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To rice or not to rice

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:33 am
by alans
It seems there's two very distinct camps of grinder cleaning, those that use rice and those that don't, so which are you and why?

I was always a non ricer, believing that coffee grinders are for coffee and if I want ground rice I'll get a rice grinder ;). But I was never really happy with how long the grinder stayed clean after a thorough cleaning and the cleaning process always took a long time, so I tried rice. I found it simplified and really sped up the cleaning process, cutting cleaning time in half and getting the coffee out of the vanes in the burr much easier. So now I’m a rice convert! How about you?

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:53 am
by Raf
I'm a non-ricer, but that may be just plain ignorance. I'll have to clean my Rocky thoroughly before I sell it on eBay though, so I might as well try it.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 10:30 am
by Joey
NO MORE RICE FOR ME!
I mentioned in CG:
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espres ... ines/20100

and here at my latest post, too :)
But I guess it depends on your burrs/blades, too. Maybe it works better with a grinder with that 2 cyrcling knifes, but with the 2 adjustable burrs with the teeth - I've made bad experiences....(see link above) AND I had a hard time getting rid off the compressed rice powder, too.

Greetings
Joey

*live long and prosper*

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:30 am
by alans
"Could the rice have been too hard?..... I used white italian risotto rice"


I used "easy cook" rice after looking everywhere for the American "one minute" rice (I wouldn't eat either ;)). Sounds to me as if Risotto rice is in deed too hard although I'm surprised it blew your fuse. The rice powder was no problem for me, sounds like it could be very grinder dependant....

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 3:27 pm
by moccafaux
Rice? Please explain.
I usually take the vacc`for a quixck once-over and occassionally dissasemble everything. Then its the toothbrush and the oven-spray I use.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 6:47 pm
by michel
Although I dislike eating it (because the mouthfeel alway's reminds me of maggots...) I do use it in my grinders... So, Yes! I'm a user.

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 11:38 am
by phil
I just use whatever's in the cupboard, so that's usually either risotto rice or basmati. Perhaps I should use brown rice as that might be good for my grinder :lol:?

Seriously, I've had no problem cleaning my Rocky with rice and I think it probably takes out (most of) the "stale coffee oils" smell that cleaning it out with a brush and then an air duster doesn't remove.

BTW, I sort of remember that I'm not supposed to turn Rocky upside down, but I always do when cleaning it. That always gets loads of muck out that simply brushing and blowing doesn't shift. Can anyone remember why one shouldn't do this, or indeed if I'm imagining the whole thing? (I suppose the answer should be "RTFM", but I also recall that the Rocky manual isn't very good).

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 3:40 pm
by moccafaux
joey wrote:NO MORE RICE FOR ME!
I mentioned in CG:
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espres ... ines/20100

and here at my latest post, too :)
But I guess it depends on your burrs/blades, too. Maybe it works better with a grinder with that 2 cyrcling knifes, but with the 2 adjustable burrs with the teeth - I've made bad experiences....(see link above) AND I had a hard time getting rid off the compressed rice powder, too.

Greetings
Joey

*live long and prosper*

Thank god is wasnt a 380Volt-grinder :D !

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 3:48 pm
by phil
BTW Michel, I'm rather concerned that you know what eating maggots is like :lol:!

Stick to coffee and malt whisky they're much nicer.

BTW the Teaninich 25 year old is absolutely wonderful!

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 4:09 pm
by Sunnyfield
I just bought some rice for my grinder two days ago. I am waiting to finish my current roast in the hopper and then it is porridge time!

It will be the first time for my MM. I have done it successfully with my Solis 166 before.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:32 pm
by michel
phil wrote:BTW Michel, I'm rather concerned that you know what eating maggots is like :lol:!

Stick to coffee and malt whisky they're much nicer.

BTW the Teaninich 25 year old is absolutely wonderful!


Well... I'll have to try everything alway's at least one time... :oops:

But, the Teaninich 25 sounds great! But a bit to Fruity, citrus, flowery for me I guess... I prefer the more masculine whisky's of Islay 8) ... In fact I've just finished a Cask Strenght Laphroaig myselve... (Great whisky :!: ).

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:47 pm
by Raf
Cast strenght Laphroaig! *drools*
Teaninich! *drools*
Mazzer Mini! *drools*
(I'm sorry: lots of stress lately! ;) )

PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:35 pm
by carolynb
Tried it once, made a real mess and sounded dreadful! Stick to vac and soft brush :)

PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 7:01 pm
by Sunnyfield
I used the rice in the MM yesterday. Lots of noise and very fine coffee-contaminated rice flour as a result. Burrs were optically very clean again. I am good to go for another 6 months at least.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2004 1:34 pm
by alans
I ground some rice in my Zass turkish last night and I was very surprised, it's a hell of a lot harder to grind rice than it is coffee! I'd say it required about three times as much torque to turn the handle. Perhaps that's why Joey's fuse blew.

I'll still use it, but it does make me wonder if it'll wear out the motor on my electric grinders faster.....