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So you have woken up one morning expecting your Cuisinart coffee grinder to do its magic so you can enjoy a nice cup of Joe only for it to ‘refuse’ to grind your coffee?
Well, as frustrating as it can be, it can sometimes be an easy-to-fix problem…
Keeping that in mind, below is how to troubleshoot a Cuisinart coffee grinder that has stopped working…
Cuisinart coffee grinder not working – how to fix your grinder..
Check if the Bowl is properly assembled
When your coffee grinder bowl is not well assembled the motor will not automatically run so it won’t work.
For that reason, start by checking the bowl and re-assembling it properly, if it does not appear right.
And while at it, make sure that it is fully engaging and that the lid is completely engaged (in the bowl).
Reset the Motor
In some cases, the culprit is the motor.
And since you don’t want to complicate things, you can see if quickly resetting it will help.
Just follow the procedure below:
How to reset the motor
- Unplug the unit.
- Remove the lid and the bowl with the blade and put them aside.
- Plug the unit back in and then take a pencil and look for a little button on the top there(that is the mechanism that locks the bowl in place and makes it operable).
- Press it down with the pencil tip and hold it in place and at the same time press the chop button.
- You will notice the center stem has begun rotating-which means you have successfully reset the motor.
- Reassemble the unit and see if your grinder will resume grinding beans.
Check if the grinder is clogged (and clean it)
If you hear the engine working, the fault can be due to clogged grinds – the burrs could be gunked up and the grinder blade gummed up.
Your best bet for the issue is to clean up the grinder thoroughly.
How to clean the grinder
Below is a great video showing the clean process(step by step)
Quick tip: Always let the Cuisinart coffee grinder air dry because a moist environment may cause the coffee to clump together, resulting in serious clogging.
It’s worth mentioning that you can unclog Cuisinart grinders like a Cuisinart DGB-900BC grinder by you can either simply brew half a cup of anti-calcium liquid descaler.
What I like most about the product is that it will clear any calcium deposits in your machine completely.
Cuisinart coffee grinder not working-More troubleshooting steps
Check if the switches are faulty
If you have not been successful this far, check both switches carefully( the one that ensures that the ground coffee bin is in place and the other one that ensures that the whole bean hopper is screwed in properly).
Now, if the two switches seem mechanically engaged but the grinder won’t work, the most common reason might be faulty safety switches…
How to do that:
- Remove the 4 rubber feet and then the screws underneath.
- Next, get the bottom plate out(you can pull at it to get it out).
- Slide the unit’s circuit board out and then keenly check the tiny glass fuse soldered onto the board with a multimeter(you want to check if the fuse is blown).
- With both bins in place firmly, now test if there’s continuity between the tiny gauge black and red wires.
- If you find the circuit open, that means you have one problematic switch.
Recommended fix:
You can bypass it.
To bypass it, just cut the two small gauge wires (red and black) a few inches from the main circuit board then connect them together directly and see if your grinder will work.
Check if you have a defective plug cable/fuse
There is a decent chance that a failed plug cable(or the fuse in the cable) is behind your woes too.
Here is how to diagnose a faulty plug cable:
- Turn off the plug then disconnect the cable from the grinder.
- Next, check if there is any-breakage on the cord by trying out a new power cord from any compatible device
If your grinder works with the new cable, get a replacement cable.
The circuit board may have malfunctioned
The other possibility is a bad circuit board(perhaps due to a power surge).
Sadly, a replacement board can be pricey(not to mention that it is not readily available) so if your warranty is expired(in which case you can return it and get a replacement), you may have to shop for a new grinder!
Important tip: It is an added advantage to have a surge protector for your coffee grinder and other kitchen appliances.
Why so?
Because it reduces the impact in case of power fluctuation (and it can save your kitchen appliances from damage).
Cuisinart coffee grinder overheat
If you’re grinding too much (at a go) it tends to overheat and cease working-and that’s because the motor gets overwhelmed.
Of course, it will operate again fine if you give the grinder enough time to fully cool down.
However, the long term solution is to stick to grinding just what you’ll be using at one time.
Otherwise you might have to buy a grinder with a heavier duty motor.
Cuisinart coffee grinder not working-Final words
Hopefully, our troubleshooting guide has helped you work through the problem of your Cuisinart coffee grinder not working.
Before I go, it is important to mention that many of these Cuisinart coffee grinder issues can be avoided with proper operation and carrying out routine maintenance on your grinder.
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Cuisinart single serve coffee maker problems and fixes
Cuisinart Coffee Maker Won’t Turn On [Fixed!]
Cuisinart Keurig Coffee Maker Troubleshooting guide
