Your grinder's dirty, even if it looks fine. Coffee oils and fine grounds build up on the burrs and in the chute over time, and that old residue can end up flavoring your fresh beans. Regular cleaning helps keep the grind consistent and the coffee tasting like today's coffee. Here's a quick routine, a deeper clean, and where grinder cleaning tablets fit in.
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Brush out the chute and grounds bin every week or two, and remove and brush the burrs about monthly, following your grinder's manual. Unplug electric grinders first, and keep burrs dry unless the manual says washing is fine. Grinder tablets like Urnex Grindz are an option between deep cleans, not a replacement for them.
Before you start
- Read your grinder's manual. Taking the burrs out and putting them back differs by model, and some makers spell out which cleaning products are allowed.
- Unplug electric grinders before you brush anything or take parts off. Burrs and fingers don't mix.
- Keep burrs dry unless your manual says washing is fine, and make sure every part is completely dry before it goes back together.
Quick clean (every week or two)
- Empty the hopper and run the grinder for a moment to clear out beans stuck in the burrs.
- Brush out the chute and grounds bin with a dry, soft brush.
- Wipe the hopper and bin with a dry or barely damp cloth, then let everything dry fully before you put it back together.
Coffee Grinder Cleaning Brush, natural bristles
- Natural-fiber bristles and a wooden handle
- The listing says it brushes away grounds without damaging burrs or blades
- Works for grinders and espresso-bar cleanup
Deep clean (every month or so)
- Take out the upper burr the way your manual describes (on many conical grinders it lifts out once the hopper is off).
- Brush both burrs and the burr chamber, working the grounds out of the teeth.
- Vacuum or brush out the chute. Fines love to pack in there.
- Put it back together carefully and go back to your usual grind setting. You may need to re-dial a little.
Grinder cleaning tablets (Grindz)
Cleaning tablets go through the burrs just like beans, soaking up and loosening oils and residue on the way. Urnex says Grindz cleans the burrs and casing without taking anything apart, is food-safe and gluten-free, and is meant for standalone grinders, not super-automatic espresso machines. Urnex also suggests it when you switch between regular, decaf and flavored beans, to limit flavor carryover. Afterward, grind a small amount of coffee and toss it to clear out any leftover tablet dust.
Urnex Grindz Grinder Cleaning Tablets, 430 g
- Removes coffee residue and oils from standalone grinders, per Urnex
- No burr or casing disassembly needed, per Urnex
- Not for super-automatic espresso machines
Think of tablets as a shortcut between deep cleans, not a replacement for brushing out the burrs now and then. If your grinder's maker says not to use them, go with the manual.
What about rice?
You'll sometimes hear that grinding uncooked rice is a cheap way to clean a grinder. Check your manual before you try it. Purpose-made grinder tablets, or a proper brush-and-disassemble clean, avoid the question entirely.
Cleaning an espresso machine is a separate job
Got an espresso machine too? Its group head and lines collect coffee oil as well. Urnex Cafiza tablets are made for that job: backflushing group heads, valves and lines, per Urnex. Descaling (mineral buildup) is a different job again; see our descaling guide.
Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets, 100 ct
- Removes coffee residue and oils from group heads, valves and lines, per Urnex
- Listed for a daily backflush routine
- OMRI listed and NSF certified, per the listing
What to remember
Brush out the chute and bin every week or two, pull and brush the burrs about once a month following your manual, and if you want a no-disassembly option between deep cleans, use a grinder-specific product like Grindz. Keep water away from the burrs unless your manual says otherwise.