Restoring an Antique Crank Coffee Grinder

In the days before people spent $4 on a cup of coffee, they brewed their own coffee at home with pre-ground coffee from steel cans. In the days before pre-ground coffee from steel cans, people ground their own coffee in nifty electric coffee grinders. And in the days before people used electric coffee grinders, they ground their own with hand crank coffee grinders. These handsome wooden and metal contraptions were common in kitchens around the US and Europe. The only time you see them these days is creating ambiance in diners and restaurants. I've been looking for a grinder like this for a while. No electricity and no batteries required. And last weekend I was luck enough to find one for $20 at an antique store.

This unit is made by Zassenhaus in Germany, where they still make hand crank coffee grinders. They're pieces of art as much as they are functional, with prices to match. This unit is probably not actually that old, as it says "Germany" on the bottom, rather than East or West Germany. The company's been around since 1867, but I'd wager this was made after the fall of the Berlin Wall, as it doesn't look like a pre-war grinder. Although the wood is in great condition, the mechanicals were quite rusty. It looks like someone tried to wash the inside and did not dry out the grinding burs. Unlike nearly everything made these days, this grinder was made to be easy to disassemble, repair and reassemble. Removing the lid was as easy as four screws on top of the unit and two on the sides.
What greeted me on the inside was a rusty mess of steel. Though everything still worked, I wouldn't want to drink coffee after it was run through these rusty burs.
I took apart the entire mechanism, cleaned everything with metal polish and a toothbrush and then dried everything carefully with a paper towel. A little scrubbing does wonders. The unit was remarkably easy to disassemble. Just a few wood screws holding the whole thing together.
Practically everything manufactured today is made to last for a few years and be thrown away. Higher quality consumer goods are meant to last a lifetime, but are rarely meant to be serviced when something goes wrong. But this grinder was easy to take apart, easy to clean and easy to put back together. And it makes delicious coffee!