Sometimes, out of laziness, I make up the idea that if an item has one function and only one type of content goes into it, it doesn’t need to be cleaned as often because there’s no risk of contamination. That’s not true. It’s an illusion. Take coffee grinders for example. Yes, you fill them with beans and grind them into regrind and nothing else ever actually goes into them. It’s not wet, you never add anything other than beans and you can add more beans on top of the regrind and let the cycle go on forever. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t clean it. In fact, you really, really should. Here’s how to do it.

First, let’s talk about why you should clean your coffee grinder. While the beans may not seem wet or dirty, they can have oils on the outside that can build up, which can eventually make your coffee taste bad. If you use your grinder every day, you should really be cleaning it once every week or two. If you use it less often, try cleaning it every time you use it before putting it away. In general, if your coffee starts to taste funny, just clean your grinder.

Here’s how to clean the two main types of grinders, the blade and the burr. Before you do, give them a quick spin to pulverize any remaining beans that may be inside.

If your grinder uses a blade, you’ll want to focus on removing the oils. To do this, you can use pre-made grinder cleaning tablets, like these from Urnex , which come in a pack of three for $12.98. You can also use plain old rice. Either way, you’ll put the tablets or rice (about a quarter cup) into the hopper and then grind it into a powder, like you would coffee beans. Unplug the machine, dump the powder into the trash, and make sure there’s nothing left behind before wiping it up. You can use plain water on a cloth or paper towel for this. Try not to put anything in the dishwasher, since it’s electric. Instead, use plain water to clean everything inside and out of the machine, then let it air dry completely before plugging it back in or storing it.