Hasta La Ideas

Regular readers of this website know that I love coffee. I’m addicted and very glad to be. I find comfort in the routine of making and drinking coffee, and I squealed with glee last year when my husband bought me a conical burr coffee grinder for Mother’s Day. Sure, a grinder that only grinds coffee may be a unitasker for some, but it’s one of the loves of my life and I’m only getting rid of it if it breaks. Honestly, even if it breaks, there are no guarantees I’m quickly parting with it.

Other, less addicted (and likely more sane) individuals, probably use a smaller, multipurpose blade grinder that can process spices, coffee beans, tobacco, and nuts somewhat decently. The problem with using one grinder for different types of food stuffs, though, is that your coffee ends up tasting like allspice and your freshly ground cinnamon tastes like cashews. This cross contamination of flavors has spurred a line of grinder cleaner accouterments to attempt to solve the problem. Case in point, the Coffee Grinder Brush:

Sadly, this specialized brush can’t do the job of getting particulates out of your grinder any better than a pastry brush (which you probably already own if you’re grinding your own coffee and spices). Also, the particulates stick to the brush, pretty much defeating its entire purpose. And, with its wood handle and glued-in bristles, this brush isn’t suited for the dishwasher. Possible solutions are to have multiple grinders for separate purposes or to get a manual grinder that completely disassembles for cleaning. I use my conical burr grinder just for coffee, a mortar and pestle for grinding spices (among dozens of other uses), and my blender for larger items like dried chiles. Although this little brush is inexpensive and doesn’t take up much space, it’s not a feasible solution to any grinder-related problem. If you’re still tempted to buy it after my unnecessarily long rambling, go with a dishwasher-safe, stiffer bristle pastry brush instead.

Thanks to reader V for sharing this unitasker with us.

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