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How to get smell out of coffee grinder

10 years ago

My DD and DH decided to grind up whole cloves in my coffee bean grinder. Then, I didn't find it for several days, and it still had cloves in it. :( I've had baking soda in it for a couple days but it still smells of clove.......which isn't really what I want to smell in my coffee. Any ideas?

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Comments (8)

coolbeansw
10 years ago
try grinding uncooked rice in it
grainlady_ks
10 years ago
Rice is generally the way to clean and deodorize a coffee grinder, as coolbeans pointed out; and if there is still some odor, place a folded paper towel in the grinder and renew it after a few days if it smells. You can also try a charcoal briquette on top of the paper towel.

Now you know why you need two coffee/spice mills if you do coffee beans and spices/seeds/grains.

-Grainlady
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arley_gw
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Try grinding a few saltine crackers, crumbled, in it, then wipe it out with a barely damp paper towel.
catherinet
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions. I DO have a spice grinder, but my daughter and husband didn't think of that.
I'll try those suggestions.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
10 years ago
There are not too many ways to get rid of smell.

You can absorb it to remove it, or you can neutralize it.

There are not too many materials which can actually absorb, activated charcoal being one of them. Activated charcoal is so effective that it is use in poison gas masks.

I suppose you can go to a pet store which sells tropical fish to buy activated charcoal. Leave the charcoal in the grinder for a few days.

Most material are either acidic or alkaline, so you can try pouring hot baking soda solution first then hot vinegar to try to neutralize the offending smell.

dcarch
Islay_Corbel
10 years ago
Grind some coffee in it and leave it for a couple of days.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
10 years ago
DH just did this sunday past. He pulled out the spice grinder wanting to make expresso...
(i over roasted a small batch of beans. I set the timer but went out front with the pups and forgot, haha) Just enough to get some nice black oily beans. I just said smell it. Do you really want your expresso to smell like, um, a barnyard?
So he dug out the old burr grinder. -Our main grinder is calibrated to our everyday grind and complicated to change it.

I just use rice between spices and grains. Activated charcoal is a good idea. I have some in capsule form from the health food store. I just have it handy for emergencies...spider bites, snake bites etc.

I do use fine ground coffee in some spice mixes so it would not bother me much. Rice works enough for me.
artsyshell
10 years ago
I'd make a slurry of water and baking soda and whiz it around, or else try whizzing some parsley in it. Lemon peel would also work.

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