Have you ever wondered “how you can make the best coffee possible without spending too much money?” Is it by using coffee beans or coffee grounds?
These questions arise among coffee lovers who drink many cups of coffee daily. That can add up to quite a lot of money in a month, especially if you only use the best coffee brands.
Finding a way to get great quality coffee at an affordable price can help you to minimize your coffee bills.
It will also help if you discover whether using coffee beans to brew your coffee is cheaper than using coffee grounds. Let’s find out.
What Are Whole Coffee Beans?
Whole coffee beans are the round, roasted seeds you buy as light, dark, or medium roast from the coffee shop or grocery store.
These coffee beans are harvested from coffee cherries which are the fruits of coffee plants. They are processed through wet or dry methods before they are taken to a roastery.
Roasted whole coffee beans are olive, light brown, or dark brown in color. Their color intensifies depending on the temperatures they are exposed to during roasting.
What are Coffee Grounds?
Coffee grounds are coarse, medium, or fine coffee powders produced from coffee beans. They are produced using coffee grinders such as burr grinders and flat blade coffee grinders.
The size of coffee grounds determines how much of their flavors you extract during coffee brewing.
Coarse coffee grounds are suitable for making cold brews and French Press coffee. Medium coffee grinds are best for brewing drip coffee, while medium-fine coffee grounds are ideal for AeroPress brewers.
Fine and extra fine coffee grounds are used to make Espresso coffee and Turkish coffee.
Are Coffee Grounds Cheaper Than Whole Coffee Beans?
You can buy ground coffee or whole coffee beans for your coffee brewing. You’ll find that ground coffee beans are cheaper than whole coffee beans in most outlets.
That may surprise you because coffee grounds come ready to brew coffee. The coffee producers have already done the work of grinding coffee beans for you, and all you have to do is pop them in the coffee machine and brew your coffee.
Maybe you would expect them to charge a little extra for easing your work. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
In most cases, coffee beans cost double the price of coffee grounds. A good example is Starbucks Veranda ground coffee which costs about $ 12 for a 20 – ounce bag, and their Veranda whole coffee beans that cost about $ 28.
Do Coffee Grounds Produce Better Quality Coffee than Coffee Beans?
And what about the quality of coffee you get from coffee grounds and whole coffee beans, which one is better?
It may surprise you to discover that whole coffee beans produce better quality coffee than grounds. That may be why they are more expensive.
We know how easy it is to brew coffee with grounds using a drip coffee maker, filter coffee maker, or Espresso coffee maker. How do you brew coffee with whole coffee beans?
You can brew coffee with whole coffee beans by steeping the coffee beans in hot or cold water to extract their flavor. This method is often used to make cold brew.
Some people use the double boiler coffee brewing method to prepare coffee using whole coffee beans.
Gently simmering whole coffee beans in water for about 30 minutes can also result in a flavorful brew.
These methods take longer to make coffee using whole coffee beans, but they produce a less acidic or bitter brew than coffee grounds.
They come in handy when you do not have a coffee grinder to prepare coffee grounds or have no time to grind coffee beans.
If you want to use your coffee beans for longer, grind them just before you brew coffee. That will minimize the amount of coffee beans you use to make your coffee.
Why are Coffee Grounds Cheaper than Whole Coffee Beans?
Although some people feel whole coffee beans should cost more than coffee grounds, they are reasons why the opposite is true. A major reason for this is the quality of ground coffee beans in the market.
You can never be sure of the purity of the coffee grounds you buy, even if they are processed by reputable coffee producers. They could be mixed with impurities like corn, wheat, barley, or soy that are often found in facilities that make coffee grounds.
Expert coffee brewers always recommend you grind coffee beans before brewing your coffee for the freshest and most flavorful brew.
Once coffee beans are ground, they lose their aroma and flavor. That means the coffee grounds you buy, no matter how well packaged and sealed they are, have lost a bit of their value by the time you buy them.
Investing in a coffee grinder and grind your whole coffee beans before brewing your coffee is better. Burr grinders are better than flat blade grinders because they produce consistent coffee grind sizes. A good quality one may cost you between $ 20 – $ 100 dollars.
A burr grinder will give you the freedom to brew any kind of coffee because you can grind coffee beans into any grind size. You can get coarse, medium -coarse, medium – fine, and fine coffee grounds for coffee making.
That will allow you to make coffee grounds to fit any coffee machine you have at home, be it a Moka pot, Pour-over coffee maker, or French Press.
Is Buying Coffee Grounds a Loss?
Does that mean buying coffee grounds, although they are cheaper, is a loss? No. There are coffee producers that have a reputation for producing the best coffee grounds. Some good examples are Starbucks and Stone Street Coffee.
You can also increase your chances of getting fresh coffee grounds by buying those closest to their roast date. That will mean they have been exposed to oxygen for a shorter time since they were ground from coffee beans, ensuring you can use them for longer.
But nothing beats grinding fresh coffee grounds from whole coffee beans just before you brew your coffee.
What About the Storage of Coffee Grounds and Whole Coffee Beans?
The main issue when it comes to the freshness of coffee, whether it’s in the form of grounds or whole beans, is exposure to light, air, and moisture. The more you expose your coffee to these elements, the faster they lose their flavor, aroma, and oils.
That’s why whole coffee beans are more expensive than coffee grounds.
You can buy several bags of whole coffee beans if they are recently roasted and packed in hermetically sealed bags that do not let in moisture, air, or light. These coffee beans can last for up to 2 years when stored properly.
But, buying coffee grounds in bulk is not recommended because they degenerate in quality with each passing minute, whether they are packaged properly or not.
The main thing to note is once coffee beans are broken down into grounds, they start losing their flavor and will continue even as they are in the bag.
Ultimately, buying whole coffee beans even if their price quote is higher than that of grounds is a cheaper option.
Conclusion
Now you know the difference between coffee grounds and whole coffee beans. You also know which is cheaper to purchase over the short or long term.
Regardless of this information, what matters is your preference when it comes to coffee brewing. Do you like using whole beans or coffee grounds?
You may choose to use whole beans even if they are more expensive than coffee grounds because they make the most flavourful brew. Some people prefer to use coffee grounds because it saves them from grinding coffee beans.
Whether you brew coffee using whole beans or grounds depends on your preference, regardless of what they each cost.
