How to Clean a Coffee Grinder: What Makers Say

To clean a coffee grinder, empty the hopper, run the grinder until it is empty, unplug it, then brush out the burrs and chute, keeping water off them. Use grinder cleaning tablets, not rice, for oil on a burr grinder. How often is where the makers disagree, from daily to every three to six months.

The cleaning steps are the part the manuals mostly agree on. Below is what Baratza, Breville, OXO, Fellow, Capresso, Cuisinart, Moccamaster and Krups each say, model by model, and where they contradict each other.

What Grinder Makers Say About Cleaning

Every row comes from the maker’s own manual or support page for the model named. Where a manual gives no interval, the table says so rather than filling the gap. The first table covers how often, water and the dishwasher.

The second table covers the two things people argue about most, rice and cleaning tablets.

How to Clean a Coffee Grinder: Burr Grinder Steps

The manuals that give steps (Breville, Baratza, OXO, Fellow) start the same way: empty the hopper, run out the beans, then unplug. The steps below follow that outline, and the next section covers where models differ.

1. Empty the hopper and run the grinder until it is empty. Breville says to run it until empty, OXO and Fellow say about 10 seconds with no beans, and Baratza says to grind any remaining beans through.
2. Unplug the grinder. Every manual read says to do this before cleaning.
3. Remove the hopper and any removable upper burr, if your manual shows how.
4. Brush the burrs, the chute and the grind outlet with the supplied brush. Compressed air, a vacuum nozzle, a pastry brush or a toothbrush are suggested by ATK, Breville’s blog and two retailers; no manual read names them.
5. Wash the hopper, lid and grounds bin by hand in warm soapy water, unless your manual allows the dishwasher (see the table above). Dry them completely.
6. Wipe the housing with a damp cloth if the manual allows it, never with abrasive cleaners, and dry it.
7. Put the burr and hopper back and lock them.
8. Purge before the next brew. Breville’s instruction book says to purge about 2 seconds before each use for freshness, and the tablet makers say to purge with coffee after a tablet run.

The cover-with-a-towel tip to stop grounds spraying comes from two retailers’ guides (Clive Coffee and Bella Barista, which share the same wording), not from a manual.

How the Steps Differ by Model

Breville Smart Grinder Pro: The diagram shows: run until empty, remove the hopper, lift out the upper burr, brush the upper burr, the lower burr and the grind outlet, push the upper burr firmly back, then lock the burr and the hopper. The book’s text list separately says to unplug before cleaning. See the Breville Smart Grinder Pro review for the grinder itself.

Baratza Encore: Remove all beans from the hopper, grind any remaining beans through, unplug, turn the hopper to the triangle at setting 40 and lift it off. The ring burr lifts out once the adjustment ring is turned fully counter-clockwise, and goes back with the red indicators near setting 30. The Encore ESP also has a quick-release center cone burr, and its manual says the burrs do not need to be removed for a brush clean.

OXO Brew Conical Burr: Run it for 10 seconds empty, unplug, turn the hopper knob to remove it, lift the metal handle, twist the upper burr counter-clockwise and pull. Only the upper burr comes out. Refit it by aligning the indents and turning clockwise until it clicks. See the OXO Brew Conical Burr review for the grinder itself.

Fellow Ode: Run it for 10 seconds with no beans, then brush the dust off and replace the burrs. The manual does not state which generation it covers.

Capresso Infinity: The manual read covers the 560 and 565, not the Infinity Plus. The Capresso Infinity Plus review notes that no brush is supplied with that model, so check the Plus manual before copying the 560/565 routine.

How to Clean a Blade Grinder

The two documents read for blade grinders are plain. Cuisinart says to wipe the stainless bowl and lid with a damp paper towel, dry them, and never immerse the base. Krups, which describes the F203 as able to chop nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, says to unplug it, keep the grinder, cord and plug dry, avoid harsh detergents and scouring pads, and empty the ground coffee container after each use.

Rice is the usual extra step for blade grinders. Breville’s blog, The Manual and Webstaurant endorse it, and neither Cuisinart nor Krups mentions it.

The Cuisinart booklet says only to grind roasted coffee beans, and that other substances may dull the blade. That is not a warning about rice, but no blade-grinder maker read here backs the tip either.

Can You Use Rice to Clean a Coffee Grinder?

On a burr grinder the answer from the makers is no. Moccamaster says not to, Urnex and Breville’s blog say rice can lock up the motor or strain it, and Baratza’s myths page calls it a myth. The Baratza, OXO and Fellow manuals do not name rice, but each limits what may go in to beans, tablets or grinder cleaner.

Warranty is the claim I could not pin down. Baratza and Fellow exclude damage from lack of cleaning and from grinding anything but whole roasted beans; Capresso excludes neglected cleaning and ingredients its manual does not allow. Breville’s blog says rice “may void” a warranty, but no manual read says rice itself voids a named maker’s warranty.

For a grinder under warranty, I would put only beans and the maker’s tablets through it. If it has stopped working after cleaning, the coffee grinder not grinding guide covers the faults.

How Grinder Cleaning Tablets Are Used

Tablets are run through the burrs like beans, so there is no disassembly. The recipe varies by source. Urnex’s jar page says one cap (35 to 40 g) for an espresso grinder at a medium setting, then purge by running coffee beans through.

Its 3-packet page says one packet (35 g), then discard about 70 g of coffee or until no yellow specks remain. Urnex’s grinder cleaning guide says twice the volume of the tablets.

A retailer that partners with Urnex says to grind three or four steps coarser, while Urnex says medium. Fellow gives dial 11 and a 30 g purge. Its manual’s 1 to 11 dial differs from a retailer’s 31-setting Gen 2 listing, so a Gen 2 owner should check Fellow’s current manual before using dial 11.

Urnex says Grindz is not for the grinders inside bean-to-cup machines. It also sells the tablets, so its interest is not neutral. Its claims that Grindz is plant-based and gluten free are the maker’s, and I found no independent check of them.

Water, Vinegar and the Dishwasher

On the burrs the manuals are close to unanimous. Baratza, OXO, Fellow and Capresso all say no water or liquid on the burrs or inside, and Breville says moisture can cause clogging. Only Breville’s blog allows a damp microfibre cloth on burrs, provided they are fully dry afterwards. That is one maker’s blog set against four manuals, so I would stay with the brush and a dry cloth.

The dishwasher rule is model-specific, so use the first table. No grinder maker read mentions vinegar; Urnex discusses it only as a brewer descaler.

How Often to Clean a Coffee Grinder

Makers differ widely.

• Daily: Capresso, for the grinding chamber, because coffee oils deposit and go rancid.
• Weekly: Urnex, for an espresso grinder with one capful of Grindz, because espresso beans tend to be darker and oilier. Urnex sells the product.
• Every few weeks: Baratza’s myths page, especially with darker roasts.
• Monthly: Baratza’s manuals, brushing the burrs if the grinder is used daily; Breville’s blog, for burr grinders (weekly for blade grinders).
• Every three months: Fellow, at least, if used daily.
• Every three to six months: Moccamaster.
• No interval: Breville’s manual (“regularly”), OXO, and the Cuisinart booklets.

Retailers sit in the same range, from a Cafetto sachet every four to six months to tablets every couple of months. A retailer’s schedule for the Fellow Ode differs from Fellow’s own manual, and the manual is the one to follow. Where a manual gives no interval, I would use Baratza’s roughly monthly brush as a starting point.

Breville’s blog lists signs that cleaning is overdue: visible residue or oil, off-colour grinds after switching beans, noise or slow grinding, and a hard-to-turn adjustment. Capresso’s manual says the oils go rancid, but none of the sources checked measured that.

What About Hand Grinders?

I found no readable maker manual or care page for Timemore, Hario or any other hand grinder, so this guide does not give hand-grinder steps. The Timemore Chestnut C2S review reports that the packaging carries a no-washing symbol and that the grinder strips to five parts and a brush. The manual versus electric grinder guide compares the two types.

Common Cleaning Mistakes

• Letting grounds mound past the bin’s max fill line, or running oily coffee without cleaning. Baratza’s manuals say either can clog the grinder.
• Ignoring your grinder maker’s tablet setting, or using tablets in the wrong machine. Fellow says dial 11 and Urnex’s tablet pages say medium. Urnex says not to use Grindz in a bean-to-cup grinder.

If a Grinder Is Hard to Clean

Cleaning access is worth checking before buying. The espresso grinder guide compares the models on the site, and the coffee hub shows where grinders sit among the machines and kettles. Grinders have their own routine, separate from cleaning an espresso machine.

How This Page Was Put Together

This page is based on maker manuals and support pages, not on testing; I do not own or test coffee grinders. The sources are the manuals and support pages named in the tables, plus Urnex’s product and guide pages and the Breville and Baratza blogs.

What I could not establish: whether tablets, rice or any cleaning interval has a measurable effect on taste, retention or burr wear. I found no independent test of cleaning effect in the sources checked, which is not the same as saying none exists. Whether any maker voids a warranty over rice is not stated in the manuals read.

No KitchenAid grinder is covered. Moccamaster’s support page points blockages to a longer deep-clean guide that is not covered here. The Capresso manual is for the 560/565, not the Infinity Plus, and the Cuisinart DBM-8 U.S. booklet is an older edition.

The Verdict

Empty the grinder, unplug it, brush the burrs and chute, wash the hopper and bin the way your manual allows, and dry everything. Keep water off the burrs and rice out of a burr grinder. Use tablets when oil is the problem, following your grinder maker first and the tablet maker second.

Pick an interval from your own manual, and treat the daily-to-six-monthly spread as honest disagreement, not a rule. If the grinder hums but will not grind afterwards, see the grinder fault guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you clean a burr coffee grinder?

Empty the hopper, run the grinder until it is empty, then unplug it. Remove the hopper and any removable upper burr, and brush the burrs, chute and outlet with the supplied brush. Wash the hopper and bin as your manual allows, dry everything and reassemble. Keep water off the burrs.

How do you clean a blade coffee grinder?

Cuisinart says to wipe the stainless bowl and lid with a damp paper towel, dry them and never immerse the base. Krups says to keep the grinder, cord and plug dry and avoid harsh detergents or scouring pads. Always unplug first, and empty the container after each use.

Can you use rice to clean a coffee grinder?

Not on a burr grinder, according to Moccamaster, Urnex, Baratza and Breville’s blog. Breville’s blog says rice works only on blade grinders, but neither Cuisinart nor Krups mentions it. No maker read says rice itself voids a warranty. Tablets are the maker-backed alternative.

How often should you clean a coffee grinder?

Makers disagree. Capresso says daily, Urnex weekly for espresso, Baratza about monthly brushing for daily use, Fellow at least every three months, and Moccamaster every three to six months. Breville, OXO and Cuisinart give no interval, so use your own manual and brush sooner for oily roasts.

Do grinder cleaning tablets work?

Urnex says Grindz removes oils and particles from burrs without disassembly. Baratza’s manuals recommend tablets for oily or flavoured coffee, and Fellow’s gives a tablet routine. I found no independent test of the cleaning effect in the sources checked. Run them as your grinder maker says, then purge with beans.

Can you wash coffee grinder burrs or put parts in the dishwasher?

Not the burrs. Baratza, OXO, Fellow and Capresso say no water on them. The hopper depends on the model: Capresso and Cuisinart DBM-8 allow the top rack, while Baratza, Breville, OXO, Fellow and Moccamaster say no part goes in the dishwasher. Check your manual.

Do I need to purge or re-dial after cleaning?

Breville’s book gives a 2-second purge before each use for freshness, not specifically after cleaning. After tablets, Fellow says to grind about 30 g of coffee and Urnex’s packet page about 70 g. Fellow sets the dial to 11 and Urnex says medium, so note your usual setting first.