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Ground Coffee at Home
Like most coffee drinkers, you are like most coffee drinkers; this question may have crossed your mind at least once. But probably not since it never really mattered to you. You just grabbed the pre-ground coffee from a coffee filter or coffee pot.
But then, one day, you realize that you are out of coffee grounds and there is no store to get coffee from. You want coffee, but you just can’t bring yourself to drink coffee without grinding coffee beans first.
How to Grind Coffee Without a Grinder?
What if there was no coffee grinder at home? Would you be able to find another way to get a fine grind?
There are several ways that you can prepare freshly ground coffee at home.
Different Methods of Grinding Coffee Beans Without a Grinder:
Here are some ways to grind freshly ground coffee without a coffee grinder at home.
1. Use a Mortar and Pestle
Even before coffee became one of the world’s most popular drinks, it already had coffee grinders to prepare coffee. Coffee grinders were made from stone or clay called a mortar and pestle.
These coffee grinders were used to grind coffee beans. But today, coffee grinders are made from metal and ceramic; coffee is ground more finely than before, and coffee grinders do not usually come free with mortar and pestles.
Tips:
But if you don’t have a coffee grinder at home, then you can use a mortar and pestle to get a fine grind without it. It can be difficult, but it’s doable. Here are some tips:
– Grind coffee beans slowly and gently to avoid breaking the coffee bean
– Do not grind coffee too finely because coffee ground very finely will clog coffee filters or coffee pots
The downside of using a mortar and pestle is that it takes too long to grind whole bean coffee and can be quite challenging. Also, a coffee ground with a mortar and pestle may not be as fine as a coffee ground with a coffee grinder.
2. Use a Blender to Grind Coffee Beans
Blenders are easier to use than mortars and pestles – all you need to do is press ‘On,’ and coffee beans are transformed into coffee grounds. And if you want finer coffee grounds, then just pulse the blender a few more times.
Make sure to clean blender attachments before you grind coffee with it, as it has been used for other ingredients previously.
Another important thing is not to grind coffee grinders for too long as the heat and friction may burn coffee beans.
Tips:
Here are some important coffee grinding tips when using a blender:
– Make sure to use coffee beans with no cracks in their shells since coffee grinds from broken coffee beans may clog the blades of the blender.
– Coffee beans that are unsoaked or with just a little bit of coffee soaking may grind faster than coffee beans that have been soaked in water.
-Blenders with different power outputs will produce coffee grounds with different fineness. And coffee ground with blenders will clog coffee filters and coffee pots more easily than coffee ground with coffee grinders.
3. Use a Rolling Pin to Grind coffee Beans
For coffee drinkers who just cannot live without their coffee, they can also grind coffee beans with a rolling pin – much like how the dough is rolled out in the kitchen. Just place coffee beans on a flat surface and roll over them until smooth coffee grounds are formed.
Tips:
Here are some coffee grinding tips:
– There is a difference between coffee grounds and coffee dust. If coffee beans are ground finely, the coffee ground will be coffee dust, and it may clog coffee filters or coffee pots when brewed.
– For coarse coffee grounds, roll the rolling pin over the coffee beans until they break into two – but not too finely.
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4. Use a Coffee Maker to Grind Coffee Beans
Just as coffee grinders can be used without electricity, coffee makers can also be used without coffee beans grinding plates. In fact, many coffee makers of the world’s top coffee brands have been designed with grinders built-in. So, coffee beans can be ground into a coffee machine just before coffee making.
There are two types of coffee makers with coffee grinders:
- Cafetieres
- Filter coffee makers
Some coffee makers may come with grind settings that control the fineness of the coffee grounds. However, other coffee makers will produce coarse coffee ground or fine coffee grounds depending on the coffee beans used.
After coffee grinding, coffee grounds produced by coffee makers are ready to brew coffee with coffee makers, coffee filters, coffee pots, or coffee brewers.
6. Use a Knife to Grind coffee Beans
Although it is not recommended, busy people may find using a knife to grind coffee beans convenient. Although coffee grounds produced by coffee grinders are usually coffee dust, coffee grounds with a knife may not be coffee dust but coffee bean chunks.
Since there is no control of the size of coffee grounds when grinding coffee beans with a knife, it is also possible to find some very fine coffee grounds mixed in with some very coarse coffee grounds if coffee beans are not ground evenly enough.
7. Use Hand Mincer or Garlic Press
You can also grind coffee beans in a hand mincer or garlic press. These coffee grinders are usually used to grind a small amount of coffee beans. For a hot coffee or cold brew, you need to grind coffee at moderate speed for some time.
This method of grinding coffee is suitable for coarse coffee grounds. However, if you grind coffee too fine, the sharp blades of the garlic press may burn your coffee beans.
However, if fine grinds are required, it is not recommended to grind coffee beans with a blender or food processor. If you use these kitchen appliances to grind coffee beans, use medium-low speeds for short time periods to avoid coffee burn.
Conclusion
We can say that coffee grinders can produce coffee grounds that are suitable for different types of coffee filters and coffee pots – coarse, medium, fine, or very fine. And we can use other methods for grinding coffee if we do not have a coffee grinder at home.
However, you should use these alternative appliances at low speeds if you use a blender, hand mincer, or garlic press. And only use the appliance for short time periods if you want to enjoy fresh-ground coffee.
If you grind coffee beans manually, make sure to use a rolling pin or electric grinder at low speeds for medium time periods. If you choose to grind coffee with mortar and pestle, be patient as the process may take longer than other methods.