If you are a frequent coffee drinker like us, you must have at some point thought, what can i do with all this used coffee and/or coffee grind?
We live in a very wasteful world, and more people around the world are starting to try and make a difference, become more eco-friendly and less wasteful.
Sometimes life can get in the way, you make a perfectly good cup of specialty coffee, and before you know it, something comes up that requires your attention, only to come back to a cold over brewed and bitter coffee 30 minutes later.
Or maybe your eyes were just a bit bigger than your coffee craving and you added that 1 tablespoon extra coffee grind?
This made us wonder, what eco-friendly things can we do with our daily leftover coffee and grind? We decided to do a little research, and it turns out there are many great things that leftover coffee and used coffee grinds can be used all from the comfort of your own home.
So don’t throw out your leftover specialty coffee just yet, we came up with 4 eco-friendly things you can do with the leftover coffee and coffee grind.
- Cooking/Baking
- Watering Your Plants
- Compost/Fertiliser
- DIY
Table of Contents
Cooking /Baking
We all love cooking and baking right? Even if you don’t, we all know the common (and delicious) Tiramisu dessert which is one of the obvious options, however, with a little imagination, your culinary skills can be taken to new levels.
Coffee has a great strong taste, and can compliment a vast range of meals during the day.
You can easily add leftover coffee to marinades, especially for red meats such as steak, then add a little chopped garlic, onion, and soy, you will be quite surprised.
However, our favourite is to use your leftover coffee in your breakfast dishes to give you an extra morning kick start to your day. Adding your leftover morning coffee to your morning oats is a quick and simple use, the oats will absorb those rich flavours.
Even a quick homemade compote can reap the benefits, adding your leftover coffee instead of plain water can result in a perfect breakfast topping.
Speaking of using left over coffee instead of water, this too can be implemented in your baking, such as cakes and muffin mixes, for best results, it goes very well with chocolate based goods, and what a great combo to go with a cup of coffee for those true coffee addicts.
You could even use your leftover coffee for a more sweeter topping such as icings.
However, you would want to make sure that you use your leftover coffee in cooking and baking within a day, as old coffee will quickly ruin your dish.
Water your plants
Specialty coffee is enjoyed by millions to start our day with that extra boost, therefore, will watering your plants with leftover coffee give them that same boost? Well in short, the answer is yes!
Brewed coffee contain good amounts of potassium and magnesium which are the building blocks for plant growth.
However, be sure to only water your plants with black coffee, if you have added ingredients such as sugar, or any dairy products, then this will attract insects and nasty funguses which may bring harm to your plant.
It is also important to note that coffee has been said to have a pH level of anything around 5.1 – 6.9, so for those that failed their science exams, coffee is pretty acidic.
Therefore, do not water plants that do not like acidic soil. Ferns, Aloes, Roses, these are examples of acid loving plants, however, not all of us are plants wizzes, so if you are unsure, make sure you limit the coffee waterings for each plant once every one or two weeks.
Also keep an eye on the plant, if the leaves start turning yellow or brown, then the plants soil is too acidic.
Watering your plants with your leftover coffee can be an option for your plants indoors and outdoors, especially flowers. It will add enough organic fertiliser to encourage bushier and healthier plants.
Compost/Fertiliser
Not only is your leftover coffee able to be put to good use, but the leftover coffee grind that comes with making a coffee can also work wonders, and it is amazing with what some people and companies around the world are coming up with.
One of the easiest and best ways to reuse your coffee grind at home is of course compost and/or fertiliser.
Some people can easily forget that even after you have brewed your coffee, the grind is still pack loaded with minerals like the essential nutrient nitrogen, and other micronutrients.
If you sprinkle the coffee ground around your flower beds and evenly through your lawn, it can act as a slow release fertiliser. Or if you add the grind to your compost bin, it can boost good bacteria, and in turn, when done correctly can then feed your plants.
Many plants will benefit from all the leftover minerals that your coffee ground has to offer, instead of going to waste in your trash bag. You may even find the left over coffee grind starts attracting earthworms, and they are a key part in maintaining healthy soil.
Remember, many coffee shops give away their coffee grounds for free as they have a surplus of it left over, it is also cheaper to give the ground away for such businesses then it is to pay for its disposal.
So if you love getting out in your garden and you are trying to be more eco-friendly, then visit your local coffee shop.
D.I.Y
You don’t have to be a creative person to enjoy a little DIY, it will also save you money. Coffee grind can particularly come in handy due to its textures and minerals leftover within the grind.
Have you ever thought that next time you are about to buy that expensive exfoliating soap or face wash that you could just make your own for a lot cheaper and more eco-friendlier?
It’s true you can make exfoliating hand made soaps with coffee grind, cool right?
If that doesn’t sound like you then coffee grind also makes a great DIY scouring pad. Perfect for cleaning those hard to get dirty spots on your pots and pans, while not damaging them in the process.
Just rub the leftover ground in a rag or cloth, twist it in place and secure with a rubber band and start cleaning.
One of our favourites is using your leftover coffee to use on paintings and drawings. Coffee painting is an extremely easy and enjoyable process, and you don’t have to be an artist to express your creativity on paper.
You may only be working with one colour, but its potential for art is limitless.
Conclusion
It is pretty amazing with only a little imagination, specialty coffee has so many different uses long after the coffee that you had brewed and consumed a couple mornings ago.
From sprinkling outside on your plants to hanging up coffee art on your lounge wall, who would have thought.
Not only do you solve other problems around the house, more importantly you will become less wasteful and start enjoying a more eco-friendly lifestyle, as well as saving a few pennies or two.
So next time you are about to pour that left over coffee down the drain, or throw that coffee grind in the bin, stop and think, don’t throw away the perfect chance to extend the life of your coffee, try these 4 eco-friendly things you can do with your leftover specialty coffee and grind.
Have you ever used your leftover specialty coffee?
We would love to hear some of your ideas in the comments below.
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