If you love using freshly ground spices in your food, then you most likely have at least one or two spice grinders in your kitchen. Whether made from glass or high grade plastic, you may think that you have to replace the entire grinder when your spices run out, but if you don’t wish to toss (or better yet, recycle) the grinder bottles, you can reuse them for many more years to come. First however, you need to make sure that you keep your grinders in good shape so that they last as long as possible.
Today, we will share a few tips on cleaning your grinder, reusing empty spice grinders, keeping the lids and bottles protected against the elements and other steps you can take to save on the costs of buying brand new grinders whenever your favourite spices run out.
Tips for Making Spice Grinders Last Longer
Some useful tips for making your grinders last as long as possible include the following:
- Invest in good quality grinders. Having a good grinder or two, or even a whole set, will ensure that you have the best quality to start with, which will go a long way in making sure that the bottles and lids last. Glass bottles are easy to clean, and if cleaned correctly they do not retain any odours or residue. If using plastic, look for high grade materials such as PET, which is a recyclable material that is eco-friendly and long-lasting.
- Organise your spices. To further ensure that bottles stay in good shape, try to organise your spices in specific bottles for each type of spice. For example, salt and pepper mills should be kept in their own bottles, and aromatic spices used in different bottles. Or, you could organise by hot spices and sweet spices. Using cinnamon in a former cayenne pepper bottle (especially without cleaning it) may result in some rather interesting baking experiments, to say the least.
- Invest in a bottle brush. These are very handy for cleaning bottles, as the name implies, but they are also good for washing tall glasses, jars and various other items that are harder to reach with a regular brush or sponge. You can find them in the baby product aisle of most supermarkets, or at chemists. The long shape and soft bristle will allow you to thoroughly clean empty spice bottles to remove all traces of spice before reusing them.
- Clean bottles and lids thoroughly. You may use a small brush, like a toothbrush, to clear the inside parts of the bottle and then a slightly damp cloth for the outside.
- Replace lids that no longer work properly. Obviously, you will need to get new grinders at some stage eventually. If the lid does not close properly, if you cannot get rid of odours anymore, if the grinding mechanism is not working or any signs of damage are visible, replace the lids and recycle the old ones.
One of the advantages of purchasing your grinders from a specialist such as Global Grinders is that you have the ability to purchase bottle sets, individual bottles or lids as and when needed. With various lid options that range from screw on to shakers and even adjustable grinders for course or finely ground spice, we have a great range of spice grinders to suit all of your cooking needs.