# Grinder cleaning



## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

I have a friend in the USA who is a coffee shop owner/barista/roaster so I value his opinion massively simply because he does this stuff daily and for the past 16 years commercially.

This week I asked him how he cleans his grinder bearing in mind he probably runs through his grinder in one day the amount I do in year his reply surprised me.

"Minute rice" was his reply, ordinary rice is too hard and commercially Grindz is just too expensive.

I guess minute rice is pre-cooked but still retains enough bite to clean out the coffee oils and make the burrs work.

Has anyone tried this.

Ian


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Minute rice isn't widely available in the uk. It's parboiled but it's dried again. Not the uncle bens stuff in packets that can be microwaved. Haven't tried it but it's how hg one recommend you run in teir burrs.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Minute rice has been used by some forum members to season new burrs - believe DFK has done this.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

It is recommended on the HG website and seemed to save a lot of hassles and turning. There is an American store in the UK. If I can find the link I will add it


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Here you go

http://www.usafoodstore.co.uk/minute-rice-white-rice-instant-396g/


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Here's a vid


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> It is recommended on the HG website and seemed to save a lot of hassles and turning. There is an American store in the UK. If I can find the link I will add it


David - do you think Minute Rice would be OK to use on flat burrs where Grindz has been recommended?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

http://www.usafoodstore.co.uk/minute-rice-white-rice-instant-396g/

patrick beat me!


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

The USA food store know how to mark stuff up but I guess they have to ship it in.

$3.85 at Walmart, I can see now why he would use this rather than Grindz

Ian


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Patrick, I am the last person to ask! I do not see what difference flat would make to conical, but I may be wrong!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I wouldn't want to be running rice through my grinder to clean of for the sake of £20....

If it knackers the grinder he ain't saving much by using it

If it has any kind of warranty it wouldn't be covered using rice etc...


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

With conical's it would migrate down, with flat burrs it would be centrifugal. Whether it makes a difference I do not know


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Mahlkonig recommend Grindz for their flat burrs. Grinds is organic matter so I wonder how different it is to Minute Rice.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I would personally never use rice, grindz, clay balls or anything else to clean or break in a grinder. I only put coffee in them. I don't believe it's good for a coffee grinder to grind anything other than coffee and I find it difficult to understand mechanically how these products do anything to really clean the grinder. Dissassembly of the burr chamber and a little bit of work with cocktail sticks, vacuum, cotton buds and a toothbrush or small stiff brush is my preferred method. Sometimes the brush can be dampened (only damp) with a little spray neutral cleaner or surgical spirit, to work out any old coffee oils and then the chamber wiped with a dry kitchen towel.

There is a lot of stuff which can stay in a hard compressed ring around the sweep arms or burr chamber and nothing really moves it except for mechanical removal.....I clean my grinder every few months, only more often if I have been using very oily beans....which is rare for me. Admittedly with the grinders on test, I am using a batch of slightly oily beans to see how they react, but that would not be the norm for me.

P.S. I never remove the burrs from the burr carriers for cleaning on my grinders, there may be some where you have to remove the burrs from the carriers, but not on any I have owned or used.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Plus one on above ... Especially if the machinery is for your business .

I'd take the time to clean it by hand rather than grindz etc.


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## centaursailing (Feb 27, 2012)

+2 on DavecUK's comment.

Initially I used the Grindz sample that came with my first grindeer, a Baratza preciso, but was never that happy about comsuming what residue remained a flush with beans so I went onto Basmati Rice having found ordinary rice so hard that the grinder simply stopped. I continued happily with basmati rice on the grounds (pardon the pun) that any residue would at last to safe to consume, but there was always a bit of starch residue so a decent flushing grind was always necessary. After reading many comments about simply cleaning and not using any grinding agent, I followed the advice when with Zenith 65E arrived. It was kind of easy advice to follow with the 65E because removal of the upper burr carrier doesn't require recalibration.

Reading these latest posts I think I may be cleaning the 65E more often than necessary, like every kg ... time for a rethink methinks!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I am amazed............he agrees with me!!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DavecUK said:


> View attachment 8660
> 
> 
> he agrees with me...you gotta be shi77ing me


I know , there are some times when your not wrong.









( above is called humour please don't take literally )

If me , you , Charlie and dfk all agree on something then I think this happens

My little pony apocalypse


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I clean mine with cardamom seeds.

I don't really


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

If Grindz is stipulated by Mahlkonig in the instruction manual for the EK43, you can't be invalidating the grinder's warranty by using the product. Moreover, I would think Mahlkonig know a bit about making grinders and what's best for cleaning them.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> I clean mine with cardamom seeds.
> 
> I don't really


Are they minute cardamom seeds, jeesby?


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## centaursailing (Feb 27, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> If Grindz is stipulated by Mahlkonig in the instruction manual for the EK43, you can't be invalidating the grinder's warranty by using the product. Moreover, I would think Mahlkonig know a bit about making grinders and what's best for cleaning them.


I'm sure you are right Systemic but maybe we could leave room for the possibility that there is some commercial benefit in it for them too?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Have to get them imported from America.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

centaursailing said:


> I'm sure you are right Systemic but maybe we could leave room for the possibility that there is some commercial benefit in it for them too?


Don't doubt that for a ....minute







As Grindz are made from 'organic material' as it says on the tin, I am thinking there's a lot of starchy material in there and Minute Rice isn't far, if at all, from the grind consistency/benefits of Grindz.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

centaursailing said:


> Reading these latest posts I think I may be cleaning the 65E more often than necessary, like every kg ... time for a rethink methinks!











"Mr Scott, I believe this is an early 21th century Pharos prototype", "I'd agree with yer Mr Spock and it's got a name on it"...."I believe so Mr Scott, If I am correct, it's a label with the Name NickR, I believe he died when his right arm exploded whilst grinding coffee".

"It looks easy to clean Mr Spock, did you know that some people used to clean their grinders after only 1kg of coffee", "I did Mr Spock, but you have to remember their knowledge of grinders was limited and the technology unlike anything we have today"



The Systemic Kid said:


> If Grindz is stipulated by Mahlkonig in the instruction manual for the EK43, you can't be invalidating the grinder's warranty by using the product. Moreover, I would think Mahlkonig know a bit about making grinders and what's best for cleaning them.












"Mr Sulu, have you been using grindz again!", "No Mr scott, I used water, the manufacturer of the exploding consoles recommended it"


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Wasn't aware Mahlkonig manufacture exploding consoles - you live and learn.


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

A quick point about all of these cleaning options, there for burrs only,

they don't clean your grinder they just clean the burrs, if you take apart a grinder after running any of these products through it the only thing clean is the grinding section of each burr the rest of the grinder is filthy, so these are not "grinder" cleaners they are simply "burr" cleaners.

If you want a clean grinder it's like DavecUK says take it apart and clean the thing properly,simplez


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Don't doubt that for a ....minute
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Urnex says its a blend of 'grains, cereals and pharmaceutical grade binders'


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Obnic said:


> Urnex says its a blend of 'grains, cereals and pharmaceutical grade binders'


Recall reading a piece by the people behind Grindz saying they'd experimented with all sorts of organic materials including rice.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Obnic said:


> Urnex says its a blend of 'grains, cereals and pharmaceutical grade binders'


I might try Rice Krispies in my Mini then. Flush with a bit of milk for the exploding console effect, and Spock's yer uncle!

Comedy aside, I'm also inclined to believe that Grindz, rice, or Kellogg's finest with pharmaceutical grade binders is only going to remove coffee oils from the burrs, but won't help dislodge compacted grounds from underneath the bottom burr.


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## NickR (Jul 1, 2011)

Only just read the Star Trek post. Thanks Dave.


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