All of us have been wondering what to do with old coffee beans. Throwing them away is unheard of for us coffee lovers but what to do with them? Shall we through them away or let them lay motionless on the cupboard until the end of days? Luckily we have explored several sources that offer smart alternatives to this predicament.
Brewing
Using leftover coffee can be great for someone who wants to experiment with brewing without washing coffee. Keep in mind though that a successful brew needs to taste the part.
Fertilizer
Old coffee grounds can help plants grow since they have a high nitrogen content. Digging around the plant and burying it also deters slugs and it helps save money on fertilizers. Roses, Camellias, Blueberries, Cranberries and Hydrangeas are perfect plant examples that highly benefit from the high nitrogen content in coffee beans.
Decoration
Putting old coffee on the bottom of a glass and adding a candle on top can be an impressive decoration for your home, as well as a mosaic. Fun fact: there is a coffee bean mural in Moscow, Russia that covers thirty square meters and is made of one million coffee beans.
Chocolate
Old coffee beans can be covered with store-bought chocolate. In fact, chocolate-covered espresso beans are easy to make, which also helps in saving money, since they are usually expensive despite their exquisite flavor. There are several recipes to make those leftovers edible.
Compost
Old coffee beans not only they are excellent fertilizer, but they also have the required nutrients to add a bonus to your compost. There are high amounts of phosphorous, potassium copper, and magnesium in an old coffee blend. Old brews can create rich soil in your garden as well as helping keep waste out of landfills.
Pest Repellent
Coffee grounds are a natural pest repellent. Putting bowls of coffee grounds around the pionic area helps keep pests away. They can also be placed in your pet shampoo to prevent fleas. On the other hand, a glass jar and some coffee grounds make a fantastic cockroach trap. Old coffee brews can also prevent ants from invading your kitchen.
Natural Dye
Brewing old coffee beans can control the color outcomes, thus making it a natural dye. The strongest the coffee, the deeper the color will become. To dye your hair correctly, you will need to pour your blend into a pot, boil it and stir a piece of cloth around to coat it. Then let the fabric sit for an hour, pull it through a cold water rinse and add vinegar to set the dye.
Hair Product
Caffeine can prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth. Once the brew has cooled down, add it to your hair.
Meat Tenderizer
Brewed coffee is full of enzymes, which will cause the meat to become more tender once it is marinated. To achieve this, you will need to marinate it in your brew for 24 hours once it cools down. Your coffee brew can also be included on the rub to give in a sweet and savory flavor to the meat.
Growing Mushrooms
A five-gallon bucket of coffee grounds can help you grow mushrooms at your home. Shiitake is one of the best options for home-grown mushrooms.
Scrubbing your Kitchen
Since old coffee brews are mildly abrasive and acidic, combining them with water or soap can effectively clean countertops. They can also be used to remove burnt food from your pots and pans.
Odor Control
Coffee grounds can eliminate odors and other unwanted scents. To do this, you will need to dry them in the oven at 250 degrees.
Skin Care
The caffeine in coffee beans stimulates dilation and circulation. This will help you reduce cellulite without expensive procedures. Coffee grounds and coconut oil can create a simple scrub, but you can add more ingredients to the mix.
You may check this video to get another idea on how to use up your old coffee beans.
Enjoy!
As you were able to see here, old coffee beans can be used either prior brewing them or after grinding and brewing them but without drinking them. Old coffee brews have a variety of uses, from decoration to skincare.
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