How-to · care

How to clean a coffee grinder: burr and blade

Grinding leaves coffee dust and oil behind in the burrs, the chute and the bin. Grinder makers agree that it has to come out now and then; they do not agree on how often, or on whether water, rice or cleaning tablets belong anywhere near the burrs. This page collects what the makers' own manuals and support pages say, names the maker wherever a step is theirs, and lays out the disagreements instead of picking a side.

Updated 2026-11-11 · sources listed at the end · no product recommendations

How often makers say to clean

Breville's guide also lists signs that a clean is due: visible oil or residue, off-color grounds after switching beans, unusual noises or slower grinding, and settings that have become hard to adjust. Baratza adds that oil from dark roasts can cause sour flavors and clogs.

Before you start

• Empty it. Breville and Baratza both start by emptying the hopper and grinding out the beans left inside. Fellow runs the Ode for about 10 seconds with no beans to clear the burrs and chute.
• Unplug it. Every corded electric grinder's instructions cited here say to unplug before cleaning (KitchenAid's cordless model: remove the battery); Fellow adds that moving parts must have stopped, and never to put fingers into the chute while the grinder is plugged in.
• Have a brush ready. Breville suggests a soft brush or an old toothbrush; Baratza, Breville and Fellow ship a brush with their grinders. 1Zpresso and Comandante add an air blower for corners.
• Mind the edges. Fellow's manual warns that its grinding burrs are sharp; Krups says the same of the blades in its F203.

Step by step: electric burr grinder

Your own manual comes first. These steps collect what the Breville, Baratza and Fellow instructions have in common.

1. Grind out, then unplug. Empty the hopper, run the grinder until nothing comes out, and pull the plug.
2. Take off the hopper and the upper burr. On the Baratza Encore: turn the hopper counterclockwise to the setting-40 mark and lift it off, turn the adjustment ring fully counterclockwise, line up the red marks and lift the ring burr out by its tabs, keeping track of the hopper gasket. Fellow says to take the Ode apart further only to replace its burrs.
3. Brush the burrs, chamber and outlet. Breville's instruction book has you brush the lower burr, the upper burr and the grind outlet. Baratza brushes out loose grounds and the inside of the burr chamber and chute until, after a clog, "the grind chamber shines through."
4. Wipe oil, do not soak. Breville's guide wipes oily residue with a damp cloth and lets every part dry completely; it warns against soaking parts or putting them through a machine wash. Some makers allow no water on the burrs at all (see the table below).
5. Wash the plastic parts. Hopper, lid and grounds bin go in warm, soapy water, then a full dry. Breville and Baratza both say no dishwasher; Fellow says no part of its grinder goes in one.
6. Clean the outside with a soft, damp cloth. Breville rules out alkaline or abrasive cleaners and scouring pads; Fellow rules out abrasive pads, harsh chemicals and spray cleaners.
7. Reassemble and test. See the checklist at the end.

Retained grounds and clumping get worse with static at fine settings; the mechanism is covered in coffee grinders explained.

Step by step: blade grinder

1. Empty and unplug. Krups says to remove the grounds after every use, and to wait until the blades have stopped before lifting the lid.
2. Brush out the dust. Breville suggests a soft brush or compressed air; Krups a small soft brush or cloth.
3. Wipe the blades and chamber carefully with a damp cloth (Breville, Krups). The blades are sharp.
4. Never immerse the base. Krups, KitchenAid and Breville all say so.
5. Wash removable parts as the manual allows. Krups lets the F203's lid go in warm water with a mild detergent or on the dishwasher's top rack on a gentle cycle; KitchenAid's cordless model has a bowl and top cover for the top rack. Let everything dry before plugging in.
6. For set-in oils, Breville's guide runs uncooked rice through a blade grinder for one minute. It limits that advice to blade grinders.

Hand grinders

Hand grinders come apart further, and their makers differ the most. 1Zpresso's guide for the JX-Pro S and JE-Plus removes the crank, adjustment dial and catch cup, then the burr set, and cleans with a brush and air blower, "be sure not to wash it with water." Comandante brushes and blows its parts clean and says not to unscrew the three screws around the C40's burr; the cone comes out once the grind dial is fully unscrewed. Hario's Skerton instructions, for a ceramic mill, go the other way: wash it in a weak, neutral detergent, rinse, and let it dry completely, with no bleach and no oil.

Where the sources disagree

Baratza says cleaning tablets for burr grinders are often made from natural substances such as corn and are gentler than rice. Breville's guide calls tablets food-safe and says they absorb oils without affecting taste. Neither claim was tested for this page; both are the makers' own statements.

A food-code footnote

Retail food rules name grinders too. Washington State's rule WAC 246-215-04605, headed with FDA Food Code section 4-602.11, lists coffee bean grinders among enclosed equipment to be cleaned at a frequency specified by the manufacturer, or, without one, often enough to prevent a buildup of soil or mold. The rule is written for food establishments rather than home kitchens, but it points the same way as every maker above: the manual's interval comes first.

Reassembly and re-zeroing checklist

• Every part is completely dry before it goes back (Breville, Hario, Comandante).
• Parts go back in the reverse order; for hand grinders, follow the maker's sequence of washers, spring and bearing exactly (1Zpresso, Comandante).
• The upper burr is pushed firmly into place and locked (Breville), and the hopper gasket is back in place (Baratza Encore).
• Hand grinders: find zero again. Comandante defines it as the first setting at which the handle no longer falls when the grinder is held horizontally; 1Zpresso as the point where the crank can barely turn. Count clicks out from there.
• Electric grinders: test with a very coarse setting first if the grinder was clogged (Baratza), and grind a small batch to season the burrs (Breville). After tablets, purge with coffee and throw that coffee away (Fellow).
• Return to your usual setting and check it against the grind size chart and your brew notes.

Descaling brewers and kettles is a different job, with acids rather than brushes: see descaling coffee makers.