Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds?

Can you reuse coffee grounds? Well, the short answer is: Yes. You can reuse the coffee grounds in your coffee maker, but it won’t taste as good after each subsequent brew. 

Read on to learn a bit more.

What is coffee extraction? 

Coffee brewing is a science experiment. When you make a cup of coffee, it goes through the extraction process in order to get that perfect tasting cup of coffee. 

Extraction happens when you dissolve ground coffee with hot water. Coffee extraction is simply the process of mixing ground coffee and hot water so that the flavors from the ground coffee are pulled into the water, along with acid, oil, caffeine, etc. 

Coffee extraction is affected by ratio, grind size, water temperature, pressure, contact time, and agitation. For instance, coffee that is too weak, lacks sweetness, or tastes sour is usually a sign of under-extraction. 

Over-extraction, on the other hand, happens when you brew the coffee for too long. Or if you are using too much water, or your grind is too fine for your brewing method. Over-extracted coffee is not yummy but tastes overpoweringly bitter, as the volatile compounds that produce sweetness and acidity will be overwhelmed. 

Is it ok to reuse coffee grounds?

It is best to use ground coffee for brewing only one time. But if you are short of fresh ground coffee, you can always reuse coffee grounds to make more coffee.

Although the second brew is still drinkable, it won’t taste the same and has significantly less to offer. If you really want to reuse coffee grounds and make another batch, make sure you only reuse them once. 

How can you reuse coffee grounds?

Coffee grounds are surprisingly versatile, and there are plenty of ways you can reuse coffee grounds for other purposes apart from drinking. If you typically make coffee at home, this can result in a lot of coffee ground by the end of the week. 

Alternatives to reusing coffee grounds

The following is a list of practical and useful ideas to repurpose coffee grounds, from composting to cleaning. 

1. Gardening

Coffee grounds contain a significant amount of essential nutrients, such as nitrogen. These nutrients promote the growth and reproduction of microorganisms in the soil that will break down and create useful compost for your garden. 

Spreading used coffee grounds around plants or trees may improve drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil. However, putting too much coffee grounds around your plants may harm your garden. So it is best to spread coffee grounds around your plants in moderation. 

2. Natural Body Scrubs

Having a slow morning with a cup of coffee is an ideal way to relax. And sipping your coffee is just one way you can relax. Did you know you can also make homemade body scrubs out of your repurposed coffee grounds? When using a body scrub, you exfoliate your skin by removing dead skin cells. The result is even and smooth feeling skin while clearing blemishes and increasing blood circulation. Just remember to consider your skin type when exfoliating at home.  

To make your own homemade body scrub, you’ll need just three ingredients: coffee grounds, sea salt, and coconut oil. All you need to do is simply mix the three ingredients until well combined in a jar. Then use it anytime you take a shower. It’s so easy to make and pamper yourself while putting your coffee grounds to good use. 

3. Fix Scratches on Wood

If your dark wood furniture looks a little scratched, coffee grounds can effectively cover those scratches up. Here’s how. Put some coffee grounds on the end of a cotton swab, rub the grounds into the area and let the grounds sit for 10-15 minutes on the scratch. Then, remove the unwanted excess grounds from the wood. It may not work all the time, but it’s worth a shot. 

4. Remove Odors

You can use coffee grounds as a natural air freshener and deodorizer. Just like how the nitrogen in coffee grounds is beneficial for your plants and garden, the nitrogen comes in handy when it comes to odors too. It has been proven to be quite effective in neutralizing odors in the air and absorbing any lingering smells. To use it, put dried coffee grounds in an open container and be surprised at how much odor it absorbs.

5. Natural Dye

Want to give your old clothes an update in an affordable way? Dyeing fabric yourself is a fun way to do this. It is possible to dye fabrics naturally using coffee grounds. All you need is to spread the coffee grounds on your wet fabric, rub them on both sides for several minutes, put the fabric aside for 15 minutes, and let the color develop. You may repeat the process for as many gradations as you want. 

6. Grow Mushrooms

We’ve made a few coffee and mushroom recipes, including a Reishi Mushroom Chocolate Latte. Some mushrooms not only go well with coffee but did you know you can also grow mushrooms in coffee grounds?

Coffee grounds can be a mushroom growing medium, and you can start growing mushrooms anytime at home. Coffee grounds pasteurize the soil and provide significant valuable nutrients for the growth of mushrooms. This easy and fun method requires no special equipment. Plus, you already have coffee grounds on hand, so try growing something with it.