coffee grinder for spices in the UK?

We use the attachment for our Kenwood mixer. If your friend has a mixer, an attachment might be better than a stand alone machine.

I just bought a coffee grinder from a reputable manufacturer. The only specific requirement for spices is to have a small capacity so that the ground spices don't get lost around a bigger grinding area. Consider how easy it is to clean. I tend to brush out the bits from mine and give it a wipe with a bit of damp kitchen towel. This is OK because mine is only ever used for spices, so a bit of one spice blend in the next doesn't matter. I don't think it's feasible to get them clean enough to swap between coffee and spices in the same machine.

-- Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana. Steph Peters, Manchester, England email: delete invalid from snipped-for-privacy@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid

As far as the blade-type grinders go, when grinding something where a tiny amount is needed (and when it's appropriate for the recipe) I add a half teaspoon or teaspoon or so of coarse corn meal. This helps pick up all the finer grit that might be lost sticking to the sides, and helps distribute it throughout the dish being prepared.

my tuppenceworth, as someone who always grinds her own spices, I find that it is more hassle using an electric grinder and then cleaning it than using a good old fashioned morter and pestle! Small coffee grinders do work but are a bugger to clean - especially if you want to grind coffee as well. They are handy if grinding a lot of spice - maybe to store but otherwise not worth the bother... A good quality heavy cast iron, but small, frying pan - to roast the spices might be an alternative. I would certainly be very happy to get such a gift.

have you tried uk.food+drink.indian for alternative viewpoints?

fiona

Quoting from message posted on 22 Sep 2004 by Polyvinyl I would like to add:

Agreed, since spices should be freshly ground (but if you're using them daily then sufficient for a few days can be ground at the sme time and stored).

Typhoon's cast iron range are very good and even make grinding cloves relatively easy.

It has been discussed more than once but it won't harm to post the query as ufdi is not a heavy traffic group.

(sorry the topic is not on the website)

You are right. Since acquiring a really big heavy stone pestle and mortar, the electric grinder hasn't been used. And the small pestle and mortar can go in the dishwasher.

-- Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them. Adlai E Stevenson Steph Peters, Manchester, England email: delete invalid from snipped-for-privacy@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid

I use an ordinary hand coffee grinder I bought from a boot sale. Cleaned it well. You can grind small amounts at a time. Very easy and cheap. No need to put in dishwasher. No need to clean at all really.

Stodge

I have a dedicated Krups grinder for spices. The oval one that goes for around US$20. I have another one, an older model, dedicated to grinding nuts. I use it daily. I don't grind coffee. And I don't bother to clean them, though the cover on the one used for nuts does need to be cleaned once a year.

Don .