It may come as a surprise, but not everyone owns a coffee grinder. If you’re really into coffee and buy whole beans, you probably have a good coffee grinder at home. But if you use k-cups or pods or buy coffee that’s already ground, you might not need one.
How do you handle gifts or whole bean coffee that you need to grind before you can try it? Most people probably won’t buy a new coffee grinder just to use it once. Thankfully there are other options for grinding coffee if you don’t own a coffee grinder.
If you don’t have a coffee grinder, here are some other tools and things you can use to grind your coffee beans.
Coffee aficionados know that grinding beans fresh right before brewing is key to maximizing flavor and aroma. As soon as those beans are ground the clock starts ticking on freshness decay. But not everyone has a dedicated electric coffee grinder on hand. In a pinch can you use a food processor to grind coffee beans?
While it may seem unconventional, a food processor can absolutely substitute for a coffee grinder. The sharp, sturdy blades and spacious bowl of a food processor can produce evenly ground coffee you can brew immediately. Keep reading to learn why it works and tips for success.
Why Grind Beans Fresh Before Brewing?
Pre-ground coffee from the store is certainly convenient. But the flavor and aroma compounds in coffee beans start to dissipate soon after grinding exposes them to oxygen. A food processor allows you to grind beans yourself right before brewing. Here are some benefits of super fresh coffee:
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Increased aromatic oils and volatile compounds – These dissipate quickly once the beans are ground but are intact in whole beans.
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Locked in complex flavors – Fresh grinding better preserves the nuanced flavors that develop specific roast profiles
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Consistency – You can customize the grind size for your preferred brew method instead of using a generic pre-ground size.
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Value – Grinding your own beans from bulk bags is significantly cheaper per cup than packaged pre-ground.
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Strength – The shorter time between grinding and brewing results in a more potent, higher quality cup of coffee.
While pre-ground coffee is exposed to staling oxygen longer, using a food processor allows you to grind beans to order for the freshest flavor and aroma experience.
Why a Food Processor Works for Grinding Beans
While nothing beats the uniformity and customizable grind size of a dedicated electric coffee grinder, a food processor has some design advantages that allow it to grind beans in a pinch:
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Sharp and durable blades – Food processor blades are sturdy enough to grind through very hard items like nuts and chocolate, so coffee beans pose no challenge.
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Broad bowl – The wide bowl provides greater surface area for the beans to move around, improving consistency of the grind compared to a narrow blender jar.
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On/off pulsing – Short pulses let you check the beans’ progress, avoiding over-processing into a powder.
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Easy cleanup – The bowl and blade easily come apart for rinsing out grounds.
While the grind may not be as precise and uniform as an actual coffee grinder, a food processor can break beans down into grounds you can brew with.
How to Grind Beans in a Food Processor
Grinding beans in a food processor is simple. Here are step-by-step instructions:
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Measure out the number of whole coffee beans needed for the number of cups you are brewing. A good standard ratio is 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of beans per 6 ounces of coffee.
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Remove any stones or debris from the raw beans.
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Place the measuring cup or bowl with beans into the food processor.
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Pulse the food processor 5-10 times in short 1-2 second bursts. Shake or stir between pulses.
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Check grind consistency frequently. The grounds should have a granular texture like coarse sand. Be careful not to over-process into a powder.
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Depending on the brew method, you may want a finer or coarser grind. Espresso needs a very fine powder-like grind while French press wants a coarser grind.
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Use the freshly ground coffee immediately to brew your preferred coffee drink. Enjoy the lively flavors!
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Disassemble and rinse out the food processor bowl and blade immediately after use to remove all grounds.
With this simple process, you can enjoy fresh gourmet coffee from home using tools you already have on hand.
Troubleshooting Issues Grinding Beans in a Food Processor
While very effective for most users, there can be some challenges grinding beans in a food processor:
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Uneven grind – If beans stall against the sides, the grind can turn out irregular. Keep the load size small and shake between pulses.
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Powdery/overprocessed – Short pulses are key to avoid over-grinding into powder. Err on the coarse side.
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Lots of leftover grounds – The bowl shape and blade can leave some leftover grounds. Tip as much out as you can before rinsing.
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Static cling – Grounds can stick all over due to static. Try adding a few drops of water or a dryer sheet to reduce sticking.
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Oily residue – Some oil residue may be left behind from beans. Use hot soapy water for cleaning.
While not perfect, a few simple technique adjustments makes a food processor a very capable option for grinding beans in a pinch!
Food Processor Grinding Tips for Common Brew Methods
The grind size you produce in the food processor can significantly impact the flavor of the resulting brew. Here are recommended grinds for popular coffee brew methods:
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French press – Coarse gritty grind prevents overextraction of fines
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Drip machine – Medium grind allows good extraction without falling through filter
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Pour over – Medium-fine grind extracts well but won’t clog filter
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Espresso – Super fine, powdery grind needed for high pressure extraction
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Cold brew – Coarse grind prevents overextraction during long process
You can adjust the food processor grind to optimize flavor for any brewing method.
Storing Freshly Ground Coffee
While best brewed immediately, you can store coffee ground in a food processor for a short time. Here are some storage tips:
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Place grounds in an airtight container like a mason jar. Eliminate air exposure.
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Store at cool room temperature, not refrigerated. Refrigeration can cause condensation.
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Use within 4 hours for drip coffee, or 24-48 hours for cold brew.
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For espresso, use within half an hour as the fine grind goes stale quickly.
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Freeze beans rather than grounds if you want longer storage.
Enjoying truly fresh coffee is easy with a food processor on hand to grind beans when needed. The full flavors and aromas released are well worth the minimal extra effort.
Meat Tenderizer, Rolling Pin, or Hammer
What if you don’t have any of the above things but still want to make a great cup of whole bean coffee? If you have something hard and a plastic bag, you can definitely grind those coffee beans down to use in your coffee.
You can use a hammer, a rolling pin, or a meat tenderizer to break up the coffee beans into the right size for your cup, but be careful not to damage them. First, make sure you have a plastic bag with a tight lid that you can use to store the coffee beans. Next, put the whole coffee beans in the bag and put it somewhere safe. It would be bad to put the beans directly on your counter because they could get broken. Instead, put a cutting board on top of a table or something else that won’t get broken easily.
The last step is to hit the beans gently with a hammer, tenderizer, or rolling pin until they reach the consistency you want. You can also roll with a rolling pin, but you might need to hit the beans a few times to break them up a bit first.
If you use this method, be careful because the beans will break up quickly, and you might end up with coffee powder instead of finely ground coffee beans.
Grinding Coffee Without a Coffee Grinder
Have you ever needed to grind coffee beans but didn’t have a coffee grinder? If so, here are some other things you can use to get those tasty whole coffee beans ground.
If you don’t have a coffee grinder, a blender or food processor can be used to grind up your whole coffee beans. Most homes have one of these, and the steps for grinding coffee beans are the same as those for processing or blending any other kind of food.
If you want a certain consistency, put the beans in the machine and pulse it until you get it. You should tilt and move the blender or food processor around to make sure that all the beans are ground up the same way.
Even though these appliances don’t have settings like coffee grinders do, you’ll have to use your best judgment to know when the beans are ground to the right consistency.
Do you have a spice grinder in your kitchen? You know, the one with the grinder on top of a glass or wooden jar? These can also be used to grind coffee if you don’t have a coffee grinder.
Spice grinders are made to break up tough or coarse seeds and spices, so coffee beans don’t bother them. If you’re using one that has been used before, make sure you clean it well before and after each use so that the beans don’t pick up any extra flavors unless that’s what you want.
You might not have this one at home, but if you do, it’s another great way to grind coffee beans. Of course, it won’t be the easiest way to grind the beans, and it will take some work to get them to the right consistency, but if you need to grind them quickly, a mortar and pestle will do the trick.
Can you grind coffee with a food processor?
FAQ
Can I use food processor instead of coffee grinder?
What is the best way to grind coffee beans?
Is it better to grind coffee beans in a blender or food processor?
Can a KitchenAid food processor grind coffee?
Can you grind coffee in a food processor?
According to Allrecipes, both your blender and food processor can stand in to grind your whole coffee beans into something brewable. However, Allrecipes explains that pulsing your coffee in the food processor might work better than the blender because the beans have extra space to move around, resulting in a more even grind.
Can you grind beans in a food processor?
The down side to using a food processor to grind beans is that you inevitably end up with 90% of the grind that you’re trying to get and 10% of the grind that you don’t want. In other words, you get a mixture of coarse, medium, and fine grounds all at the same time. Honestly, the same is true if you used a blender or even a blade coffee grinder.
Can you grind coffee beans without a grinder?
Yes, you can grind coffee beans without using 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, you can 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.
How long does it take to grind coffee beans?
One cup of coffee beans takes me about 2-3 minutes of grinding with a food processor. Dark roasted coffee beans are very brittle and thus very easy to grind, regardless of the method that you’re using. Although dark roasted beans are very popular, tasting burnt and bitter, they are also the most common and most liked by most Americans.