Skip to content

14 Steps on How to Clean Your Comandante

Commandante needs cleaning

Cleaning your grinder can seem like a chore but it’s actually pretty easy. Truth is, I actually found it to be a very soothing experience that has helped me appreciate my Comandante grinder even more! Here’s how you should go about it.

Step 1: Collect your tools. I recommend the following.

  1. Toothbrush. Can be old or new. I grabbed a new one and shall be reserving it for the Comandante from now on.
  2. Long brush. For places a toothbrush can’t go.
  3. Toothpick. For getting into nooks and crannies.

Step 2. Remove your grinder from your Madkat grinder stand.

Remove commandante grinder.

Step 3. Install the hand crank so you can grip the axle and remove the burr assembly.

Commandante hand crank removed

Step 4. Use a toothbrush to clean off any excess coffee before disassembling the grinder burr. (Something I didn’t do but probably should have!)

Commandante grinder without jar

Step 5. Unwind the dial all the way. (As if you’re making the grind setting courser.) The dial should come off completely.

Commandante adjusting dial grind size
Commandante removing dial
Commandante dial removed

Step 6. Remove the burr from the central axle along with the spring.

Commandante removing burr
Commandante remove burr and spring
Commandante burr and spring removed

Step 7. Now that the central burr and spring are disassembled, you can remove the hand crank.

Commandante hand crank removed

Step 8. Time for cleaning! Use the toothbrush to clean all accessible surfaces on the main body and the burr.

Commandante cleaning
Commandante cleaning
Commandante cleaning
Commandante cleaning
Commandante cleaning

Step 9. Use a long brush for places that are hard to reach like the top bearing and washer cavity.

Commandante with hand crank and burr removed

Step 10. (Optional) If you’re a perfectionist, use a toothpick for the some of the nooks and crannies.

Commandante cleaning with toothpick

You’re grinder should look like this when it’s all cleaned up.

Step 11. Time to put it back together! Place the hand crank back on so you can assembly the burr set back on.

Commandante attached hand crank

Step 12. Place the spring in the burr then fit the burr with spring back onto the axle.

Commandante install burr and spring

Step 13. Thread the dial back onto the axle. (Tip: You could rotate counter clockwise while applying very slight pressure until you feel the adjustment dial drop onto the threads of the axle. Then, rotate clockwise to thread the dial on.)

Commandante install dial
Commandante install dial
Commandante install dial
Commandante installed dial

Step 14. Now that you’re good to go you can put it back into your Madkat electric grinder stand and let it grind away while you prep/plan your next coffee experiment!

Hope you found this guide helpful. Let me know if you have any comments or questions!