Can You Grind Oats In A Coffee Grinder? -

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Can You Grind Oats In A Coffee Grinder? Yes, you can grind oats in a coffee grinder, as long as the food ingredient is small enough to fit into the feed tube and brittle enough to be broken down by the blades of the coffee grinder, it can be processed in the device.

Most cereals (and I don’t mean what you have for breakfast every morning) and grains fit this description which means they can get ground in your coffee grinder.

However, since they are usually milled in large batches, there are a few things to take note of whenever you want to use your coffee grinder to grind oats into flour.

Things to note before using your coffee grinder to grind oats

Grind in batches

With the growing demand for more gluten-free food on menus, there are innovative ways in which some grains are milled to flour to replace “all-purpose flour” one of such food items is oats, therefore, when you need to grind oats into flour, it is usually done in larger quantities compared to spices and coffee beans.

In order not to overwork your coffee grinder which typically holds about 2-5 cups of food items at a time.

You need to grind the oats in small batches, taking your time with each batch to grind it as smooth as you can get it. That way you get the best results and also maintain your coffee grinder.

Allow coffee grinder downtime

When grinding the oats, ensure you allow the coffee grinder to rest between batches, because when you use it for an extended period it may begin to overheat because of the friction between the blades of the coffee grinder and the dry oats.

Usually, when electronic devices begin to overheat, that’s when they’re most prone to damage, therefore, if you don’t want to factor in a new coffee grinder in your next budget then I suggest you allow it a couple of minutes of downtime to cool down a bit.

Make sure it’s properly dry

You need to ensure the oats are completely free of moisture before you start grinding, if it is not completely dry and you grind it that way, it will affect the texture of the end product which you get, it will also affect the blades of the coffee grinder making them dull overtime— finally, it may cause the coffee grinder to clog because the processed oats may end up being like paste and you’ll have a difficult time getting it out of the coffee grinder.

Always make sure you dry the oats or whatever you want to grind properly before running it through your coffee grinder.

Clean before and after use

You need to clean the coffee grinder before you grind the oats and after you are done, to avoid cross-contamination.

Let me explain, coffee grinders are not just used to grind coffee, they can also be used to grind spices like Peppercorns, cumin, cinnamon, etc.

If you end up grinding oats with the coffee grinder that you just used to grind any of the spices mentioned earlier, you know it will impact the taste of the oats flour when you’re done.

The same goes for not cleaning after you’re done grinding the oats, the coffee beans or spice you grind afterwards will be affected— hence, cross-contamination.

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What else can I use to grind oats?

Don’t own a coffee grinder and you’re wondering what other household device you can use to grind your oats? I got you, below are a couple of devices you can use.

Grain Mill

Grain mills are used to process grains, it gets work done in large quantities, there are two kinds of grain mills— the electrically powered grain mill and the manual grain mill, although the latter will save you from procuring a lot of high electricity bills, it is very labour intensive. It is very ideal to grind your oats.

Blender

You can also use a blender, however, it has to be a high powered blender with a sturdy motor— like the Ninja Professional Countertop Blender, you may need to pulse for extended periods however in order to grind the oats into a smooth flour.

Again, remember to wash the blender properly because dry ingredients tend to stick in the crevices of a blender and contaminate your smoothie when you’re blending fruits.

What else can I grind in my coffee grinder?

There are other food items you can grind in a coffee grinder, as long as they meet the criteria which is basically, dry ingredients small enough to fit in a coffee grinder.

Grains

Grains like Rice, Corn and Millet all fit the bill for the type of food item you can grind in a coffee grinder when you need to mill your grains into flour to make pastries or whatever you want to, I mean, it’s your grains you can eat them raw if you want to— no one can stop you, the sky’s the limit. Anyway, you can grind grains as long as it’s properly dry in your coffee grinder.

Dry Herbs

Dry herbs like Coriander or Thyme can be processed in your coffee grinder if you need to, it will probably be one of the easiest things you’ll ever grind in a coffee grinder, it is brittle and very lightweight.

Dry Spices

With a very strong emphasis on the dry part, do not attempt to grind any sort of fresh spice in your coffee grinder, it will end in disaster.

Only grind dry spices, which you can easily fit in the feed tube of your coffee grinder of course, for all your fresh spices, you can either use your blender or purchase a granite mortar and pestle if you don’t own one.

FAQs

Can I make smoothies with a coffee grinder?

Absolutely not, do not even try to grind fruits or any form of fresh food in your coffee grinder, the side effects are numerous.

You will end up making all the metallic components of your coffee grinder begin to rust because of the moisture content, it may end up shocking you if you’re not careful, when the liquid enters the coffee grinder.

It will cause it to spark and that will damage your coffee grinder. Just to mention a few, and since you can’t wash a coffee grinder, your smoothies will inevitably have the lingering taste of either coffee or spice.

The negatives far outweighs the benefits of using your coffee grinder to make smoothies, best to avoid it and purchase a blender or eat the fruit as is.

Is it OK to grind oats?

Yes, of course, oats flour is a great replacement for “all purchase flour” because it has minimal gluten development, it is an amazing gluten-free alternative for making pastries and desserts for individuals that are on a diet or have allergies.

However, you need to grind the oats properly and ensure you don’t overwork the flour so it doesn’t affect the taste or texture.

Oats flour can be used to make a lot of stuff you know, including cakes, you should try it out, I didn’t say you’d like it— but you should definitely try it out.

Can you grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder?

Yes, you can, as long as it is properly dry, you can work it in your coffee grinder. Seeds tend to produce a lot of oil when they still contain moisture, when you grind it that way, it will cause your coffee grinder to clog and ruin the taste of the other items you grind in the future. Therefore, Sun dry the chia seeds properly before you grind it in your coffee grinder.

Can I grind grains in a food processor?

As long as the motor and blades of your food processor are powerful enough, sure you can. However, you may not get satisfying results though, because the blades of a food processor are not compact enough to grind the grains into flour. If you need to grind grains, get a grain mill or use your coffee grinder.

Can I grind coffee beans in a blender?

Of course, a powerful blender will give you similar results which you may get from the average coffee grinder.

Just make sure you don’t crowd the blender, you can grind it in small batches to get the best texture you need when it comes to coffee beans— the better the texture, the higher the quality of the brew.