- Avoid reusing coffee grounds for brewing as they lose flavor and potency, resulting in a weak, bitter cup.
- Repurpose used grounds in cooking, baking, cocktails, or as compost and soil enhancers for plants like tomatoes and roses.
- Use coffee grounds for cleaning tasks like scrubbing pots, oven racks, or scuffs on wood surfaces.
If you’re used to starting your day with a cup of coffee or two, you’ve likely noticed how quickly used coffee grounds accumulate, and you might have wondered whether you can put them to work again to brew another cup.
While reusing coffee grounds to brew more coffee might seem like a good way to save money and reduce food waste, you should avoid doing so. Brewing a second cup with coffee grounds that have already been used will result in a less flavorful, less potent cup of coffee.
Matt Foster is the general manager for Century Coffee Co. and owner of Sol Luna Coffee Whiskey.
“You typically do not want to make a second cup of coffee with grounds that have already been brewed once,” says Matt Foster. “This is largely because the pleasant flavors in coffee grounds are extracted in the first few minutes of brewing—or in less than a minute if you’re making espresso. If you attempt to brew the used coffee grounds again, you will likely get an unpleasant cup that tastes weak and bitter; there isn’t enough flavor left in the coffee grounds for the water to pull from.”
However, there are other ways to make the most of used coffee grounds.
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Culinary Uses for Used Coffee Grounds
While you probably want to skip using spent coffee grounds to brew more coffee, you can repurpose spent grounds in cooking, baking, and making cocktails. Foster recommends using leftover coffee grounds to make a coffee saccharum (similar to oleo saccharum, a citrusy syrup used in cocktails) to add to espresso martinis or nonalcoholic drinks.
Editor’s Tip: Finely ground coffee works best for culinary applications. If your used coffee grounds are still coarse, crush them into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.
To make a coffee saccharum:
- Combine equal parts used coffee grounds (freshly used or frozen), granulated sugar, and brewed drip coffee.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Strain through a paper filter (this takes a while if the grounds are small).
A small amount of finely ground coffee—typically just a tablespoon or two—is also a popular ingredient in baking and can sub for espresso powder in a pinch. Try adding just a bit of ground coffee to fudgy brownies, chocolate cake, or chocolate chip cookies. Coffee also works wonders in many savory recipes. Used coffee grounds are often employed in barbecue rubs and seasonings.
Gardening Uses for Used Coffee Grounds
Outside the culinary world, used coffee grounds are commonly composted and can be repurposed occasionally in gardening. “Used coffee grounds can be used for compost as part of the ‘green’ component since they are a source of nitrogen,” Foster says. “Small amounts of used coffee grounds can also be added directly to the soil for vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes, or flowers like roses and daffodils.”
Related
Cleaning Uses for Used Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can also be used in household cleaning to remove stubborn buildup on pots and pans, deep-clean oven racks and grill grates, or remove scuffs from wooden furniture and floors. Next time you have leftover coffee grounds, don’t throw them out! Put them to good use in recipes, in a compost pile, or save the grounds for cleaning throughout your home.
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