Grind-Brew-Reuse

Coffee Grind Guide

The more coarse the grind, the more time the water needs to touch the coffee in order to extract
Burr grinders use pressure to grind instead of chopping beans. This produces a more consistent grind size

Storing coffee

Keep beans airtight and cool. Your bean's greatest enemies are air, moisture, heat, and light.

To preserve your beans fresh roasted flavor as long as possible, store them in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature. Coffee beans can be beautiful, but avoid clear canisters which will allow light to compromise the taste of your coffee.

Keep your beans in a dark and cool location. A cabinet near the oven is often too warm, and so is a spot on the kitchen counter that gets strong afternoon sun.

Coffee's retail packaging is generally not ideal for long-term storage. If possible, invest in storage canisters with an airtight seal. - National Coffee Association

Brew methods

French Press Immersion method

Prepare the water: Heat water to around 200°F
Preheat the press: pour some hot water in the press, wait 10 seconds, then dump the water
Grind the beans: Grind coffee to a very coarse setting
Adding coffee: this is size dependent, but use a ratio of 1:12 coffee-to-water as a starting point.
Let it bloom: Pour enough 200°F water in to cover the grounds, and let the coffee expand.
Brew: pour the remainder of your 1:12 ratio of water into the press, place plunger on top but do not plunge and set timer for 4 mins.
Plunge and pour: press the plunger down slowly and then pour into your favorite mug!

Drip coffee machine

Grind: Grind coffee to a medium grind

Fill water reservoir: use filtered water and fill reservoir to desired level. Add filter to machine and then pour grinds into the filter.

If you experience sour or bitter flavor, use the chart below to adjust brew time, water temp, and grind accordingly (this can be followed for all brew methods):

Flavor	Brew Time	Water Temp	Grind
Sour	Increase	Decrease	Finer
Bitter	Decrease	Increase	Coarser

Cold brew

There are many devices on the market to help you make cold brew. The essentials of this brew method are.

Grind coffee very coarse
Combine room temp water with coffee
Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then stir or swirl
Let sit for 24 hours at room temp
Filter out the coffee grounds
Some people dilute the cold brew with more water, but it's all preference!

Aeropress

Weigh 15-18g of coffee
Grind coffee fine (almost to espresso grind)
Bring water to 200°F
Place filter in Aeropress filter cap
Wet the filter a bit with water
Assemble Aeropress tube and plunger
Place tube and chamber on scale and tare
Empty grounds into into the tube
Start timer as you begin to pour water
Water level should be about 30g of water level of the grounds
Use a mixer to mix water and grounds
Let steep for 30 seconds and then pour more water in until you reach the top of the chamber
Mix thoroughly and then screw on filter cap
Place over coffee cup and push down on plunger slowly.
Coffee will begin to steep out until fully seated.

Espresso

There are many methods to brew espresso. These instructions are for a semi-automatic machine.

Grind beans very fine into a portafilter
Tamp grinds with about 40lbs of pressure
Seat portafilter and brew

CHEMEX (POUR OVER) COFFEE

Grind beans to medium coarse and place in filter over Chemex/carafe
Place Chemex/carafe on scale and tare
Heat water to 200 degrees F
Slowly pour enough water to wet all coffee grinds then wait about 30 seconds for them to bloom
Continue slowly pouring water in intervals until you reach desired water amount*

*18g coffee to 230g water recommended as a good starting ratio, adjust as needed to your taste

Ways to reuse

The Great Outdoors

Fertilize your Garden - simply sprinkle them onto the soil surrounding your plants

Coffee grounds contain several key minerals for plant growth — nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium
Coffee grounds attract earth worms

Compost it for later

Composting is a natural process that turns organic items such as food scraps and yard debris into a dark, rich material. Adding compost to your yard or garden can help the soil hold onto more nutrients and water, thereby improving the health of your plants.

Repel Insects and Pests - simply set out bowls of grounds or sprinkle them around outdoor seating areas

Coffee grounds are effective at deterring mosquitos, fruit flies and beetles, and they may help keep other pests away too.
You can also keep pests out of your garden by scattering coffee grounds around your plants. They help create a barrier that slugs and snails do not like to crawl over.

Around the House

Remove Fleas from Your Pet - Simply rub the grounds throughout your pet’s fur after shampooing then rinse them off and allow your pet to dry as usual.

Fleas dont like coffee.
Coffee grounds are a natural alternative to chemical flea removal

Neutralize Odors - place a bowl of coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to neutralize odors from spoiled or fragrant foods. You can also fill old socks or pantyhose with coffee grounds and tie them off to make portable air fresheners

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which helps eliminate a foul-smelling sulfur gas from the air when it’s combined with carbon thereby helping to absorb and eliminate odors.

Natural Cleaning Scrub

Coffee grounds are abrasive and can help remove buildup on hard-to-clean surfaces. They may even help sanitize due to their antibacterial and antiviral properties.
The coarse texture of coffee grounds makes them ideal for scrubbing hard-to-clean kitchen utensils

Self Care and Beauty

Exfoliate Your Skin

The coarse particles in coffee grounds work as an exfoliating agent to help remove dirt and dead cells from the skin.
Simply mix coffee grounds with a little bit of water or coconut oil and scrub them with your hands directly onto your face and body.
Coffee grounds can also be mixed with a small amount of honey and used as an exfoliating lip scrub.
The caffeine in coffee grounds has potent antioxidant properties that can help protect the skin from sun damage.

Reduce the Appearance of Cellulite

When caffeine such as that in coffee grounds is applied topically, it may help break down this fat and increase blood flow to the area, thus decreasing the appearance of cellulite.
Simply mix grounds with water or coconut oil and scrub for 10 minutes twice weekly on any areas affected by cellulite.

Natural Dye

You can create an inexpensive and all-natural dye that can be used to color cotton, rayon, cellophane, linen and paper, and even your hair

In the Kitchen

Tenderize Meat

Coffee contains natural acids and enzymes, making it especially effective at tenderizing meat.
The acidic nature of coffee can also help enhance the flavor of meat.
Simply add used coffee grounds to your favorite dry-rub recipe and apply the rub to the meat two hours before cooking. The grounds will get cooked onto the meat and form a dark, crispy crust.