Hey all.....
Have an old electric coffee grinder that I want to convert into a spice grinder. Anyone ever done this? Any tricks on getting the coffee out of the inside of the grinder so as to not cross-contaminate the spices? I'm gonna try and take it apart but didn't know if there was any secrets to doing this.
Thanks!
SD
SD
I've heard of people cleaning them by grinding rice. I can't say I've done it but it's simple enough to try. Even between switching spices.
Mike
I have not tried it but I read somewhere to run bread thru a grinder to help clean it out. Worth giving it a try.
Thanks guys! I thought about running some baking soda through there as well.
SD
I use a coffee grinder for spices but I only wipe it out with a slightly damp paper towel. I am sure this doesn't clean it as well as it should....but I don't notice a big taste difference either.
Google search shows grinding uncooked rice like Mike said.
The one I bought for grinding spices just has a bowl and a blade. It doesn't have alot of nooks and crannies. I would probably run rice through it and take it apart as best I could.
When I had the burr grinder I would use rice. Rice does a fairly descent job of cleaning that type of coffee grinder.
Thanks all.....as luck would have it, I'm out of rice at the moment. Have to pick some up the next time I wander to Death Row.
SD
I have read somewhere that a coffee grinder can be used for a spice grinder and depends on how well you want to grind the spices.. i would say the finer the grind on spices the better
hope this helps
Some folke put a little coffee into their spice rubs. Might just try it without cleaning it first for that special perky rub. ;)
I use "day old bread". Not quite a crouton...still soft inside....yet causes enough friction to get the crusties off of the sides of the grinder...soft part soaks up the damp...just a suggestion.
Well i actually got myself in a bit of trouble with my wife's coffee grinder :'(
I'd always used the attachment for our food processor for grinding my spices, and it always worked fine, very easy to clean no problem at all apart from having to use the very cumbersome base unit which can be a pain ::). Ok then my wife comes home with a brand new Cuisinart coffee grinder (http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/evilgrin/evilgrin0039.gif)
She says, let's give it a try, ok i say, and all the time i'm thinking i know what i could use this for, although i like the odd cup of coffee, i'm a big tea drinker so coffee grinding is not on top of my list of priorities (http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/evilgrin/evilgrin0039.gif)
Anyway, my wife looks very pleased with her new grinder, and gives it pride of place on the worktop.
A few days pass and i decide to do a couple of pastramis, i wait until my wife goes out shopping, and then i seaze her new grinder, and give it a "proper" workout grinding all my spices for the pastrami. After getting the meat all set up and curing under way, i start cleaning everything.
This is where i ran into major problems (http://www.smileygenerator.us/community/html/emoticons/thmbdn.gif)
Anybody that has this model of grinder will know what i'm talking about, they give you a small brush and a little advice on cleaning and that's it.
By now as you can imagine, there are assorted spices welded to the grinding mechanism, and an overpowering smell of garlic to contend with (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Eeeeeek.gif)
After trying different methods of cleaning, which took ages and didn't get rid of all the spice residue, i sort of gave up, apart fom the lid which i thought i'd just rinse off in the sink. Another big mistake as water had got into the twin skin of plastic, and wouldn't come out!(http://www.freewebby.com/sign-smilies/opps.gif)
Eventually my wife returns and i get caught red handed murdering her new toy! well normaly she doesn't swear much, and is usually very placid but.............i got the full treatment as soon as she saw what had happened(http://www.freewebby.com/action-smilies/th_bitch.gif) (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Tantrum.gif)
After she calmed down, i managed to convince her that it was a very poor design and we should return it straight away (http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/evilgrin/evilgrin0039.gif)
We did return it and got a full refund, and although i thought the grinder was a nice piece of kit, i realised that even if it were used for the purpose it was designed for, it would always be a pain when it came to cleaning, which seems to be the case with lots of grinders that i've looked at (http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sad/sad0004.gif)
I have now gone back to using the processor attachment, as i learned my lesson and peace is restored (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Happy/happy-cowboy-036.gif)
Although i'm currently looking at the KitchenAid model, anybody got one, do they clean up easily?
LilSmoker....(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/tiphat2.gif)
LS;
I enjoy your post. Nice story to read while having my first cup of coffee.
Are you referring to the meat grinder attachment, or the grain mill. The meat grinder is very easy to clean, and I usually run bread through it prior to disassembling and cleaning it. The grain mill I don't have, but I've often come to close to ordering one.
LS,
Great story! I was actually picturing your wife swearing at you. Unfortunately, it isn't hard to picture cause it happens to me all the time and now I refer to it as flashbacks and usually head for the first place I can hide ;D
I have a Cuisanart as well, but my model won't allow you to take it apart. It does a great job of grinding down really fine, so I'm sure it will work just great. The wife and I don't grind our own coffee anymore, so it will be a full-time spice grinder when I finally get it cleaned out.
SD
Yup! Great Storey LS!
I always like to hear stories of other people in chit.... 'cause it's usually me! :D
Mike
here is the one I use works good for both but it was only 20.00 at wallmart so I just bought another one, dont want the coffee tasting like garlic
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/black-decker-smartgrind-coffee-grinder-cbg100w (http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/black-decker-smartgrind-coffee-grinder-cbg100w)
LTS
Just got back from the store....got the rice.....as an added bonus, that which doesn't get used cleaning the spice grinder, gets eaten with dinner ;D
If you are frying any fish, you can mix the ground rice, with is now flour, with some wheat flour, add your favorite seasonings. You will have some of the crispiest fish you've every come across.
I did actually save the ground rice because I felt guilty about throwing it out. I just knew someone here would know what to do with it.
Thanks, as always Habs!
SD
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on November 30, 2008, 02:08:37 AM
LS;
I enjoy your post. Nice story to read while having my first cup of coffee.
Are you referring to the meat grinder attachment, or the grain mill. The meat grinder is very easy to clean, and I usually run bread through it prior to disassembling and cleaning it. The grain mill I don't have, but I've often come to close to ordering one.
Hi Habs, sorry this is the grinder i'm currently looking at:
(http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:odXT-Jw_3lgxSM:http://www.everythingkitchens.com/images)
I just want something that can be cleaned thoroughly, just in case it ever gets used for coffee ;), or i'll stick with my food processor attachment. (http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Tip-Hat.gif)
LS;
That is some grinder. I didn't know KitchenAid made a grinder like that. Now I want one of those myself. :)
LS... That's a nice looking unit! ;)
Here is the one I'm using. It's a Hamilton Beach and has a removable stainless cup that is handy for throwing in the sink to clean. It also has a retractable cord and a reasonable price.
Here's a link to the Canadian site....
http://www.hamiltonbeach.ca/hb_detail.php?item=80374C&mc=KA&fc=2&catID=7
(http://www.hamiltonbeach.ca/products/coffee_grinders/images/80374.jpg)
Mike
The hand grinders designed for espresso may work also.
Don't know how easy they are to adjust the fineness of grind, or take apart to clean the burrs.
I've got a Mazzer Super Jolley (yea, I'm a coffee geek) that will grind espresso-fine coffee all day long. But coffee is the only thing I'll ever run thru it.
I've read on the coffee forums rice works well to clean burrs. I haven't done this because I simply screw the top burr out of my Mazzer, brush off the burrs, and put it back together.
drano
I've got a cuisanart that works great. Ran some rice through it and I'm now good to go!
Thanks,
SD
I just ordered a couple of hand grinders, for grinding small amounts of spices. I already had one of these models but wanted a few more. When I receive the grinders they came with 4 ounces of sea salt. I thought they provided the salt as a "free" gift, as something to use right away. But after looking on the box, the box stated; "Includes 4 oz of Sea Salt for Cleaning Grinding Gears."
I've never heard of this, but it makes sense. So you can add course sea salt to the list of thing to use to clean your grinder.
Thanks Habs!
Costco has these little beauties for $ 49.95. I like the larger capicity.
(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk250/smokinsoon/blender.jpg)
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11294892&search=magic%20bullet&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=magic%20bullet&Ntt=magic%20bullet&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1 (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11294892&search=magic%20bullet&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=magic%20bullet&Ntt=magic%20bullet&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1)
They look good SS, hopefully the u.k. costco might have them soon ;)
SS,
Thanks for posting that! I bought one just for small cutting jobs or smoothies. I never thought about grinding spice in it. Thanks.
SS;
That does look like it would be good for larger jobs, but for smaller amounts I like hand grinders. For larger jobs many forum members talked me into purchasing a Cuisinart mini-processor.
I bought a hand grinder few years back and really liked it, but couldn't find them again until recently. What I like about this grinder is that the grinding mechanism will fit a lot of different spice jars; especially the McCormick Gourmet Collection. I save a few of those jars, and fill them with whole spices and herbs. When I need to grind a 1/4 teaspoon of this or that, just screw on the grinding mechanism on the jar and grind away.
Now that I have all that I think I need; I'll share this with other members. :)
Mr. Dudley Grinder (http://www.spicesetc.com/product/1274/9) ; also this site has some unique spices, and powdered flavorings.
Although advertised as Mr. Dudley, another company bought them out a few years ago. Which is probably the reason I couldn't find them until now. The name is now Progressive Spice Grinder. It's possible you may find them cheaper if you search the web; but I didn't have any luck.