't go stale or rancid before they are used up.

[@neilsklar3509]

@@helpfulnatural Gotcha, thanks! My coffee tastes fine, but I'm trying to troubleshoot some recurring stomach problems and I wondered if I should disinfect the grinder so that I could cross that off the list of possibilities.

[@helpfulnatural]

@@neilsklar3509 Ah, I see. As shown in the video, grinding uncooked rice will bind to any leftover coffee grounds that could become rancid or moldy over time. It will sweep it clean, so to speak. Brushing everything out afterwards keeps the burrs clean. Coffee is very high in acid which can cause stomach issues, unfortunately. Along with giving me jitters, I had to switch to decaf several years ago and I drink more green tea now as well. I still enjoy my coffee beverages but it's now an occasional treat rather than daily. Green tea has half the caffeine of coffee and is loaded with antioxidants and l-thianine.

[@neilsklar3509]

​ @helpfulnatural I'm looking forward to giving the rice a try. Thanks again!

[@stephaniejenkins4163]

How often do you clean your grinder?

[@helpfulnatural]

Once per week.

[@jennifer4196]

Can I use it with other coffee grinders too? Like the big ones in the coffee shops?

[@helpfulnatural]

I've never used a big professional grade coffee grinder so I don't know if the rice will work. They probably recommend something else like "Grindz" to clean those models. Thanks for watching.

[@geeva655]

Upto what consistency do u boil the rice. And how do u dehydrate the rice? And if we try to grind in unboiled brown rice will it damage the appliance or it’s good. Plz reply?

[@helpfulnatural]

The rice comes pre-cooked and dehydrated. I don't cook it at all before using it to clean my coffee grinder. The reason I use this type instead of raw, brown rice is because the texture is not as hard and I don't know if it will damage the burrs.

[@jamesdhardy]

Thank you!

[@donaldbailey661]

what do you do about the rice dust

[@helpfulnatural]

As it's shown in the video, disassemble the grinder, then brush everything clean.

[@marleneucha5886]

Thank you very helpful

[@hamradioopp]

thank you just bought it on amazon

[@helpfulnatural]

Cool! Be sure to check out my other video showing how to disassemble this grinder to clean it properly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/goCnpaptrNCAbbM

[@joylouise5417]

Good video. Very detailed instructions. Definitely appreciate the minute rice tip. Someone mentioned using air compressors but mine is very large so I would suggest canned air like we use on computers instead. Thank you for your video.

[@helpfulnatural]

Thanks! I'm glad you found my video helpful. I don't use compressed air because it can blow a lot of grounds into the motor where it can build up in the gears. I have a set of micro vacuum attachments for computer/electronic equipment that I attach to my vacuum hose. Thanks for watching! :)

[@forliberty1805]

Never thought about that. Okay, I won't use compressed air on my new one I'm getting soon.

[@helpfulnatural]

Right after I bought this grinder, I remember seeing a product review somewhere online where someone posted a picture of their grinder that had stopped working despite brushing it clean on a regular basis. The picture showed that they had opened up the body of the grinder and showed a ton of built up coffee grounds that had been trapped inside the machine. It was easily 2 cups of grounds! After I saw that, I began to use my vacuum attachments to make sure I cleaned out as much residual coffee as possible. Thanks for watching! :)

[@timseverovich9297]

Thanks! This is my exact coffee grinder and it’s giving me issues.

[@helpfulnatural]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@annapurnasivasankaran8118]

Can we grind fine powder in this machine?

[@helpfulnatural]

If you mean fine espresso grind, yes it grinds finely but not for a high-end espresso machine. It's better suited for one that uses a pressurized porta filter.

[@MrKary2]

is this also good for Baratza Virtuso?

[@helpfulnatural]

I don't own a Baratza grinder but I do have a Breville Smart Grinder Pro. When I bought it, it was recommended that I use a product called Grindz. It's a wheat by-product that is pressed into pellets to clean burr style coffee grinders. I do use Grindz in my Breville however, I don't think it works any better than the Minute Rice. I still have to take it all apart to brush out the burrs, etc. If you decide to use rice, make sure it's "Minute Rice" which is much softer than regular raw rice. Regular rice could damage the burrs. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! :)

[@AkiiraMatsumotO]

I just purchased this exact grinder and i love it! I wanted to ask you how often do you clean it?

[@helpfulnatural]

If used every day, I'd clean it once per week. If you grind dark, oily beans then twice per week. Hope this helps.

[@kioacha3061]

Thx for the videos, i just bought too.. and started manual brewing, btw please review how to change the "burr", thx b4

[@helpfulnatural]

What do mean by, "change the burr"? The burrs are permanently fixed on this grinder.

[@kioacha3061]

@@helpfulnatural what abut the burr become dull?? Cannot adjust fine to coarse or coarse to fine. And the texture of bean after grinded will not stabil

[@helpfulnatural]

@@kioacha3061 You would need to contact Cuisinart directly with that question. I do not know if they sell replacement burrs for this grinder. I do not work for the company. Sorry I could not be of more help.

[@kioacha3061]

@@helpfulnatural oh okok... btw, thx a lot for information🙏🙏

[@helpfulnatural]

@@kioacha3061 You're welcome. :)

[@christianlamb]

Super helpful thank you!!!❤❤

[@syhusada1130]

Can I use normal rice?

[@helpfulnatural]

I use Minute Rice because it has been precooked making it softer than regular "raw" rice. I personally have never used regular rice in my coffee grinders.

[@Littlepear64]

Thanks for the instructions on how to clean this grinder. I've had mine for almost a year now and it's now sparkling clean! Great video with no irritating music or rambling commentary. Thanks again 😊

[@Littlepear64]

@@helpfulnatural I've often used regular rice to clean grinders and it has not ruined any burrs. Plus I think they are not as hard as coffee beans so I doubt if it would damage it.

[@helpfulnatural]

@@Littlepear64 Actually raw rice is harder than coffee beans. And the darker the roast, the easier they are to grind.

[@Littlepear64]

@@helpfulnatural Good to know! I've read that ceramic burrs are harder than steel, so I figured rice should not affect it. Hope not anyway!

[@ThursdayDog]

THANK YOU!!!!!

[@helpfulnatural]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching and subbing! :)

[@yoogawi1149]

Great idea! So Minute Rice will work on any type of burr grinder right? e.g. Rancilio Rocky

[@helpfulnatural]

I've only used Minute Rice on my Cuisinart burr grinders. I don't know whether or not it would be okay to use on that particular model. You may want to check first with the manufacturer or with the seller you bought it from.

[@MCDreng]

I'd use Urnex Grindz on a good grinder like the Rocky.

[@VinnyKnuckles]

Excellent.

[@helpfulnatural]

Thanks! Glad you liked the video! :)

[@3Dhyana]

Can you submerge hopper in dishpan? Instructions state it’s dishwasher safe.

[@helpfulnatural]

The manual for this grinder states that the hopper is dishwasher safe however I never expose mine to water. Once the inner parts get wet, it's very difficult to get it all out. Also, the burrs are made of ceramic which can be damaged in the dishwasher with repeated exposure. If you are having trouble getting all of the moisture out, try laying it on its side and use a blow dryer on the warm (not hot), setting to speed up the drying. You could also do this using a small fan. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! :)

[@davidedgerly]

If your hubby has an air compressor with a blower nozzle.. you could blow it down in seconds.. and not have to have the various brushes you use to clean it... Man Cave Tip... lol

[@helpfulnatural]

Don't have a compressor but I do use my vacuum hose now and then, especially when grinding dark, oily beans. Thanks for watching! :)

[@Ericacrizz]

I'm fron Brasil thank you 😍

[@helpfulnatural]

You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed my video! Thanks for watching! :)

[@jackwebb437]

I just cleaned mine. I cleaned the hopper in a sink of soapy water. DO NOT IMMERSE HOPPER INTO WATER!!!!!! THERE IS SOAPY WATER TRAPPED UNDERNEATH THE HOPPER BETWEEN THE CLEAR PLASTIC AND THE BROWN PLASTIC. I CANNOT FIGURE OUT IF THE TWO DIFFERENT PIECES CAN BE SEPARATED. I WILL HAVE TO DRILL SOME SMALL HOLES INTO THE HOPPER IF I WANT IT TO DRAIN THIS YEAR.

[@helpfulnatural]

Maybe try to dry it out with a small electric fan. Place the hopper lying down right in front of the fan on high speed and every hour or so, turn the hopper a quarter turn to dry it more thoroughly. I honestly don't know why Cuisinart would tell customers that it's perfectly fine to immerse any part of a coffee grinder in water or worse, in the dishwasher. There are too many nooks and crannies that will take too long to dry out. It will take a while to dry. Maybe use a blow dryer on medium heat setting to evaporate as much water as possible, then set it in front of the fan overnight. Hope this helps.

[@hamradioopp]

that scup is about 1/4 cup

[@helpfulnatural]

Not quite 1/4 cup. It's only about 2 T. The scoop came from a dog supplement powder canister. Thanks for watching. :)

[@adolfoforonda3363]

Starts at 2:45, at first I thought this video was mislabeled and was a rice cooking tutorial.

[@helpfulnatural]

Right from the beginning of the video I explain that this is a coffee grinder cleaning demo using dry rice.

[@adolfoforonda3363]

@@helpfulnatural True and I very much liked the video once the cleaning tutorial commenced, thanks for making the content.

[@rcrutcher]

According to Baratza this is not recommended. Rice is denser than coffee beans and can damage the grinder over time, or at the very least decrease the life of the grinder. Baratza is an extremely reliable and trustworthy company that stands behind their products and provides incredible customer support. Check out this page (note that it refers to Minute rice): www.baratza.com/grinder-mythbusters/

[@helpfulnatural]

I'm not cleaning a Baratza grinder, it's a Cuisinart and I've been using soft Minute Rice to clean it for 4+ years with no issues. If I owned a $400+ grinder I would use what the manufacturer recommends. Cuisinart does not provide any information regarding the cleaning of their grinders including how to take them apart.

[@dianeanderson6038]

@@helpfulnatural I use regular jasmine rice as I buy it in 25# bags. Been using this method for 10+ years on my second DBM-8!