Cuisinart Coffee Grinder Not Grinding (16 Reasons Why and How to Fix It!)

I’m a coffee lover. I love the smell, the taste, and how it makes me feel. So when my Cuisinart coffee grinder stopped grinding my beans, I was devastated.

If your Cuisinart coffee grinder won’t grind the beans, it’s time to troubleshoot. There are a few things you can try before calling Cuisinart customer service and requesting a replacement.

What happens when your Cuisinart grinder isn’t working?

Whenever your Cuisinart grinder is not working properly, you won’t get the finely blended grounds that you’re hoping for.

Here are a few things you might experience when your grinder isn’t working.

Your coffee grounds are much more course than usual.
Your coffee beans are unevenly sized after grinding.
Your Cuisinart grinder is much louder than it’s ever been.
Your Cuisinart grinder suddenly stops in between grinding beans.
Pieces of coffee beans are stuck in your hopper.

Reasons why the Cuisinart coffee grinder is not grinding

1. There’s no power

If you press the button and nothing happens, it’s likely that your Cuisinart coffee grinder doesn’t have power.

First, check to make sure the outlet you are using is working. If you can see a light on an appliance plugged into the same outlet, then it’s likely okay. Unplug all items from that outlet and plug in your Cuisinart coffee grinder again to see if it works.
If there’s no power at all to the outlet (no lights on any of your appliances), try switching outlets or testing outlets on another circuit in your house. If there is still no power coming through when trying a different outlet or circuit breaker switch, then call an electrician to diagnose and fix the problem before trying anything else with this product.

2. It needs cleaning

But before escalating the issue t hiring someone to fix it for you, it’s important to check if your coffee grinder needs cleaning. There are multiple parts of the machine that can be cleaned:

Remove the burrs and clean them with a soft brush or cloth to remove any residue buildup.
Clean the grinding chamber by grabbing something as small as a toothbrush and brushing through it and spinning it until all pieces can spin freely without resistance.
Clean the hopper and lid using warm soapy water, then dry thoroughly before closing everything back up again (you’ll want to make sure there’s no moisture inside).
Make sure you wipe down your exterior as well—that includes removing any dust buildup on top of your appliance along with any debris from around its base.

3. It’s getting old

The most common reason why your Cuisinart coffee grinder is not grinding is that it’s getting old.

If you haven’t replaced the grinder or burr in the last few years, then it might be time to do so now.

While some people think a grinder should last for decades (or at least 10 years), this is not always the case, and many times you will find that after five or six years of daily use, your burr needs replacing.

When buying a new grinder for your Cuisinart coffeemaker, there are two things to keep in mind

Make sure that it fits into place when installed. Get one with as few moving parts as possible because these tend to wear out more quickly than those with less complicated designs

4. The motor is failing

The first step to troubleshooting is checking the power supply. If you have a Cuisinart coffee grinder that does not grind, it may be because of a faulty electrical connection or a problem with the motor.

If your Cuisinart has stopped grinding, there are three possible explanations:

The motor is not getting enough power. In this case, you need to check your circuit breakers and make sure they are all turned on. If you still do not get power then there could be something wrong with your wiring or wiring connections in general. Check them out as soon as possible before anything else happens!
The coffee grinder overheated due to excessive use or improper maintenance (i.e., using stale coffee beans or running the grind for long periods without rest). You should replace the grinder immediately if this happens because it will likely continue to overheat until it burns up completely. It could end up being a fire hazard.

5. You’re using the wrong beans

You’ve probably heard the term “freshly ground” used about coffee, but what does it mean?

Strictly speaking, freshly ground beans are those that have been roasted within two weeks of grinding. They’re also stored in a cool, dry place (not on your countertop or next to the oven).

The best way to make sure you’re using freshly ground beans is to buy whole beans and grind them yourself right before brewing. Failing that, look for a label like “freshly ground” on the package of pre-ground coffee you intend to buy at the store.

This makes sure that someone else has done their research and picked out the freshest beans possible.

6. Beans stuck in the hopper

When beans get stuck in the hopper, it starts to interfere with the grinding process.

Bits of broken beans can get lodged in the hopper and prevent the blades from properly cutting through the fresh beans that you add.

If you’re finding this an issue, then remove your hopper and look inside to see if you can clean out or release some of the bits and pieces of you that are still leftover from previous uses.

7. Grinder overheating

If the coffee grinder is not grinding because the blades are dull, it is easy to fix by using a sharpener.

If the coffee grinder is not grinding because the beans are too coarse, it is easy to correct by using a finer grind.

If the coffee grinder does not have a well-ventilated motor, it will overheat if used.

To prevent this from happening, place the machine in an area with good air circulation.

And once again, keep your grinder clean from old coffee grounds.

8. The safety off switch gets stuck

The safety switch is a key component of any coffee grinder.

It’s designed to ensure that the machine does not turn on unless it is placed in the correct position.

This is essential for preventing accidental activation of the blades, which could cause serious injury if someone were to get their hands inside while the grinding was occurring.

The safety switch should be checked regularly to ensure that it has not gotten stuck or otherwise malfunctioned. It should also be cleaned regularly with an unused toothbrush

You should also deep clean the area with mild soap and water to avoid the buildup that could make it obvious but is still essential.

You need to first check and make sure that your coffee grinder is plugged in before you start deciding that it is not working. They may not be able to move freely.

9. The grinder is overheating

If your grinder is overheating, this might be the problem.

Your grinder is likely going to overheat if you are putting too many beans in it or if the grinder is struggling to deal with the beans that you have put in it.

A dirty grinder can also cause the grinder to overheat because it might be too hard for the grinder to grind because it is dirty.

10. Replace your grinder blades

Replacing the grinder blades can also help make the grinder work well.

If the blades are dull or if the blades are damaged in any way, they might be struggling to grind the coffee beans that you have in the machine.

11. Remove any old beans stuck in the grind release chamber

A stuck bean can be a huge issue that can make the grinder seize up.

You need to open up the grind release chamber to see if there are any beans stuck in the grinder that might be keeping it from grinding properly and keeping it from moving.

12. Check the grinding gears

The next thing you need to do is check the grinding gears.

The grinding gears are what make the grinding blades move.

If the grinding gears are stripped, they are not going to have enough traction to move the blades and make the blades grind.

If they are not working well, they might not be moving the blades properly and might end up causing issues with the blades and with the grinding as well.

13. Clean the safety off mechanism

A lot of issues do come from the machine is dirty. If you have a very dirty machine, the safety mechanism might end up causing the machine to stop working well.

You need to make sure that you are cleaning up the safety mechanism, as it might end up keeping the machine from working and might end up making the machine stall.

14. Change the coffee beans

The type of coffee bean that you are using might also have an effect on the machine and how it grinds.

If you notice that the machine is struggling, the beans may be too hard for the machine that you have.

You should swap out the beans for a softer or a lesser-roasted bean and see if it is just the bean that is causing the issue instead of the machine itself.

15. Check if the coffee grinder is overloading the circuit

Still another thing to consider is that sometimes the coffee grinder is going to overload the circuit that you have it plugged into.

You do need to take the time to make sure that the machine is not overloading the circuit that you are using; you can move it to another outlet to see if there are any changes or issues.

If you notice that there are some problems, you should take the time to find an outlet that is going to work well for your needs and make sure that you are using an outlet that is going to work.

16. Check if there are too many coffee beans

The last thing that you do need to think about is that you might have too many beans in the grinder.

If you notice that there are too many beans in the grinder, it might be too hard for the grinder to grind the beans that are in it.

If you notice that the beans are not being ground evenly, you might have too many beans in the grinder, and you might need to swap them out and take some of the beans out so that they can grind properly.

How often should you clean a grinder?

You should make sure that your grinder is clean after every use.

You can do this by removing all the detachable parts and looking at all of them to see if there are any loose pieces of beans still lodged in them.

I also recommend looking into the crevices of the grinder to see if any pieces of ground beans are stuffed inside them as well.

Eight out of ten times, this will be the main issue. Holding beans getting lodged inside a chamber that hasn’t been cleaned for years Maybe it’s been neglected.

As for a deep clean, I recommend doing it every three to four months. But it ultimately depends on how often you use it.

If you’re using your grinder nearly every day, then I would recommend doing a deep clean every two months.

This also has the added benefit of keeping your coffee smelling and tasting nice and fresh every time you grind it up and brew it.

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