What stuffs other than coffee can you grind in a coffee grinder?

It depends on the grinder type. Blade grinders are the ones whose makers describe other jobs: the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind lists peppercorns, fennel, other herbs and spices, sesame, flax and chia, and the Wancle lists spice, seed, nut and herb, while the burr grinders in our Best Coffee Grinders guide are described by their makers around coffee beans only.

That split is the whole answer. A spinning blade chops whatever is in the bowl. A burr set is cut to shear beans into a uniform particle, and its maker’s published features talk about espresso, drip, pour-over and French press, not about cumin or flax.

What the blade grinder makers actually list

Hamilton Beach is the most specific of the five picks. Its published features say the grinder is “great for herbs and spices” and name peppercorns, fennel and other herbs and spices, then add sesame, flax, chia and other seeds for smoothies, protein shakes or food. The same listing says the stainless steel blades make easy work of grinding everything from coffee beans to herbs and spices. Those are the maker’s words, not a tested claim from this site.

The Wancle listing is broader and vaguer. It says the stainless steel blade chops ingredients through rapid spinning, so it “not only works well with coffee beans but also works spice, seed, nut, herb.” That is the full extent of the maker’s list: spice, seed, nut and herb, with no individual spices named and no quantities or times given for any of them.

Both are blade machines with a bowl and a lid you press. The Wancle publishes a capacity of up to 60g of beans and a power figure of 150 Watts at 120 VAC / 60 HZ. Hamilton Beach publishes a capacity of up to 12 cups of brewed coffee and a dishwasher safe removable grinding bowl, which matters if you plan to move between peppercorns and coffee.

Why the burr grinders are a different case

The three burr grinders in the guide are described by their makers as coffee equipment. OXO publishes 40mm stainless steel conical burrs and 15 grind settings plus 43 micro-adjustments, running from fine for espresso to coarse for French press and cold brew. Cuisinart publishes an 18-position slide-dial selector from ultra-fine to extra-coarse and a grind chamber that holds enough for 4 to 18 cups. SHARDOR publishes 16 settings and a 2 to 14 cup auto-stop timer dial.

None of those three listings names a spice, seed, herb or nut as something to grind. That is the precise scope of the absence: their published features do not list non-coffee ingredients at all. It is not a statement that the burrs would fail, only that the makers do not publish that use and this site has not compared it.

There is a practical reason the distinction holds. Burr grinders are set by the gap between two cutting surfaces, and the settings are numbered for bean texture. Oily or fibrous material behaves differently in that gap, and the makers give no guidance on cleaning it out. A blade bowl you can wipe or wash is a simpler place to experiment.

Spices and peppercorns

Peppercorns and fennel are the two spices Hamilton Beach names outright, and the listing adds “other herbs and spices” without listing them. Whole spices are the sensible category here: seeds and dried berries that a blade can catch and chop. Ground spices you buy already powdered have nothing left to reduce.

Expect the bowl to carry aroma. Hamilton Beach’s removable, dishwasher safe grinding bowl is the feature that speaks to this, since it can be cleaned between jobs. The Wancle ships with a clean brush, which the maker describes as being for sweeping away leftover micro-grounds. Neither maker publishes a cleaning routine for spices specifically.

Grind spices in small batches and in a bowl that is completely dry. The makers publish no moisture guidance, but a blade grinder is a closed bowl, and damp material clumps rather than falls. This is general kitchen practice, not a figure from any listing.

Seeds, nuts and herbs

Hamilton Beach names sesame, flax and chia directly, in the context of smoothies, protein shakes and food. Those three are small enough that a blade reaches them all at once. The Wancle listing adds nut and herb to its list of spice and seed, again with no named examples and no published capacity for anything other than the 60g of beans.

Hard, dense items are the ones to think about before you fill the bowl. The Wancle publishes a 150 Watt motor, and Hamilton Beach publishes no wattage at all. Neither maker publishes a maximum load for nuts or a recommended batch size for herbs, so there is no figure to work from beyond the bean capacity each one states.

Herbs, meaning dried leaf, break down quickly in a blade bowl and are the easiest of the group. Fresh herbs are a different material and no maker in the guide addresses them. Stick to dried leaf if you are following the listings.

Keep one grinder for coffee if you can

Every pick in the guide is sold first as a coffee grinder, and the coffee figures are the ones the makers publish in detail. OXO states a hopper that holds up to 12 ounces of coffee beans and a UV-blocking tint. Cuisinart states an 8 oz. bean hopper and a removable grind chamber. SHARDOR states a 2 to 14 cup timer. Hamilton Beach states enough capacity to brew up to 12 cups.

If you grind peppercorns in the same bowl you use for beans, the residue goes into your next cup. Hamilton Beach’s dishwasher safe bowl is the one published feature that directly addresses cleaning between ingredients. On the Wancle, the included brush is what the maker offers.

The simplest arrangement is a blade grinder for spices and seeds and a burr grinder kept for beans. That matches what each maker publishes: the blade listings name non-coffee ingredients, and the burr listings do not.