Minute Rice to clean a grinder

[mattwells]

Okay, every time I have wanted my grinder clean, I have taken it apart and scrubbed/swept/cleaned etc. Used to do it about once a month, and now I have gotten lazy (and being back in school hasn't helped either). I have seen a lot of posts about using minute rice to clean and think that would be a great, quick, week to week solution. But, why minute rice? I understand the idea behind it and products like Grindz, but does it have to be minute rice? Would regular rice work? What about brown rice? (I know this sounds like splitting hairs, but it is half out of curiosity and half because we have 25#'s of regular white rice in our pantry that we haven't made a dent in in the past year).

Curious minds are...well...curious about it.

/mw

[another_jim]

Some people for some bizarre reason think regular rice is too hard (they need a tougher grinder). Use the cheapest rice you can find. You'll also need to grind about 1/2 pound of coffee to clear out the powder from the rice. This is why Grindz, which requires no post cleaning cleaning, has found favor.

[prof_stack]

I have seen a lot of posts about using Minute Rice to clean and think that would be a great, quick, week to week solution. But, why minute rice? I understand the idea behind it and products like Grindz, but does it have to be minute rice? Would regular rice work? What about brown rice? /mw

I've put up a couple posts lately about using Minute Rice, for my hand-grinders, not electric ones. This tip was, I believe, from Sweetmaria's website when they sold the Zassenhaus hand-grinders. That info might still be there but the grinders are not coming our way anymore.

Minute Rice is partially cooked and so isn't so hard. It also clears out of the grinder faster, at least in my experience.

Tell you what, I'll put some regular white rice through one of my hand-grinders and see what happens. I'll probably have to widen the gap.

[prof_stack]

Tell you what, I'll put some regular white rice through one of my hand-grinders and see what happens. I'll probably have to widen the gap.

Okay, I ran some hard white rice through the 1st hand-grinder and I won't do that again. Definitely more labor intensive. I think the softer Minute Rice soaks up more oils on the metal as it crunches through the mill. The rice isn't wasted: the hens out back enjoy any kind of treat!

Is Minute Rice better than Grindz? I don't know, but it sure is cheaper!

[mgwolf]

If you cleaned your grinder once a month (home use), a can of Grindz would probably last two years at least. It does a great job, and you only need to grind a small amount of coffee through it after its use. If you have to use a lot of coffee to get the cheap minute rice out, what's the point? Coffee is very expensive, even though rice is not. Michael

[prof_stack]

If you cleaned your grinder once a month (home use), a can of Grindz would probably last two years at least. It does a great job, and you only need to grind a small amount of coffee through it after its use. If you have to use a lot of coffee to get the cheap minute rice out, what's the point? Coffee is very expensive, even though rice is not. Michael

Good point, thanks. I didn't realize that the Grindz product was economical per use. The Minute Rice DOES come out easily (in my hand-grinder, can't speak about the electrical models) and baster blast of air will complete the task so that no coffee is tainted or wasted.

[mattwells]

Thanks for the input on it. I may try the rice thing once (just to try it) and then I will probably switch over to grindz.

[miKe mcKoffee]

Some people for some bizarre reason think regular rice is too hard (they need a tougher grinder). Use the cheapest rice you can find. You'll also need to grind about 1/2 pound of coffee to clear out the powder from the rice. This is why Grindz, which requires no post cleaning cleaning, has found favor.

When Grindz first introduced did a head to head comparison with Minute Rice (which I'd been using for years) and posted results in that Grindz thread. IMO they clean equally well and Grindz takes more post cleaning cleaning, greater static cling. FWIW I've never needed 1/2# to clear final residue from either, 'bout a shots worth more than adequate after the brushing out etc. Exact amount of bean flush needed I'm sure will very grinder to grinder and depend on how well you brush/blow/clean out the grinds path including the chute channel before coffee flush.

As far as regular rice being too hard I'd agree not too hard compared to steel but also not as absorbent as Minute Rice. Plus harder is harder regardless and will cause more dulling, just as grinding beans causes dulling any grinder any burr set. Gee, guess that's why burrs need periodic replacement.