I am exploring options for cleaning my grinder, and was wondering what some user thoughts are on Grindz. How well does it work? How much unusable coffee am I going to have to grind through after using it? Also anyone use minute rice to clean it out? Can this damage a grinder? Thanks

I haven't used minute rice, but I hear that it works well.

I do use Grindz on a fairly regular basis. (To be fair, I won some in a contest here at HB). I think it works very well. I notice an immediate improvement every time I use it. I like it so much I will actually purchase some once I run out.

Grindz works well for in between cleaning. These before/after photos give you an idea of what you can expect. You'll need very little coffee to clear out the residue from Grindz; I use stale beans.

The thread Minute Rice to clean a grinder offers opinions on this cleaning option. As is often the case, some swear by it, and some swear at it. I prefer to break down the grinder to get every last bit and it only takes me about 10 minutes.

Thanks Dan! I of course will be pulling the grinder apart to clean on occasion, but wanted to make sure about Grindz. Every so often I run some oily coffee through the grinder, so getting the oil out was what I was most concerned with.

HB wrote:Grindz works well for in between cleaning. These before/after photos give you an idea of what you can expect. You'll need very little coffee to clear out the residue from Grindz; I use stale beans.

The thread Minute Rice to clean a grinder offers opinions on this cleaning option. As is often the case, some swear by it, and some swear at it. I prefer to break down the grinder to get every last bit and it only takes me about 10 minutes.

Thanks Dan,
So far I use a minute rice type stuff and then do a tear down to "get it all" and clean the threads and all the chute. I will buy some Grindz next contest. The Rocky is easy but I'm now faced with a Faema MPN. And that, my friends, is a different kettle of grinds. Really a job to tear down. remember I usually only grind for two pulls a day and have to clean more often to get the stale out. The fancy top that was suggested to blow out the remaining grind is a real help.
Thanks for the "clean" post url!
sincerely
richard

works just great, and is now avail. in smaller quantities.

have a vacuum with a hose to finish up.

I have used instant rice, once. It took a couple days for all the powdered rice to finally flush out. I just take the machine apart every few months and brush it all out, or blast it with some 90psi air from the compressor. That actually works very well. I have not used Grindz.

cannonfodder wrote:I have used instant rice, once. It took a couple days for all the powdered rice to finally flush out. I just take the machine apart every few months and brush it all out, or blast it with some 90psi air from the compressor. That actually works very well. I have not used Grindz.

Every few weeks I'll take my Mazzer SJ outside for a thorough cleaning, as described here. I pull the top burrs, brush out caked-on grounds, and blast with a leaf blower. I sometimes run a couple scoops of minute rice through the grinder prior to this ritual. Who knows, it doesn't seem to hurt, and might help soak up residual coffee oils. I've had no problems flushing the rice flour, but that's probably due to the leaf blower.

I don't know how the Nemox Lux would respond to this treatment. It's a very different grinder. Minute rice shouldn't damage the burrs, but might be harder to remove from a conical burr set. Regardless, using a vacuum or blower as part of the cleaning regimen seems reasonable.

Kaffee Bitte wrote:I .... was wondering what some user thoughts are on Grindz.

I reviewed Grindz some time ago on my website (review still available). Before and after shots there as well.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
One level coffee scoop should be sufficient for most home grinders.
Like all Urnex products that I have tried, Grindz works as advertised.

This thread brought to mind a recollection of a patch bay cleaning tool popular in 80's. It was abrasive and did remove oxidation from the points. Unfortunately, it also removed plating and cut a divot in the point. The result was less contact pressure over a larger area of base metal, all ultimatley leading to much worse degradation than before the 'cleaning.'

The parallel to the Grindz :
It works short term, but what about the long term?

I'd like to see a test of a new grinder 'cleaned' with Grindz every hour, 8 times a day for a week. This test would be equivalent to weekly cleanings over a 4 year period, the minimum life span of decent burrs in a home environment. If the burrs are not indistinguishable from new...

Until then, a stiff bristle brush and a vacuum do nicely.