by Kevin Yarr, CBCNews.ca

Making my first pot of coffee after Christmas with my new coffee grinder I was amazed at how much better it tasted. The grinder was a step or two up from my old model, but could a more even grind really make that much of a difference?

I was pleased when I opened the grinder Christmas morning. It had become impossible to adjust the grind on the old one, meaning my Turkish coffee and espresso makers were mouldering in the cupboard, but it still appeared to make a passable pot in the French press.

But then I learned it wasn't, or that at least it was only just passable, and set out to determine why.

I settled on the question of cleaning. I had not been able to clean the old grinder in a long time. As a side effect of being unable to adjust the grind, I also could not remove the top burr. While I am careful about cleaning the French press, the need to clean the grinder had escaped me.

But even with the new grinder there is a problem. You can remove and scrub down the top burr, but not the bottom, and no amount of dabbing with the included brush will get all the coffee off the bottom burr.

Turning to the internet I found several sources that suggested running uncooked white rice through the mill. I wasn't keen on trying this on the new grinder, but figured there would be no harm in experimenting on the old one.

Eager to do a proper job, after a great deal of struggle I managed to wrench off the top burr and wash it. Returning it, I ran about a quarter cup of rice through, then a couple of tablespoons of coffee to push through any clinging rice.

And yes, the coffee was much improved - though not as good as on the new grinder. Perhaps the grind is better on the new one; maybe there are limits on just how well you can clean one of these things.

What are your top tips for making a better cup of coffee?