So, you’re at home, you’ve bought a bag of coffee and you can’t wait to smell the sweet, crisp aroma in your home while the coffee is brewing. You open up your bag of coffee, look down….and panic. You bought coffee beans instead of coffee grounds! Oh no!
You want your morning cup of coffee (or two) and want it now, but this the only coffee you have! You don’t have a grinder, so how will we make ground coffee?
Luckily for you, we’ve written a detailed guide on how to grind coffee beans without a grinder. We will also briefly discuss the different types of coffee grinds, and what they’re most commonly used for. Keep in mind that different methods will yield different results; some will produce finer coffee grounds and some will produce coarser grounds.
Obviously, if you have a coffee grinder, just use that. But for the rest of us, continue reading below! Be sure to bring some elbow grease, grit, and patience – some of these methods are a bit labor intensive!
Table of Contents
The vast majority of us may have blenders or food processors. If you have one of these, grinding coffee beans is a pretty simple task.
But you can’t just shove the beans in and blend it the way you would blend a smoothie; check out our strategy below.
Using a blender is an easy way to grind your beans to a good consistency.
But, keep this in mind: there’s no way to make the grounds the same size. You’ll still get a usable consistency, though.
Some blenders may have a “grind” setting, but if they don’t, not to worry! You’ll want to make sure you use a “pulse” setting, or manually blend the beans yourself.
Blending creates heat and will often “cook” the beans while you’re blending them, which you don’t want! The beans could burn, so it’s important that the whole grinding process takes about 20 seconds, perhaps 30 seconds if you really need it!
Once you’re done grinding the beans, make coffee with your own portable coffee maker. These work especially well if you’re on the go!
Similar to the blender, this is one of your best options. This won’t be as good as a regular coffee grinder, of course, but when you’re in a pinch, this method will satisfy!
You’ll get similar results to the blender but you’ll require more beans since the circumference of the food processor is usually wider than that of a blender.
Doubling the amount of coffee should do the trick – and, if you’re only two people, you’ll already have grounds for tomorrow! Just make sure to store the leftover grounds in an airtight plastic bag.
Now, if you don’t have a blender or a food processor, grinding coffee beans by hand is the way to go. Not only are you without a grinder, but you’re not using any other electric appliances. This method is all you.
Blenders and food processors will only carry you so far and neither of those methods will make your grounds super fine, which is where grinding beans by hand comes into play.
Just remember that these processes may take longer than the food processor and blender. They will require a bit of grit and persistence to achieve.
You can also grind your coffee using a rolling pin. This method will work best for French press coffee since the grounds are best if they are coarser than those used for drip coffee. It is also a bit labor intensive but will get you the results you need in a pinch.
The easiest way to grind your coffee beans using a rolling pin is to put them in a plastic bag. This way, you won’t have stray beans flying around your kitchen as you grind them down.
Try out this affordable and durable rolling pin from Amazon to grind your coffee beans.
Tip: If you want to grind a lot of coffee beans for the week ahead, you can store your coffee grounds in a freezer bag for up to a month. But don’t leave them in the freezer too long; this may result in freezer burn.
I use these freezer bags from Amazon all the time in my home; click on the link to check them out.
Mortar and pestle grinding is going to be labor and time intensive as well. You’ll want to make sure you only use about ¼ to ⅓ the capacity of your mortar to stop any overflow and prevent the beans from hopping out.
This method also makes smaller amounts of grounds than the rolling pin method, so be sure to make more if needed!
Using a mortar and pestle can create finer grounds for drip coffee or chemex coffee as well as coarser grounds used in french press coffee. It all depends on how long and how firmly you grind your beans. Be sure to grind your beans in small amounts to achieve a more consistent blend!
Using a hammer is a handy way to ensure the beans are crushed pretty well. It’s not too time consuming either. As you break down the beans, the grounds will become finer and finer.
Similar to the rolling pin technique, place the beans inside a bag and smash them. Use low to medium pressure so that the bag is less likely to pop while grinding your beans. You should not be striking the bag as you would with a nail.
You don’t need a special hammer for this; try out this one, Amazon’s Choice product!
This method is quite different from grinding beans with a coffee grinder, but it is quite simple. The beans are placed into the area where the garlic, meat, or other food is held, and then firmly squeezed out.
One of the glaring issues here is that the holes are usually pretty big, resulting in a bigger, coarser ground. You may need to repeat this process or combine this process with the rolling pin or hammer method.
Using the hand mincer, you can only grind a small amount of beans at a time. Put several whole coffee beans through the mincer or press, and then gather the grounds and put them through the mincer or press a second time, or as many times as you need to achieve the type of grounds you need.
If you’d like to try out this strategy, here’s a hand mincer with hundreds of high ratings from Amazon.
Hopefully these six techniques helped you learn how to grind coffee beans without a grinder. As you can see, grinding coffee beans without a grinder can be labor intensive. But we want you to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee whether you own a grinder or not.
Before you leave, learn more about the different types of coffee grounds below.
A professional range hood keeps your kitchen air clean and fresh. A range hood is a beautiful and functional addition to your kitchen. When you’re grinding coffee beans and brewing, the smell of strong coffee doesn’t have to fill the house. It makes cooking – and making coffee – much more enjoyable. Buy yours below.
There are generally four types of coffee grounds used for brewing, and each of these methods can result in one or multiple types of grounds, permitting that you’ve repeated the process enough. The four different types of grinds you can achieve are:
Each of the coffee grinding methods above will result in one of these blends. The most common grind for drip coffee makers at home is medium grind, although fine grind can be used in some instances.
Below you’ll find the different types of methods we’ve described and what types of grinds you can achieve with each of these methods!
Note: To save some energy, all of these methods can produce a coarse grind.
Yes, you can grind coffee beans without a grinder. You can use a blender or food processor if you don’t want to grind them by hand. To grind beans by hand, use a hammer, mortar and pestle, hand mincer, or rolling pin. With each of these methods, you can make the grind as fine or coarse as you want.
Yes, you can use a blender to grind coffee beans. When using a blender, not all of the coffee grounds will be the same size. But some blenders have a grind or pulse setting which works great. Don’t grind the beans for more than 30 seconds; blending creates heat, which may cook the beans.
There are several different ways to grind coffee beans. Here’s a list.
Yes, a Magic Bullet blender works great to grind coffee beans. Just load the ingredients into the cup and firmly attach the cross blade. Then line up the tabs on the cup and the base of the blender before pressing the cup onto the blender.
To grind your coffee beans, all you need to do is apply pressure. Apply pressure and turn the cup to lock it into place.
Check out the Magic Bullet blender from Amazon right here.
The best way to grind coffee beans is to use a burr grinder. It will grind your coffee beans evenly, as coarse or as fine as you’d like. The best burr grinders have multiple speeds; the lower speed is best so that no added heat is generated. If you don’t have a grinder, use a blender. Or, grind the beans by hand with a rolling pin, hammer, or garlic press.
For the best results, stay away from blade grinders which can grind the coffee beans quite inconsistently.
Try out this burr grinder from Amazon; it’s a bestseller!
Starbucks will not grind your coffee beans. They use all of their grinders constantly and don’t want to mix the flavors of two coffee grounds. The mixture of oils in the two coffee beans would compromise the flavor of Starbucks’ coffee.
Most Ninja blenders have more than enough power to grind coffee beans. Look for a blender with at least 500 watts of power to grind whole coffee beans consistently. You won’t need to use the higher settings to grind coffee beans with your Ninja blender. Just use it on a lower setting or pulse mode.
Yes, if possible buy whole coffee beans and grind them right before you brew your coffee. This will ensure you get the freshest cup. Ground coffee is quite convenient, but it’s hard to know how long it has been sitting on the shelves. You can’t guarantee it’ll be fresh.
Yes! Blend the whipped coffee for 2-4 minutes in your Magic bullet. If you are whisking the coffee by hand, whisk for about 8-10 minutes until the coffee has nice peaks. If you don’t see peaks, just keep mixing!
If you have extra whipped coffee at the end, you can scoop it out on parchment paper and freeze it. Learn more about how to make whipped Dalgona coffee in a Magic bullet.
The sugar in Dalgona coffee helps create the fluffy peaks in your whipped coffee. Dalgona coffee is made using instant coffee, water, milk, and sugar.
Yes, you can use ground coffee for whipped coffee, but make sure to add enough sugar. You need about an equal amount of ground coffee and sugar to give your whipped coffee a fluffy consistency.
Creamy coffee is called mocha. Mocha is made with espresso and steamed milk. Sometimes it’s topped with whipped cream, too.
Coffee with milk is called a latte, which is the Italian word for milk. Lattes are made with espresso and steamed milk. Typically, lattes include a single or double espresso shot and the rest of the drink is steamed milk.
Dirty coffee is made with cold milk and a double shot of espresso. The color is a dark brown which is where it gets its name “dirty coffee.”
Coffee and espresso are made from the same beans, but they are prepared differently. Espresso uses high pressure and a fine, dark roast to make a strong blend. Whereas regular coffee is brewed with lower pressure, coarser grinds and a lighter roast.
A good ratio for most people is about two tablespoons of coffee beans per six ounces of water. Add coffee beans for a stronger blend and remove coffee beans for a weaker blend.
The finer your coffee, the stronger it tastes. Espresso is ground fine and brewed at a high pressure for a strong flavor. A medium or medium coarse grind is a popular setting for most coffee drinkers. Adjust the grind based on your personal preferences.
Use a rolling pin, hammer, or hand mincer. These tools will give you medium coarse grinds. If you spend enough time, you can make fine grinds but that will take a while.
You should grind your own coffee beans because they will taste fresher than store-bought ground coffee. Ground coffee in stores often sits on the shelves for days and goes stale. Also it is cheaper to grind your own coffee beans.
The best way to grind espresso beans at home is to use a burr grinder. Most blenders won’t grind the beans fine enough. You can make a fine grind with a rolling pin but it’ll take quite some time.
The Hamilton Beach coffee grinder is one of the best on the market for its price. It features durable blades, a quiet motor, and makes up to 12 cups of coffee. Find it on Amazon here.
Yes, a finer grind can make stronger coffee. You can also reduce the amount of water used to make the coffee. Experiment with a finer grind and less water to see what ratio tastes the best.
Grinding coffee beans is a physical change, as the beans change from whole to ground. No chemical change occurs when grinding coffee beans. Roasting coffee beans softens the cell walls of the beans, but does not alter their chemical composition.
Yes, espresso contains 64 mg of caffeine per ounce according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Regular coffee contains about a fourth of that, between 12 to 16 ounces.
It is called Caffé Americano, which combines espresso and hot water.
Thanks for stopping by and reading our article on how to grind coffee beans without a grinder. Hopefully you were able to save your morning and grind up some coffee grounds, even if it was in an unconventional way.
Show your family and friends so you can all enjoy a cup of coffee!
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Yes, you can grind coffee beans without a grinder. You can use a blender or food processor if you don’t want to grind them by hand. To grind beans by hand, use a hammer, mortar and pestle, hand mincer, or rolling pin. With each of these methods, you can make the grind as fine or coarse as you want.
Yes, you can use a blender to grind coffee beans. When using a blender, not all of the coffee grounds will be the same size. But some blenders have a grind or pulse setting which works great. Don’t grind the beans for more than 30 seconds; blending creates heat, which may cook the beans.
There are several different ways to grind coffee beans. Here’s a list.
A blender
Food processor
Hand mincer
Garlic press
Rolling pin
Hammer
Mortar and pestle
Yes, a Magic Bullet blender works great to grind coffee beans. Just load the ingredients into the cup and firmly attach the cross blade. Then line up the tabs on the cup and the base of the blender before pressing the cup onto the blender.
To grind your coffee beans, all you need to do is apply pressure. Apply pressure and turn the cup to lock it into place.
Check out the Magic Bullet blender from Amazon right here.
The best way to grind coffee beans is to use a burr grinder. It will grind your coffee beans evenly, as coarse or as fine as you’d like. The best burr grinders have multiple speeds; the lower speed is best so that no added heat is generated. If you don’t have a grinder, use a blender. Or, grind the beans by hand with a rolling pin, hammer, or garlic press.
For the best results, stay away from blade grinders which can grind the coffee beans quite inconsistently.
Try out this burr grinder from Amazon; it’s a bestseller!
Starbucks will not grind your coffee beans. They use all of their grinders constantly and don’t want to mix the flavors of two coffee grounds. The mixture of oils in the two coffee beans would compromise the flavor of Starbucks’ coffee.
Most Ninja blenders have more than enough power to grind coffee beans. Look for a blender with at least 500 watts of power to grind whole coffee beans consistently. You won’t need to use the higher settings to grind coffee beans with your Ninja blender. Just use it on a lower setting or pulse mode.
Yes, if possible buy whole coffee beans and grind them right before you brew your coffee. This will ensure you get the freshest cup. Ground coffee is quite convenient, but it’s hard to know how long it has been sitting on the shelves. You can’t guarantee it’ll be fresh.
Yes! Blend the whipped coffee for 2-4 minutes in your Magic bullet. If you are whisking the coffee by hand, whisk for about 8-10 minutes until the coffee has nice peaks. If you don’t see peaks, just keep mixing!
If you have extra whipped coffee at the end, you can scoop it out on parchment paper and freeze it. Learn more about how to make whipped Dalgona coffee in a Magic bullet.
The sugar in Dalgona coffee helps create the fluffy peaks in your whipped coffee. Dalgona coffee is made using instant coffee, water, milk, and sugar.
Yes, you can use ground coffee for whipped coffee, but make sure to add enough sugar. You need about an equal amount of ground coffee and sugar to give your whipped coffee a fluffy consistency.
Creamy coffee is called mocha. Mocha is made with espresso and steamed milk. Sometimes it’s topped with whipped cream, too.
Coffee with milk is called a latte, which is the Italian word for milk. Lattes are made with espresso and steamed milk. Typically, lattes include a single or double espresso shot and the rest of the drink is steamed milk.
Dirty coffee is made with cold milk and a double shot of espresso. The color is a dark brown which is where it gets its name “dirty coffee.”
Coffee and espresso are made from the same beans, but they are prepared differently. Espresso uses high pressure and a fine, dark roast to make a strong blend. Whereas regular coffee is brewed with lower pressure, coarser grinds and a lighter roast.
A good ratio for most people is about two tablespoons of coffee beans per six ounces of water. Add coffee beans for a stronger blend and remove coffee beans for a weaker blend.
The finer your coffee, the stronger it tastes. Espresso is ground fine and brewed at a high pressure for a strong flavor. A medium or medium coarse grind is a popular setting for most coffee drinkers. Adjust the grind based on your personal preferences.
Use a rolling pin, hammer, or hand mincer. These tools will give you medium coarse grinds. If you spend enough time, you can make fine grinds but that will take a while.
You should grind your own coffee beans because they will taste fresher than store-bought ground coffee. Ground coffee in stores often sits on the shelves for days and goes stale. Also, it is cheaper to grind your own coffee beans.
The best way to grind espresso beans at home is to use a burr grinder. Most blenders won’t grind the beans fine enough. You can make a fine grind with a rolling pin but it’ll take quite some time.
The Hamilton Beach coffee grinder is one of the best on the market for its price. It features durable blades, a quiet motor, and makes up to 12 cups of coffee. Find it on Amazon here.
Yes, a finer grind can make stronger coffee. You can also reduce the amount of water used to make the coffee. Experiment with a finer grind and less water to see what ratio tastes the best.
Grinding coffee beans is a physical change, as the beans change from whole to ground. No chemical change occurs when grinding coffee beans. Roasting coffee beans softens the cell walls of the beans, but does not alter their chemical composition.
Yes, espresso contains 64 mg of caffeine per ounce according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Regular coffee contains about a fourth of that, between 12 to 16 ounces.
When deciding on a range hood for your outdoor kitchen, one of the most important…
What is a convertible range hood? A convertible range hood is a range hood that…
Are you looking for an absolute powerhouse for your kitchen? We manufacture some of the…
When looking to install an outdoor range hood, the height at which you mount it…
Outdoor Range Hoods Edition - This edition celebrates homeowners who have blended their kitchens with…
The Birth of Comfort in Outdoor Kitchens Let's face it, grilling is awesome. That sizzling…
This website uses cookies.