12
Can we talk about the whole 'never wash your grinder' advice?
My Baratza Encore seized up last month after 3 years of following that rule, and the repair guy in Boise said the old coffee oils had basically turned into varnish inside the burr chamber.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
caseyfox3mo ago
Yeah but that's just bad luck, my old grinder ran for a decade without a single cleaning and never had a problem.
6
jamie_taylor3mo ago
My brother's Baratza Encore seized up after maybe two years of light use, no cleaning. Cost almost as much to fix as a new one. Old gear was built different, plastic parts wear out now. Calling it just bad luck lets companies sell stuff that barely lasts.
6
anthony_jackson1mo ago
Wait, is @caseyfox really trying to say your grinder breaking down is just bad luck? That's a pretty big assumption when the repair guy literally showed you the varnish from never cleaning. I get that some people get away with it for years (and good for them, honestly) but that doesn't mean the advice is sound for everyone. The thing is, different coffees leave different amounts of oil, and humidity changes how fast that stuff builds up. So "never clean it" is like playing Russian roulette with your grinder - you might win for a while, but eventually that chamber's gonna get gummed up.
6