can this be used for grinding herbs. my exact question is can this machine grind pieces of spice or grains as large as 1 or 2 inches?
450050
No grinding spices unless they were small and hard (like pepper). Nothing 1 or 2 inches would make it inside the grinding opening. The beans have to make several turns before they drop into the grinding area. Great for coffee beans and it would work for peppercorns but I don't see how it could work for something like cinnamon or nutmeg.
450051
I think it could. The problem would be if there was moisture in the herb it would clog.
450052
If you're going to use an electric grinder for your ...herbs... I suggest a smaller handheld-style grinder, this type : http://i.imgur.com/foRBisx.jpg - almost no waste. The Cuisinart is full of moving parts for powder and leaves to get stuck.
450053
No, Not in my opinion. I grind my herbs after I dehydrate them in a small blender/chopper.
516602
Absolutely!! As far as it goes that I can tell, This mechanical devise has been so nice for me that is, that you could use it for a number of different herbs or different salts, peppercorns, etc... I have a variety in mine presently. And on the opposite end have a Part Himalayan Salt Part Hawaiian Black Salt Combo!! It is Definitely your preference as long as you stick to the guidelines on not over tightening for the size of how fine you want it to grind. Which I have had no problem with mind the way it came...
577218
Spices should be ground with a bladed grinder, herbs should be done by hand, and nutmeg should be ground by rasp. So - I wouldn't recommend using this burr grinder as you asked.
266032
I like it but, I take mine to almost fine, so not sure it can be controlled, to do coarse or fine, it does not have an adjustment on it. But, it does grind it very well, and came with 2 extra cups to interchange, spices, herbs?
1000774
Yes it will grind some herbs and turn it into powder but not recommended. The flavor of the herbs may mix in with the flour and some herbs may still have moisture in them. I use a regular small electric food processer $10 for my herbs and it works fine to turn them into powder.
705448
Not sure since it's not something I've tried. Don't know why not - you can get the grind as fine as you want - it's a SUPER grinder!
1889717
Hi Francie,Yes, this is an awesome size for grinding small amounts of spices or seeds. However, I have never tried flax seeds, so can't really comment on them specifically. I love this little mortar and pestle. Just the right size for keeping handy by the stovetop and it is really lovely to look at.
283882
I think the mini seed mill will do coffee but for sure not the large mill. So far I have only used the small grinder for spices. The large mill will only grind dry grain nothing that is wet or oily such as flax seeds or nuts.
1516988
Dang, people! I'm looking for an herb grinder to crush caraway seeds for my homemade rye bread. Now you've got me nervous that my mailman will think I'm doing weed!!!
151861
Yeah, it can handle any size herb. Pounds quite easily. The only negative is the size of this model. It is soooo heavy which can make you think twice before using it, and realizing that you'll have to pick it up and clean it. I am thinking of buying a smaller model as well for the spices. They are beautifully made, works of art almost.
69807
Yes..you certainly could! It might be a bit tricky like you'll have to cut the cinnamon sticks in pieces first THEN grind it, same as the cloves. The teeth of this grinder is extremely sharp so i warn anyone using this grinder on not throwing caution to the wind..it could cut you without you even knowing it so be very careful using this. Other than that it's a superb and finely made grinder. I have used mine for many things including herbs like thyme and rosemary, whole peppercorns and big seeds. A highly recommended product and you cannot possibly go wrong getting this for yourself for it comes in handy. I hope I answered your question. :)
474547
This grinder is better for small grains. The larger stuff like corn or bean are too big and the teeth won't grab them to grind them up.
1646779
I use it to finely grind Italian herbs. It works great. No more big hard chunks of rosemary leaf. It's awesome for quickly dressing salads.
1658608
No, I have only used it for coffee. I think that grinding moist substances, like ginger and garlic, would not work well unless it was fully loaded. I wouldn't do this with my mine.
372080
I have not tried it on spices but I've thought about it. My guess is it would work fine as long as the material you are grinding is not much larger than a coffee bean. Coffee beans feed easily into the grinder and the mechanism pulls the beans down evenly so the grinding action is very smooth on coffee beans.
259294
it's a small grinder. We use it to grind pepercorns. Nutmegs are probably too large for the machine.
1887520
I'm not sure how sturdy your herbs are, but I use mine to grind coffee and that's a pretty tough substance. Be careful, however, not to densely pack the grinder and pulse it to grind. Don't overload it and then jam down on the buttons. That's a sure recipe for failure.