Why I’ve been up since 2:30, I don’t know, but at about 3:30 I gave up on trying and decided a cup of coffee was in order.
In the muddle and mid-darkness of the kitchen, I saw the open receptacle and poured water into it—like about 3 cups—before I realized something was going terribly wrong.
It’s a Capresso burr grinder and it appeared as if the water just poured through the grinder mechanism and out into the grounds cup—and all over the counter.
I just stood there incredulous as water ran down the front of the cupboards onto the floor. As soon as I “came to” I quickly unplugged it and removed all the removable parts (which is basically just the hopper and upper burr), and dried everything off as best I could.
I can’t remove the bottom to check out the motor assembly & see if it got wet because it has some kind of hex screw in it that no allen wrench or hex drill bit that I own will fit.
But I’m wishing and hoping real bad that it’s dry inside. The burr assembly empties out through an opening into the grounds cup. I bet the motor is housed in such a way that coffee powder can’t get in there, but as for its water-tightness, well…
How long should I wait before giving it a go? I’m thinking the duration of the weekend.
We have a coffee grinder. We have water. The question is: how long does it take the thing to dry out? Answer: No idea.
What can we try? Wait until it seems dry – no dripping, probably good enough.
What’s the worst that is even remotely likely to happen if you’re wrong? Your grinder shorts and dies.
Fact is, if you are the sort who uses a coffee grinder, you can afford a new coffee grinder. If it seems dry, it’s probably dry. You’re not going to get electrocuted. You also probably need to take a break from the coffee if the lack thereof affects your mental state to the degree you claim.
Either way, seriously? If it’s not dripping wet, it’s probably fine. Grow a sac, already.
Try filling the coffee bean reservoir with rice. It will absorb any moisture from the appliance. I would even turn it upside down so that if any water has gotten into the motor housing from the top, it should drain out that way and be absorbed by the rice as well. Leave it like that for a few days. Good luck! I can see myself doing the same thing early in the morning.
Helpful? Seriously? Common sense is usually pretty helpful, though I suppose to someone who asks “How do I tell when something is dry?” on the internet, common sense might not be “good enough”.
ETA: also, “shake it out and give it a try” can hardly be less useful, unless you’ve tried it, eh?
I spilled a whole pint of water into my laptop keyboard once. I took it as apart as possible then put the bits on a warm radiator for a day. Worked fine.
It actually forms a binary azeotrope with water with a higher vapor pressure than water has making it evaporate more quickly. “Drives out the water” is an incorrect explanation of a real phenomenon, and a useful shortcut for people who may be confused by the whole azeotropic mechanism. Coffee deficient people may fall into this class.
Fill me with alcohol and I will solve all of your problems.
Back to the OP, I would say letting it dry out for a bit (less than a day, maybe 3 hours) should be fine. The wiring is presumably insulated. Worst case scenario is soggy grinds.
if there are no vent holes on the lowest surface then invert it to let dry.
for emergency wakeup coffee use instant it is quicker and safer. if you use powdered instant you can make it with tap water, chug that and you will be alert quickly.
In addition to drying out the electrics, make sure you really thoroughly clean any part of the grinder that comes in contact with ground coffee. When grounds get damp, they form this hard sticky “coffee mud” substance that can clog up the grinder or, in the worst case, actually cause the motor to burn out. A wire brush works great for cleaning the burrs and a nylon brush is good for any plastic parts you need to clean.
