At 06:36 PM 11/19/2006, Sr. Gloriamarie Amalfitano wrote: Does anyone here use a coffee grinder to grind whole spices? If so, how does one clean it in between uses? Thanks. ------------ Bethany K. Dumas wrote: Suggestion 1: Don't do it. Suggestion 2: Unplug it, then wipe it carefuly, first with a damp (not wet) paper towel or cloth, then with a cleaning wipe of some sort. Finally, wipe it again with a damp paper towel or cloth. ------------ Jeffry P. Barnes wrote: I presume you mean a whirling blade type grinder, not a burr one. We just wipe it out carefully. OTOH, we found that pre-ground spices are rather convenient, except for nutmeg (for which we use a cheap hand grinder, most often a white china "thingie" with little bumps on it. ------------ Sibyl Smirl wrote: I grind pieces of hard bread or graham crackers, in several installments, keeping the resultant crumbs to use as filler/thickener in stews or casseroles. Someone who did meat loaf (I haven't for years) could also use it in meat loaf. This should also be done occasionally even when only doing coffee, since the old coffee essential oils get rancid and are added to new coffee, but that might be perfectionistic. ------------ Dora Smith wrote: I was thinking that whether you need to clean the coffee grinder could possibly depend on how often you grind coffee. If coffee sits on the grinder for a long time it will get rancid. But is this hard? I would think, just dip blade part under running water and wipe clean. ------------ Sibyl Smirl wrote: Not hard at all, and for my coffee mills (either of them, but I don't use the "reproduction antique" one for spices), the blade part doesn't _come_ out, and water would get into the motor. Also, water alone, without detergent, doesn't remove oils. Maybe I could use a screwdriver and/or (small) wrench to take the electric one apart, but with my mechanical skills, I'd probably ruin it the first time I tried. And with the pervasiveness of some spices (like dried habanero peppers, about a thousand times hotter than cayenne), the bowl, shaft, and all crevices are also contaminated. ------------ Todd Mashlan wrote: It is also the case that some folks (myself included) keep two coffee grinders; using one for spices and one for coffees. True, but not a lot of help if you get "Hot Nutmeg", that is, nutmeg with a habanero pepper contamination! ;^) They are both spices. This has been on my mind too, recently, especially in regard to the habanero peppers, because habanero plants are extremely prolific among peppers, and I recently dried (in the dehydrator) to crispness my pre-frost last harvest, to grind in the style of commercial "Cayenne Pepper" or "Red Pepper"-- and hotter. I had cayenne plants, too, but those dry whole very nicely, don't have to be chopped so very fine to get a pot of stew reasonably hot without a mouthful that came from the heart of a volcano (I just snip a dried cayenne with the scissors), and are not so overwhelmingly productive as a healthy Habanero plant. ------------ Sr. Gloriamarie Amalfitano wrote Makes sense to me, My best friend, THE Judy, grinds her spices and her coffee in the same grinder and she doesn;t clean them in between!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes my concern about switching from herbs to spices and back again seem minor in comparison. Except i am trying to clear some time in my schedule to make some spice mixes and herb mixes to sell at our gourmet pantry at Christmas Arts, 12/2/06. Please come and see my Angels with 'Tude. Alternatively, I can send a pic of the wall of angels to anyone who would like to see them.