Cleaning grinders: necessity?

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
wearashirt
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#1: Post by wearashirt »

Is it just me or do grinders conk up when the burr assembly hasn't been cleaned out in a while? I was having a couple of bad days on espresso, so I decided to remove the collar and brush up the burrs. I had stopped doing so for a while, and I saw some pretty thick build-up in the springs that resisted the upper burr. When I did, the grinds were coming out fluffier, and espresso flow was nicer and more even.

1. Is it normal for espresso grinders to behave like this? That they have to be cleaned out nearly every week?
2. Do the expensive grinders employ designs and tech that minimizes having to take the burrs apart for cleaning?
3. Will grinder-cleaning products (like Urnex) remove the need to disassemble the burrs and clean them out?

Using: Heycafe ODG grinder (Mazzer look-a-like)

Zoey
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#2: Post by Zoey »

1. In my experience, yes. I use Grindz in mine on a monthly basis, and do a complete tear-down every 6 months.
2. My Mazzer did not require the burrs to be removed for cleaning, nor does my K30 as far as I know.
3. No. Grindz helps, but is not the answer.

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thecatch83
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#3: Post by thecatch83 »

From my experience, Grindz aren't necessary if you are not using oily dark roasts. Every couple months I do a quick clean, vacuum job and move on with my life. I'm perfectly okay with replacing a $50 burr set every 4-5 years, and the flavors are fine.

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TomC
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#4: Post by TomC »

Commercial grade grinders do not need to be completely torn apart every 6 months, or annually, or ever really. It's just going to invite trouble down the road. I think most people who do, just have a compulsion to tear gear apart, but it has nothing to do with how well the grinder runs.

Especially in low-use, non commercial settings. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck out what you can't brush out. Leave the rest alone.
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jwCrema
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#5: Post by jwCrema »

Grinders is a pretty big topic. I've been surprised that a famous hand grinder appears to need cleaning around the bushing occasionally based on several threads on that exact topic.

After running the Super Jolly for over a year I disassembled it to install Duranium burrs and found zero reason to do anything more than continue vacuuming the thing occasionally as TomC posted.

Keeping the portafilter/group head is where I recommend channeling the need to clean.

samuellaw178
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#6: Post by samuellaw178 »

Certainly grinders are not required to be disassembled regularly to able to grind normally. If your grinder needs to be disassembled every other weeks so that it can grind, something is wrong. But that doesn't mean it won't benefit from the periodic cleaning.

Some information I've read suggests that cleaning burrs with water and soap periodically will bring the extraction efficiency back to its original/new state after a while (that is in commercial setting, and make sure you dry the burrs post-washing immediately!). And I can trust them to not use some dark roast (quite the opposite)... Intuitively it makes sense because thin coffee oil/grind does build up on the burrs whether you see it or not. I've cleaned my burrs quite a few time and it's amazing how quickly/how much coffee grinds are on the burrs surface.

Strictly speaking though, it's not necessary for the operation of the grinder - just as how 'unimportant' as detergent backflush to the operation of an espresso machine...Your machine should work fine despite being not cleaned regularly.

jwCrema wrote: I've been surprised that a famous hand grinder appears to need cleaning around the bushing occasionally based on several threads on that exact topic.
Not sure if I am thinking what you're thinking, but I reckon those are more like isolated cases and not the norm. :P

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ripcityman
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#7: Post by ripcityman »

I don't grind oily beans, so I just knock the excess out of the grinder after each use. I have heard that if you buy some very light roast, say bulk beans, just run those through your grinder to remove oil.

hrvojuliusmeinl
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#8: Post by hrvojuliusmeinl »

Burr sets could grind about 300-500 kg of caffe...konus burrs can grind up to 1000kg of caffe..

hrvojuliusmeinl
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#9: Post by hrvojuliusmeinl »

Stay away from Mazzer grinders...

nurxhunter
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#10: Post by nurxhunter »

I have a Breville Smart Coffee Grinder Pro, and I owned a Vario for a time. The Breville serves me well; but if you can spare the cash, the Vario is great. Long story why I did not keep Vario.

For both, I vacuumed, after turning upside down and spanking, of course the hopper was removed first. Then, I use a can of compressed gas (like Radio Shack used to sell) to blow out residual. Finally, I remove the upper burr, which is a cinch on my machine and brush away fines. This all takes < 10 minutes, and I do it on my back porch, holding the unit over the lawn. They say coffee is good for plants.

This does a more than adequate job. The BCG820 has a 'straight through' linear path. This seems to me to be a real virtue. Residual is ~1%. I clean every six weeks or so, if I feel like it and am bored. But it's not a requirement. I avoid oily beans. Does espresso taste different after cleaning? I don't think so.

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