How to Grind Coffee Beans Without a Grinder
January 13, 2022 | Kurt Parker
Many people are persuaded to believe that brewing coffee without a grinder is impossible, but this is simply not true.
There are a variety of alternatives to using a grinder to grind coffee beans, so you can still have your daily coffee. There’s no excuse not to have your freshly ground coffee fixed if you utilize other kitchen equipment instead of a coffee grinder, such as a food processor or a mortar and pestle.
Below, we’ll show you how to crush coffee beans without a grinder, so you can grind your coffee for espresso. Or drip coffee using common household objects. Our simple instructions will show you how to grind coffee beans in whatever grind texture you require.
You’ll be making coffee in no time with these 7 techniques.
The following are the best ways on how to grind coffee beans without a grinder:
A. Mechanical Ways:
• Blender
B. Manual ways:
• Knife
Mechanical Ways of grinding your coffee beans without a coffee grinder:
You’ve just opened a fresh bag of whole bean coffee and can’t wait to get your hands on a cup of the world’s best Arabica beans. However, you do a double-take when you realize your coffee grinder is broken — or, even worse, you realize you don’t possess one at all.
What’s a coffee or espresso junkie to do?
What if you don’t have a grinder but have coffee beans? You’ll discover how to ground coffee beans without a grinder in this article using mechanical ways.
1. Use A Blender
If you’re in a pinch, a blender might come in handy. A blender works in the same way as a blade-style coffee grinder. Some blenders even include a “grinder” mode just for this purpose! To begin, choose one of the higher speeds or the “grinder” preset. Fill the blender halfway with beans and close the lid tightly.
Grind your beans in tiny bursts only. If you keep the blender going, the oils in the beans may overheat, resulting in a bitter cup of coffee.
Blend the beans with this on-and-off approach. Tilting the blender from side to side while grinding to get the bigger bits into the blade’s path. Short, fast bursts ground the beans and release the entire taste and texture.
This is because the blade of a blender normally spins at a high speed, heating the bean’s inherent oils and resulting in a bitter and harsh cup of coffee. It’s done by putting beans in a blender’s pitcher and setting the blender to a slow grind setting.
Then, with the lid on the pitcher, begin pulsing the coffee beans in two-second intervals for roughly eight to ten seconds. You can repeat the process as needed to get the desired amount of coffee.
2. A Food Processor
A food processor is a type of equipment that deals with food by grinding it to bits. What you’ll require:
Roasted coffee beans, a sieve, paper towels, and a tiny empty container in a food processor
Depending on the brand and model number, food processors have different components. To ground coffee beans, use your food processor’s grinder (dry mill), work bowl, or blender jar. The procedure is the same as before. The strong blades in a food processor may ground the coffee beans to unusable fine grinds. Therefore. To minimize over-grinding, use a food processor to ground coffee beans in small bursts. Make an effort to get a consistent grind size.
The grind size of a coffee grinder may be adjusted from extremely coarse to very fine. A food processor does not have any size controls, and finer grinds are obtained by operating the processor for longer periods of time. Two sets of burrs move in opposing directions and have different tooth sizes in a burr coffee grinder.
Depending on the selected grind size, the burrs ground the coffee beans into smaller uniform particles that can pass in-between the two sets of burrs. The blades in it, move in the same way and can help come up with various grinds and grind sizes.
This is a simple option, similar to the blender because many individuals own a food processor.
This is one of the most effective ways to grind your beans. Use the pulse setting in 5-second increments once more.
3. Grinder For Spices
In a little container, there’s merely a whirling blade. This method works well for spices, but it also works well for coffee. Just make sure the grind isn’t too fine for your taste. An example of it will be to Simply smack it a few times and you’ll have “ground” coffee. The grind of your coffee is far more essential than you would believe. Even the cheapest grinders don’t perform as well as the more costly ones. It’s all due to the drudgery.
Manual Ways to grind coffee beans without a coffee grinder
Making coffee is a morning ritual for many people who sleepwalk through it, following a pattern that’s somehow become your favorite method of consuming coffee, ensuring you’re set to begin your day.
If you don’t have access to a grinder, you may just grind or crush the coffee beans to get the desired consistency in a manual way which you can read below:
1. Use A Mortar And Pestle
Because it is simple and effective, a mortar and pestle is one of civilization’s first cooking utensils. Using this set to have your coffee beans grind will help you get the most control over the grind size, allowing you to confidently produce coarse French Press grounds or ultra-fine grounds.
When you’ve gotten used to the grind, you’ll want to Empty the grounds and do it again if necessary. A mortar and pestle is probably the next most practical grinder in a pinch, and it will work, but not flawlessly. Put the beans in a plastic bag and bash them with a rock if you’re really desperate.
2. Make Use Of A Hammer
If you don’t have access to a grinder, a hammer is one of your “last choice” options for grinding coffee beans. With a hammer, it might be difficult to get the appropriate uniformity, and using too much power can actually ruin the flavor of your beans.
That said, grinding coffee with a hammer is an excellent method to prepare a fantastic cup of cold brew, and it also works for people who wish to utilize coffee appliances like a Chemex.
Coffee beans are generally readily crushed with a mallet hammer or a meat tenderizer. These devices should be handled with caution since they can easily injure your hand during the crashing process. To begin, measure the beans and place them in the center of two parchment paper leaves or into a freezer bag that has been sealed. The bag is then put on a surface, and the beans are crushed with constant and gentle strokes until the appropriate consistency is achieved. If you don’t have a hammer, a meat tenderizer will suffice.
We highly encourage you to put the beans in the freezer to limit the mess to a minimum (although there will undoubtedly be some mess with this strategy).
3. A Rolling Pin, to be precise.
You’ll have to grind your beans by hand if you don’t have a blender or food processor. This is more difficult, but it is feasible. Place the coffee beans in a sealed plastic bag and roll it over with the rolling pin.
It will take some time, but you can grind your beans this way if you have patience. To use this approach, measure the beans and place them in a bag before sealing it. Set it on a flat surface, then place a wooden rolling pin on top of the coffee beans and gently shatter them.
After breaking them, roll them with the rolling pin while exerting pressure to them until you have the consistency grind you want. Repeat the process multiple times until you have the desired amount of coffee.
4. Use A Knife.
Use the flat side of a kitchen knife’s blade to grind your beans, not the sharp edge. Because butcher or chef’s knives have a broad, stiff blade with lots of contact area and power to swiftly smash the beans, they perform effectively.
This approach is a little more difficult, but it gives you a lot more control over the grind. Directions
On a broad chopping board, spread out your coffee beans. Place one side of your knife on top of the beans, sharp edge facing away from you. To keep beans from flying while you work, lay a cloth over the knife. To smash the beans, place a flat hand on top of the blade and press down. Continue pushing down on the edge of the bean once it has broken, bringing it slightly towards you for a finer ground.
Why do you need to grind your coffee beans?
To create robust flavor into every cup, coffee beans are roasted and then ground.
Hot water removes soluble elements from the beans during the brewing process. Including as acid, sugar, caffeine, carbohydrates, and lipids.
You can make a well-balanced cup of coffee by grinding your beans to the proper texture.
The quality of a coffee grinder’s grind is crucial in generating a nice cup. Yet sadly, the majority of coffee grinders fail miserably. Using a mediocre grinder will detract from your excellent coffee.
The best method is still to use a conical burr grinder. Invest in one if you enjoy high-quality, freshly roasted coffee. The machine lineup includes a number of low-cost, high-quality grinders that will endure for years, if not decades.
The importance of consistency cannot be overstated.
The perfect texture of your grinds is determined by the brewing technique you select. Since you don’t want your hot water to filter through the grinds too slowly for a bitter, powerful cup, or too rapidly for a weak brew. We’ll go over which brew techniques need specific grind textures further down. But regardless of which method you pick, you’ll want your coffee beans crushed into uniform bits.
What’s the best way to crush those beans so you can brew your coffee?
While grinding coffee beans is simple, the consistency you desire will vary. Even if you don’t have a manual grinder or automated one, you may get the correct grind in a variety of methods.
How can fine grind or roast affect coffee flavor?
A fine grind releases more scent while also bringing forth more bitter flavors. A light roast has flowery and fruity flavors, while a dark roast has chocolaty and smokey notes. Adjust the grind to the brewing technique for the optimum flavor – finer if the coffee is too weak or acidic, coarser if it’s too bitter. Roast level, grind, brewing technique, and other factors influence every part of the coffee’s flavor.
It’s all a delicate balancing act.
If the same crop of beans is utilized. A light flavored brew may be made with a blond roast, and a rich bodied brew can be made with a dark roast. The finer the grind, the more bitter the cup, in my experience. Bitterness isn’t always a terrible thing. It’s something that some people want in their coffee.
In my espresso maker, I used a little coarser grind, and the resultant coffee has more body and is less bitter.
To get the most taste out of your coffee, how finely should you grind it?
Depending on the brewing method (French Press? Melita Filter? Moka Pot? Percolator?) The coarser the grind, the longer the water is in touch with it when brewing. The espresso powder is very finely ground. Perc coffee is coarsely ground, but not as coarse as “cooked” coffee.
I alter my grind from roast to roast, attempting to dial in the right fineness for that specific bag of beans. And that particular roast, and I’m working within really tight limits (same beans, 30 LB at a time, roasted one pound at a time).
Does grind size affect flavor?
By itself, the size of the ground coffee particles may make a huge impact in flavor.
If you want to play around with this, find a business that will sell you as few beans as you like. Get a couple ounces of your favorite beans and ground them in the store grinder. So you can obtain the finest, midrange, and coarsest grinds on the machine. Take them home and brew them separately over a few days. Everything must be the same, including the machine, the amount of coffee, the amount of water, the temperature, and so on. Check out how different it tastes! And it’s not likely to be what you think.
The extremely fine grind is frequently bitter, while the coarse grind is weaker, and the midway grind is just that: middle! As a result, the size of the grind is crucial. Even if you do use a coffee grinder, the results may vary.
Because the blade just smashes into the beans and pulverizes them, a cheap blade grinder will not generate even particle size. Because certain beans are struck harder by the grinder than others, there may be multiple distinct sizes in a single grind.
What more can I do to get a better sense of my coffee’s actual flavors?
As promised, here are 4 other critical factors:
• Use freshly roasted coffee beans.
• Keep them in a space that’s dry and has cool temperature
• Before using, grind a tiny amount.
• Use a light-roast method if at all feasible.
While a darker roast reduces bitterness and compensates for a richer, deeper flavor, the bitter light roast is coffee the way it was supposed to be enjoyed. Find a 3rd wave coffee shop in your neighborhood and try a cup to see what I mean.
Using a high-quality burr grinder
This can have a significant impact on the coffee. A decent burr grinder, where you can select the grind size and the grinding burrs produce highly uniform particle size, will result in a considerably nicer cup.
And now you’re attempting to grind with something else? It gets a lot worse. Why would you even attempt it? Because sometimes , life gets in the way and you’re stuck with few options, and you really want freshly ground coffee. So you’ll have to know hoe to grind with something else.
A blade grinder will outperform a blender, mortar & pestle, hammer, or any other tool. If money is an issue, a $10 blade grinder from Target or Walmart would suffice. A nice burr grinder is a fantastic delight for a little extra money (about $30). Very consistent, and most let you to adjust the grind size and duration. As a result, you’ll always get the same grind and quantity. On mine, I simply press the button, and coffee is ready in a matter of seconds!
All about achieving coffee flavors
The extraction rate of coffee grounds rises with a higher surface area, hence grind size counts. To enhance the surface area of the coffee, grind it finer.
Furthermore, the fact that the higher the extraction rate, the less contact time is required, as well as the simple reality that a finer grind might limit the water flow rate, increasing contact time.
It implies that you must pay close attention to the uniformity of the grind. In essence, you want to acquire the exact course grind for the brew style you want.
A coarse grind is typically used in a French Press or Toddy Maker that uses the cold brew method, a Vacuum Coffee Maker, or a Percolator.
Auto Drip Makers with flat bottom filters benefit from a medium grind. Cone-shaped filtered drip producers benefit from a medium to fine grind. Stovetop espresso pots and drip machines with cone-shaped filters benefit from a fine grind. Finally, for espresso machines, a very fine grind is ideal.
The Advantages of Coffee Grinding
It’s impossible to make coffee without grinding it first. There is no brew technique on the globe that does not require the coffee to be ground in order to generate a cup, and there will never be. Aside from the obvious requirement, freshly ground coffee has a number of delectable advantages. And this can have a significant impact on the coffee.
Experts feel that uniformity of grind, rather than technology, is the key to extracting the flavors in coffee beans with more precision. There will be over-or under-extraction with an uneven grind, resulting in a chalky flavor. You can obtain the freshest cup of coffee by grinding your coffee beans right before you brew.
Final Word…
We take the uncertainty out of selecting the right coffee bean grind size for your brewing delight. We’ve even assisted you in selecting the most straightforward coffee grinding techniques without an actual coffee grinder. You can easily take advantage of your favorite coffee beans by having to roast and grind them at the comforts of your own home, and you don’t even need a special kitchen gadget for it!
You may grind your beans in a variety of methods, which is fortunate. Even if you don’t have access to a mechanical grinder, you’ll have plenty of choices.
Simply remember your brewing procedure to get the right consistency of grounds every time.
Whether you go all out and buy sophisticated coffee equipment or use a cheap grinder and coffee machine, the most important feature of a good cup of coffee is its freshness – try to grind your coffee as much as possible at home!