Coffee is one of the most loved beverages in the world. All coffee drinkers look forward to waking up to the smell of fresh brewing coffee.
For most coffee junkies, buying coffee beans comes automatically. You could pass by Starbucks and see a bag of coffee you want to try. Or maybe you are out grocery shopping, and a new blend of coffee beans catches your eye.
With these kinds of coffee buying habits, we inevitably find several bags of coffee beans in our pantries that we don’t know what to do with. And yet good coffee beans don’t come cheap.
Coffee is best when brewed with fresh coffee beans that are packed with coffee oils and flavonoids. What can you do with those old or extra coffee beans in your home that you have no plans of using to brew coffee? Here are some suggestions.
1. Make Chocolate Treats
Coffee and chocolate go together. When many of us think of going out for coffee, we always feel a piece of chocolate cake will go well with it.
That’s why making chocolate-covered coffee beans with your extra coffee beans is a good idea, especially if you are a chocolate lover. They allow you to have two of your favorite things at one go.
You are probably wondering whether coffee beans are edible. Yes, roasted coffee beans are edible. Their bitterness pairs well with the sweetness of chocolate. You can use dark, white, or milk chocolate to make these treats.
Just melt your favorite chocolate bars into a bowl and pour in your coffee beans. Make sure they are well coated with chocolate and lay them on a piece of parchment paper to dry.
That will give you healthy caffeinated chocolate treats you can store in the fridge for those times when you feel like a sweet treat.
2. Use Them in Centerpieces or House Decor Items
Have you ever seen bowls of coffee beans in a perfume shop? These bowls are there to cleanse customers’ nose palates as they buy perfume. But when you look at them, you get an idea that coffee beans can make great centerpieces.
How do you create them? By filling attractive glass bowls with your favorite coffee beans. Set them on a coffee table, side table, next to your bed, or in the toilet.
These beans will make a space look attractive and act as a deodorant by absorbing any foul odors. People who love coffee will appreciate this decor idea because the coffee beans will release their aroma in the air, enabling them to enjoy the beans they love.
3. Create a Wood Stain for Furniture or Floors
Coffee’s ability to stain anything can work in your favor. Just soak a piece of steel wool and coffee beans in vinegar for 12 – 24 hours, and you’ll have a perfect homemade wood stain.
You can spread this coffee extract over wooden floors using a cloth or brush. It will give them an attractive hue that will bring out the grain in your wood flooring or furniture. You can also use it on wood carvings.
Remember to seal anything you apply coffee bean wood stain on with clear sealant to prevent fading. You can expect a dark brown to rust-colored finish depending on the strength of the stain and the coffee beans you use.
It will also give your wooden creations, such as sculptures, amazing aesthetic appeal. Nobody will believe you made the wood stain from coffee beans.
4. Make Homemade Paint for Kids Projects
Most of the organic items in your kitchen can make great art materials for projects with your kids. Soaking coffee beans in water for 24 -48 hours will produce a coffee bean extract that you can use as paint.
Combine that with other homemade paints such as red paint from soaking beets, green paint from green veggies, and yellow paint from oranges, and you have an exciting color palette.
You can use these organic paints to create paintings and even make designs on t-shirts. That will give you memorable hangings or clothing items to remind you of your coffee bean project with your kids.
5. Make Coffee Concentrate and Ice Cubes for Cocktails
If you love coffee, you probably enjoy making cocktails or mocktails with coffee liqueurs or coffee syrups. You can use any extra coffee beans in your home to make coffee concentrate or ice cubes to include in these beverages.
Soak whole coffee beans in a jug of filtered water for 24 hours or until the coffee liquid you get is as concentrated as you like. Store this concentrate in a mason jar with an airtight lid and take cups of it whenever you need it.
You can also pop a coffee bean in each slot of your ice cube tray to make ice cubes with coffee beans at the center. They will make for a great conversation starter when you invite guests to your home and serve them drinks.
Conclusion
Those are five things you can do with the extra coffee beans in your home. They may surprise you if you think that coffee beans are only for coffee brewing.
But the truth is coffee is a versatile ingredient that we can use for many purposes. Try our suggestions and see which one appeals to you most.
You should also find ways to store your coffee beans that will keep them fresh for longer. That way, you don’t have to worry about how to use them when you can no longer brew coffee with them.
A good option is to store coffee beans in airtight, opaque containers in a dark, cool area of your kitchen. Such beans can last for at least three months without going bad.
If you are addicted to buying coffee beans, try a coffee subscription service. These vendors deliver coffee in small batches to homes. They always have a wide selection of coffee beans to choose from, which means you will always have some exciting coffee beans to try.
Once you get used to buying coffee beans in small quantities, you will never have to worry about having too many bags of coffee beans in your home.
