A lot of coffee enthusiasts tend to invest more in high-quality coffee grinders in their homes. The main aim is to ensure they can access the drink any time of the day.
There are plenty of coffee grinders in the market and shopping for these appliances tend to be a daunting experience for some people.
Many tend to opt for pre-ground coffee due to the difficulty of acquiring a high-quality grinder. However, the taste is normally bland and sometimes become stale after some days.
There are a lot of ways on how to grind coffee beans at homes such as the use of a mortar and pestle, rolling pin and blender.
Well, is it possible to use a food processor to grind coffee beans? The answer is yes. The food processor normally works as a blender but it tends to be larger. The appliance can help to grind coffee beans as an alternative.
However, the consistency of particles of coffee beans after being a grind with a food processor tends to vary. It is the reason why it is not used commonly by many people.
The cooking gear is quite suitable for those going for a vacation and the hustle of getting a coffee grind is quite difficult.
You will be required to scoop coffee beans and place them in a processor bowl then cover the top with a lid firmly. Tilt the processor side by side while grinding the coffee to ensure all the large particles pass through the blade.
Empty the processor bowls once all the particles have been ground into the required size. The key factor to adopt when using the food processor is a pulse technique. The technique helps to ensure all the coffee beans are ground into the required sizes.
Alternative Ways of Grinding Coffee Beans at Home
Grinding coffee right before brewing helps to retain its natural flavors and prevent it from becoming bland or stale. The good news is that there are plenty of simple kitchen tools that can help grind the coffee beans apart from food processors. They include:
Use of a Knife
The flat side of the knife rather than the edge is considered to be the best part of grinding coffee beans. The chef knife or butcher knife is the most recommended since they are slightly wider.
Here you will be required to place the coffee beans on a flat surface and press them with the knife until they are completely crushed.
However, the entire process of crushing the beans normally takes time. Practice makes perfect and this implies that with time, it will be much easier. You need to be careful when using the knife to grind the coffee beans since the sharp edge can cut your fingers.
Use of a Hammer
This is one of the commonly used methods by people since it is quite simple and easy. You can use the meat tenderizer or mallet to crush coffee beans for use.
The hammer can make the beans more refine and in powder form. Here the coffee beans are placed on the kitchen counter and hit gently.
You need to be extra cautious to reduce the chances of breaking the kitchen countertop. However, this is not the right tool for brewing espresso since it results in coarse coffee grounds.
It is quite ideal for cold brew or drip coffee makers. Fill the plastic bag with coffee beans and use a hammer to press them down firmly. Crush the bag gradually until you attain the required consistency.
Use of a Rolling Pin
Coffee beans can be crushed by the use of a classic rolling pin and it can be used to produce either coarse texture or fine texture.
You will be expected to use elbow grease and be extra observant when grinding the coffee beans. You place the coffee beans in a plastic bag and lay it flat on the kitchen countertop.
Use the pin to press the beans until they are crushed. Continue rolling and crushing the beans until the required size is attained. This process normally requires a lot of energy and time.
Use of a Blender
This is the ideal kitchen device for making ground coffee. It is fitted with blades that crush the coffee beans into the required particle sizes.
Unfortunately, the particles will not be consistent like that of the burr grinder. Grinding coffee beans with a blender needs some techniques to be effective.
The blades of the device tend to move quite fast and it is advisable to ensure the process takes a short period. Besides that, continuous grinding will make the kitchen gear to overheat.
Place the coffee beans into the blender and select the medium-high speed. Use pulse technique to grind the beans into the required sizes.
Slide the blender slightly to help ensure all the beans have been grounded. Shake the blender to make sure all the large sizes have been grounded.
Remember to place the lid and twist it to be tight. The vibration from the machine can make the lid to fly out in case it is not secured properly.
Mortar and Pestle
The most used cooking gear in many homes. A lot of people use them for grinding herbs, spices and medicines into powder form.
To get a consistent result, you need to combine both hammering and rolling techniques. The good news is that the gear gives an individual total control on the size of grounded coffee.
Scoop a small number of coffee beans and fill the mortar. Ensure the mortar has some space to prevent beans from falling out.
Hold the pestle properly and press all the coffee beans. The twisting motion tends to require a lot of energy and force. Once the required consistency is attained, pour them in a coffee maker and brew some coffee for use.
Final Thought
Freshly grounded coffee is known to produce a great cup of coffee. It is the reason why many coffee lovers grind them anytime they need it. There are several ways on how to grind coffee beans but not all of them are readily available for coffee lovers.