How to clean espresso grinder burrs
Old grounds and oils cling to grinder burrs and go stale, muting every dose that passes through. A grinder cleaner (or a thorough brush-out) resets the grinder's flavour baseline in ten minutes.
What you need
- Urnex Grindz (or comparable grinder cleaner)
- 2–3 doses of regular beans to purge
- Dry brush or cloth
How to do it
- Empty the hopper completely
- Dose one portion of grinder cleaning tablets (e.g. Urnex Grindz) into the hopper
- Grind until all the tablets have passed through
- Grind 2–3 doses of regular beans as a purge
- Wipe chute / spout clean with a dry brush
Tips from the bench
Collected from manufacturer guidance and years of home-barista forum wisdom:
- Unplug the grinder first. Not a formality: fingers and burrs move in the same space.
- Count the clicks (or photograph the collar position) before unscrewing anything. That number is your way back to your dial-in.
- Brush and vacuum only. Water in a burr chamber means corrosion, and corroded burrs grind like dull ones.
- After grinder cleaner pellets: purge with 10-20 g of sacrificial beans before you brew.
HEADS UP
Only use products specifically made for grinders. No rice or other DIY methods (they damage the burrs).
Never miss this task again
Espremo is a free iPhone app that builds a maintenance schedule for your exact machine — covering 108 models — and taps you on the shoulder when something is due.
Download on the App Store