Green, To answer your question in the terms that you have outlined: Use a coffee grinder (I also have 2 brauns, one dedicated to chiles) Yes, it will grind to a powder if you pulse long enough! Yes, you will still get some bits and pieces and seeds (if you did not take them out first) and you can sift the powder out and regrind the bits. I prefer to have both, a strained jar of just powder and another of bits and peices so that I can use them for different things (pieces on spaghetti/pizza/etc.) As for a grinder leaking, I haven't had that problem but maybe it has a small crack or the lid has something in the way of it fitting totally down to where it should. It may have to go to the big junk yard in El Grande heaven and fetch yourself another. I was lucky....had one braun for coffee and found another exactly like it at a yard sale, still in the box only used once for a buck or two. Linda