Make your coffee grinder last longer and work better

Grinding coffee is no doubt an important part of your morning routine. Here's how to make your coffee grinder last longer and work better — which will be better for your coffee intake overall.

• The spinning blades and baskets used by all electric coffee grinders need to be cleaned after every use.
• First, unplug the grinder, and wipe out the bowl with a soft cloth.
• Next, brush it out using an old toothbrush, a pastry brush, or a small (and clean) stiff-bristled paintbrush.
• You don't have to scrub it to perfection, just enough to shine up the stainless steel parts inside the grinder so that tomorrow's batch of beans isn't sullied by the stale grounds left over from yesterday's java.
• Wash the grinder's plastic lid with a sponge using warm, soapy water. Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.
• Never immerse the body of a grinder in water; it's a surefire way to break it for good.

• Using your grinder for more than 30 seconds at a time, or more than a minute in any five-minute period, can result in an overheated motor, which will drastically shorten its life-span.
• Since most grinders have a single-speed switch, it's best to process beans using pulse action.
• That is, press and release the switch so it goes on and off every few seconds.

• Although grinder blades can't be resharpened, they are not difficult to replace.
• Before you chuck your old grinder in the trash, see if you can find a replacement blade for your model; it's often a lot cheaper than purchasing a whole new unit.

• Lots of coffee lovers keep their beans fresh by storing them in the freezer.
• If you're one of them, be sure to take the beans out of the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature before grinding them.
• They will break up much more evenly and place less stress on the motor.

Never run an electric coffee grinder when the bowl is empty. The lack of weight on the blades may cause them to spin too fast and damage the motor.