Grinding coffee beans without a coffee grinder

How to grind coffee with a blender?

A blender can be a great and easy alternative to grind coffee beans without a grinder.

I just have to put coffee beans inside the blender, and everything is ready to go. The longer coffee beans “blend,” the finer the grind is going to be. It took me several times of trial and error, before I was able to determine the time to get a desired grind size.

A couple of things to remember:

• a blender will need to be cleaned and dried beforehand (so coffee beans/grounds don’t stick to the sides)
• a blender will need to be cleaned and dried after the use
• blenders have not actually been created to grind coffee beans, so grinding beans in the blender can harm the motor or blades of the blender.

It is better to always try to grind only a small quantity of beans at a time (one tablespoon) using the pulse function, and then to add more if needed. Some blenders have a Grind function, which will be even better to use.

How to grind coffee with a mortar and pestle

A mortar and pestle is another alternative method to grind coffee beans with no coffee grinders. Mortars and pestles are typically very helpful in crushing seeds and spices, and they can work miracles in crushing coffee beans.

Grinding coffee beans with a mortar and pestle is fairly intuitive and easy.

• Put the beans in the mortar.
• Crush them using the pestle.
• Make sure that coffee beans or particles are equal in size to each other

Our recommendation is to use a granite mortar and pestle. It works best for coffee beans, since they are a little tougher than other spices or seeds.

How to grind coffee with a hammer?

Hammers are an intuitive and simple way to grind coffee beans. However, they do take some physical effort to crush coffee beans to the desired level of granularity. Grinding coffee beans with a hammer can also cause some mess, but we have a couple of ideas to keep your kitchen space clean.

• Put a desired amount of coffee beans in a ziplock bag.
• Wrap a ziplock bag in a kitchen cloth (that will avoid creating too much mess and noise).
• Placing the bag with the beans on a wooden board to reduce some noise.
• Begin crushing the beans with a hammer.

The method is simple otherwise: just crush the beans by hitting them with the hammer.

How to grind coffee with a rolling pin?

A rolling pin and a hammer are quite similar when it comes to crushing coffee seeds for a delicious cup of coffee. Hammers might be a little easier (and more effortless) than rolling pins. Hammers crush coffee beans through hitting, while rolling pins crush coffee beans through rolling over with pins.

It is a good idea to prepare the beans in the same way we prepare them before using the hammer.

• Put a desired amount of coffee beans in a ziplock bag.
• Wrap a ziplock bag in a kitchen cloth (that will avoid creating too much mess and noise).
• Placing the bag with the beans on a wooden board to reduce some noise.
• Begin rolling the beans with a rolling pin.

Our recommendation is to completely remove air from the ziplock bag and to close the bag completely. The movements of the rolling pin will try to push air out of the bag and the bag might open, creating a coffee grounds mess on the kitchen counter.

How to grind coffee with a knife?

Crushing coffee beans with a knife involves placing the flat side of the blade on the beans and pressing down.

In a way, this method is very similar to using a rolling pin. Instead of a rolling pin, however, we are using the blade of a knife. In my opinion, using the knife to grind coffee beans is not the best method. It requires a lot of physical effort and takes a lot of time. In fact, a knife is the last tool to grind coffee beans I would use.

Preparing the beans in the same way as when using the rolling pin or the hammer can be a good idea, because this can get really messy.

• Put a desired amount of coffee beans in a ziplock bag.
• Wrap a ziplock bag in a kitchen cloth (that will avoid creating too much mess and noise).
• Placing the bag with the beans on a wooden board to get some support from underneath.
• Begin crushing beans with the knife’s blade.

Be extra careful when using the knife to avoid any cuts. Maybe using a knife with a bigger blade would work best in this situation, something like a cleaver, for instance.

How to grind coffee with a food processor?

Using a food processor to grind coffee beans is a great hands-free alternative to a coffee grinder. It works in a similar fashion to a blender.

• Put a small amount of coffee beans in the processor at a time.
• Use the pulse function, if possible.
• Check whether beans have reached the desired grind size every couple of seconds.

The advantages of using a food processor are the same as using a blender: I don’t have to do much except placing the beans inside the processor and washing the appliance afterwards.

The disadvantages are also the same: the beans can harm the blades and the motor of the processor, and, if I leave the processor on for too long, it can heat up the beans and burn the coffee.

How to grind coffee with a mincer?

A mincer is a super easy and straightforward tool to grind coffee beans.

• Place a small quantity of coffee beans inside the mincer
• Turn the leaver or press the button (if your mincer is electric).
• Make sure you have placed a cup under the mincer to collect the grounds.

We have found mincers to be okay in yielding coarse coffee grinds. Therefore, it might be necessary to run coffee beans through the mincer more than once, depending on the desired level of grind size.

How to grind coffee with a meat tenderdizer?

Using the tenderizer involves the same process as using a hammer. Prepare the beans by placing them in a ziplock bag, wrap the bag in a kitchen cloth, and then crush the beans by hitting them with the meat tenderizer. Using a wooden board under the beans is a good idea to protect the counter and to reduce the noise.