Looking for a reasonably priced spice grinder mostly for Indian food. Most models reviewed on Amazon at about $20 (Krups, Braun) are officially for coffee and reviews for spices have been mixed. Apparently hard items like cloves can damage them. Any ideas? Thanks.
Spice Grinder
- Thread starter RRH
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debthecook
Senior Cook
I have had a Krups Coffee grinder for 18 years which I grind coffee as well as spices for Indian Food. Yakuta, one of the members here taught me to grind a piece of bread up after grinding up the spices to take away the strong essences of the spice before grinding up coffee again.
choclatechef
Washing Up
I have Cuisinart mini mate grinders. They work for me!
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I use a spice-only Krups coffee grinder or my mortar and pestle. Cloves haven't harmed either.
subfuscpersona
Sous Chef
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2004
- Messages
- 561
any coffee grinder should do - they all have the same basic design.
They might be cheaper locally rather than buying from Amazon after you've included the shipping. I picked one up for $15.
I can't imagine cloves/cinnamon/peppercorns damaging the blades unless you consistently filled it to capacity so the blades had a hard time rotating freely.
They might be cheaper locally rather than buying from Amazon after you've included the shipping. I picked one up for $15.
I can't imagine cloves/cinnamon/peppercorns damaging the blades unless you consistently filled it to capacity so the blades had a hard time rotating freely.
- neat idea! I just use an old toothbrush to clean under the blades then a slightly damp towel to wipe it out thorougly and I make sure it has aired completely before putting it away. Clean it after every use whether you use it for coffee, spices or both.
I have an old Krups coffee grinder (about $15) I picked up at WalMart or Target or K-Mart about 10 years ago that I use for spices. It works like a champ. The trick is to run it for a second or two, give it a shake, and repeat as necessary to get the fineness of grind I need. For cleanup, I just use a small pastry brush to brush it out ... and if the spice is oily I grind some bread in it, brush the crumbs out, then wipe it out with a paper towel moistened with a solvent (vodka or vinegar), wipe it dry, and let it totally air dry before putting the top back on for storage.
Coffee beans are not exactly soft - so I don't see where cloves would give you any problem. Peppercorns are pretty hard - and I grind them in it, too.
KitchenAid has come out with one I would really like to get if/when my Krups gives up the ghost. It has a 4-oz capacity, with a removeable blade and stainless steel bowl that are dishwasher safe. Target, and most on-line sources, sell them for $30. While it is a little more than the others the advantage of being able to remove and clean the blades and bowls means you can use one grinder for both coffee and spices without having to sorry about your coffee tasting like spices or your spices tasting like coffee.
Coffee beans are not exactly soft - so I don't see where cloves would give you any problem. Peppercorns are pretty hard - and I grind them in it, too.
KitchenAid has come out with one I would really like to get if/when my Krups gives up the ghost. It has a 4-oz capacity, with a removeable blade and stainless steel bowl that are dishwasher safe. Target, and most on-line sources, sell them for $30. While it is a little more than the others the advantage of being able to remove and clean the blades and bowls means you can use one grinder for both coffee and spices without having to sorry about your coffee tasting like spices or your spices tasting like coffee.
leigh
Senior Cook
I grind spices in my Oster blender, using an Oster mini (8-oz) blender jar which I reserve for spices only. Coffee beans I grind in my Oster, using a standard pint-size Mason jar. I've not had much success with cinnamon sticks but that's probably because I'm so short on patience!! :roll:
bege
Senior Cook
I have a Regal, coffee/spice grinder that I picked up, on sale, just for my spices. Got is so many years ago, I'm not sure what I paid. Still using it. Had no problem with cinnamon. I just break it up into small pieces. One of the girls on one of the boards, suggested rice, to clean it. It worked for me. Some times I use one, sometimes the other.
