Are you a newbie to the world of coffee? Or just simply inexperienced with some of the standard terms. It could be easily intimidating to understand these used terminologies when appreciating coffee. One of the terms you’re sure to come across is “coffee grounds”. This article will enlighten you about coffee grounds and other things to note.
What Does Coffee Ground Mean?
Coffee grounds refer to what brewed coffee is made from. Grinding coffee beans gives a better, broken-down form. The coffee ground ranges from coarsely granulated to finely ground state. Grinding coffee beans makes it easier to brew with hot water, allowing for proper infiltration and getting the most out of the taste.
Coffee ground is the most common coffee form you’ll find on sale at convenience stores and malls. There are different ground coffee sizes.
- Extra coarse ground
- Coarsely ground
- Medium ground
- Medium-fine
- Finely ground
- Extra fine/Powdery/super fine
The sizes of the coffee grounds need to be considered side by side with the techniques required to brew.
Pros and Cons of Using Coffee Ground
Moving on, you need to understand the pros and cons of using ground coffee.
Pros
- Time-Saving
Coffee ground-brewed coffee is the best for people who have to start out early in their daily routines. This set of people don’t have all the time to spend making a cup of coffee with whole coffee beans. As a result, coffee grounds are the best time-saving coffee form to brew your hot cup of coffee before stepping out in the morning.
- No Particular Skill or Equipment is Needed
Preparing coffee from coffee grounds requires no special skills or extra equipment other than those you probably already have. Preparing coffee from whole coffee beans requires coffee makers or grinders and also a level of expertise. When it comes to coffee grounds, all you need is your boiled water, a spoon, a cup/mug and, of course, your ground coffee.
- Cost-Effective
While it’s true that coffee from home-ground coffee beans is better, purchasing pre-ground coffee occasionally could be cost-effective. Preparing coffee from coffee beans requires the use of coffee grinders. These grinders go for as much as over a hundred dollars. As a result, there is an incurred additional cost besides the cost of the coffee grounds.
Coffee lovers who can’t handle the increased budget might find it easier to use coffee grounds. Also, a level of skill is required to make a desirable cup of coffee with coffee makers.
Cons
- Fresh Coffee Beans are Better
While ground coffee has an increased surface area, fresh coffee beans are better quality. This is because high-quality beans are sourced to make this product. Low-quality beans are easily spotted, unlike ground coffee, where it’s all ground hiding lesser quality beans. As a result, the fresh whole coffee beans are better, and coffee fans wanting a better quality product will likely go for it.
- Price Difference
Speaking of purchasing better-quality whole coffee beans, you’ll find little difference between ground coffee and whole coffee beans price. You’d have to decide for yourself if this is a disadvantage or not.
- Longevity
Coffee grounds don’t last as long as coffee beans do. This lacking feature in coffee grounds reduces their quality compared to coffee beans. When a coffee bean is ground, the flavour starts to decline. Even more, loss of taste occurs due to oxidation during exposure. Conversely, coffee beans retain their flavour throughout their longer shelf life. This could save you more money futuristically than coffee grounds.
How to Get Coffee Grounds
If you’re trying to purchase coffee grounds for consumption, it should be easy. Coffee products aren’t elusive globally. Supermarkets, convenience stores and even shops sell them making them available to get when you need them. Placing orders online is also possible with the help of a site like Amazon and Jumia.
How to prepare Coffee Grounds
Preparing coffee with a coffee maker might be easy and the swiftest way to get your morning beverage. But what happens when you don’t have access to a coffee maker? There are various ways to prepare coffee without using a coffee maker. Preparing coffee from coffee grounds is relatively more accessible than using coffee beans. All you need are a few kitchen supplies. While there are several methods, a popular way of choice is the stovetop method.
The Stovetop Method
This method requires the use of the following:
- Ground coffee
- Water
- Small saucepan
- Spoon
- Mug
- A heat source
- To start, take your saucepan and pour some water into it. Ensure that the water is more than the coffee grounds to compensate for the evaporated amount when boiling and the ground’s absorbed amount.
- Take the coffee ground you usually use with your coffee maker and stir it into the water.
- Turn on the flame or heat on the burner to a medium-high. Let the coffee boil while occasionally stirring to prevent some of the grounds from burning at the bottom.
- Continue boiling for two minutes, leaving the saucepan uncovered. Afterwards, turn off the heat source and let the saucepan or pot sit for about four minutes. This cooling period allows the ground remnants to settle to the bottom.
- Using a spoon, scoop the brewed coffee into a mug avoiding the grounds. In case you don’t have a spoon, a sieve works too. Another option is to pour the coffee slowly into your cup. This should help to avoid pouring the grounds along.
This step is usually used for coffee grounds with insoluble coarse grind. There are coffee products made with a soluble ground size that dissolves with the addition of hot water. Those are easier as all you have to do is boil your water, add a spoon or two of the ground and then your sweetener. An excellent example of this sort of product is the Nescafé gold.
How to Store Coffee Grounds
When it comes to the storage of coffee grounds, there are several things you should always keep in mind.
- Avoid Moisture
To ensure coffee grounds are at their freshest state possible, moisture should be avoided in storage areas. A common mistake people make is to put their coffee grounds in refrigerators. Doing this is costly because the fridge is one of the dampest places to store foodstuff. The humidity will make your grounds’ moisture content evaporate. All that’s left after this is stale coffee.
That said, you can store your coffee grounds in a freezer. It’s advisable to keep it in batches and to defrost about a day or two before use.
- Packaging Dates
The first thing you should always do following deciding on a coffee ground to purchase is to check the roast and expiration date. The roast date tells you how long ago the coffee was roasted and possibly ground. Recall that coffee beans begin to lose their flavour once ground. The expiration date informs you how soon the product will become non-edible. There would be no point storing coffee that’s out of date.
- Seal the Grounds in an Air-Tight Container
Most coffee containers at convenience stores are originally air-tight or vacuum-sealed. This sort of packaging is the best standard, and you should emulate it when you store your coffee grounds at home. Use containers that seal your coffee grounds as tightly as possible. Your container could be a mason jar, a plastic bag or a canister, as long as it’s air-tight.
- Dry Storage Places
While you avoid storage spaces with moisture, ensure to store your coffee grounds in dry places. Store ground coffee at room temperature and in a dry place to get a decent shelf life. Considering these while using a sealed container will extend the shelf life further. An excellent example of where to store your coffee grounds is the cabinets.
Things to Avoid With Coffee Grounds
- There are some things to avoid doing when it comes to coffee grounds.
- Keep your pets away from coffee grounds. Unlike humans, coffee grounds are easily toxic and lethal to pet animals.
- Do not consume too much. Some people throw a spoonful of coffee grounds into their mouth to get the fueling energy much faster. Some do this, especially when they’re in a hurry. This method has the coffee grounds a lot more concentrated, so it’s advisable to take in small amounts or even avoid consuming it this way altogether.
- Do not take coffee grounds with drugs. Some meds don’t go well with coffee. The overall effects could be catastrophic. Examples include antidiabetics, anticoagulants, Asthma drugs and contraceptive pills.
Conclusion
Irrespective of how well you store your coffee grounds, try to use them all within a month of purchase. All coffee grounds eventually turn stale and go bad. Use within a week is even better appropriate.
That said, there are other uses for coffee grounds. They’re great sources of nutrients for your soil, plants, and skin. They could also serve as bug repellants. Hopefully, this article has enlightened both coffee lovers and non-lovers on what coffee grounds are.
