As a whopping 80% of Americans brew coffee at home, many wonder whether they can reuse coffee grounds for another pot of coffee. Using coffee grounds for brewing a second round of coffee comes with some advantages ($$$), but it also comes with some drawbacks. If not for coffee, there are creative ways to re-use coffee grounds.

Can I reuse coffee grounds for the next pot of coffee? How can I reuse coffee grounds?

Owly Choice reader Natalie

Natalie’s question has come up several times in recent months. As more coffee lovers brew coffee at home, they are curious whether it is safe, healthy or financially beneficial to reuse coffee grounds.

Reusing coffee grounds is not just good. It is a little yet impactful step we can take to minimize the impact on the environment,

Kaffe Bueno, a Danish organization that aims to minimize harmful emissions and maximize coffee’s by-product usability, estimates that coffee lovers consume about 9 billion kilogram (or 18 billion pounds) of coffee each year. When improperly disposed, this coffee generates an amount of methane that 9 million cars produce a year. Therefore, improperly recycled coffee impacts environment, contributing to greenhouse gases.


There are 2 main ways that we can reuse coffee grounds:

  • We can reuse coffee grounds for the next pot of coffee. However, experts recommend to reuse coffee grounds for another cup of coffee within a couple of hours of the first brew. Of course, using the same grounds twice can be advantageous financially, but it has some significant pitfalls, too.
  • There are additional ways to reuse coffee grounds in non-consumable way. Coffee lovers find used coffee grounds helpful in the garden and as cosmetics or cleaning supplies.

Let’s discover how we can reuse coffee grounds!

Benefits and pitfalls of reusing coffee grounds

PROs

When you use coffee grounds to brew a second cup of coffee:

When you use coffee grounds for non-consumable purposes (in garden, cosmetics, food):

CONs

When you use coffee grounds to brew a second cup of coffee:

When you use coffee grounds for non-consumable purposes (in garden, cosmetics, food):

  • Time to collect and recycle

How to reuse coffee grounds

Over the last 3 years, the number of Americans brewing coffee at home has significantly increased. As the National Coffee Association (NCA) 2019 research shows, 79% of Americans prefer brewing coffee at home (vs 75% in 2017, and 70% in 2016).

As most people choose to prepare their coffee at home, they wonder whether they can use coffee grounds twice to brew coffee.

Where do Americans consume their coffee? (Mintel, 2016)

Reusing coffee grounds for another pot of coffee 🏆

Reusing coffee grounds for another pot of coffee comes with certain advantages and benefits.

→ #1. Reusing coffee grounds can save on average up to $500 on coffee each year

Coffee does not come cheap. An average American spends about $1,100 on coffee per year. Folks who decide to use coffee grounds to brew coffee twice can save up to $500 on coffee each year. The savings are the most obvious advantage of reusing coffee grounds.

Reusing coffee grounds for another coffee needs to be with utmost care, preserving health and hygiene standards.

However, coffee grounds can be used not only for brewing another carafe or cup of coffee. Below, you can find out some creative ways of reusing coffee grounds in daily activities.

→ #2. Using the same coffee grounds can allow extract additional flavors

Though the first brewing extracts the majority of flavors and oils, there are some components, caffeine and flavors that will extract only after more thorough brewing. Using coffee grounds for the second time will allow those additional flavors to fully extract.

→ #3. There are fewer caffeine-related risks if coffee ground are reused

Coffee can be healthy, but may not be suitable for everyone. Using coffee grounds the second time will brew a cup with much less caffeine content than the first one. That might work great for some people who either cannot drink so much caffeine, or who want to enjoy milder coffee.

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The real problems with reusing coffee grounds for the next pot of coffee 🙀

Though brewing coffee from used coffee grounds can yield some benefits, there are drawbacks to using coffee grounds to brew another pot of coffee.

→ #1. Weak and flavorless coffee

The most obvious argument against using the coffee grounds a second time is a decrease in strength and quality of flavor. The second cup of coffee will not have the same strong aroma and rich taste as the first one, and coffee is most likely going to be more bitter.

Coffee may be considerably clearer and less concentrated than the first brew, with a tea-like consistency (some even call it ‘dirty water’). Adding sweetener or milk in it might mask and improve the taste a little bit.

→ #2. Reduced health benefits

Coffee comes with some important health benefits. Most of the components, minerals, oils and caffeine contained in the coffee extract in the first brew.

Using the coffee grounds a second time will produce a cup of coffee that is devoid of antioxidants, and lacks all the other health benefits coffee has. Health-oriented coffee drinkers might be disappointed.

→ #3. Reusing coffee grounds for the next pot of coffee can lead to serious health hazards

Reusing coffee grounds for another cup of coffee can be unhealthy, if coffee grounds are not handled properly.

It is important that coffee grounds are brewed once more immediately or as soon as the first brewing finishes.

The wet, soggy grounds are a perfect environment for bacteria, fungus and mold. Those can become dangerous for human health.

Creative ways to reuse coffee grounds (for non-brewing purposes)

Kaffe Bueno acknowledged that brewing a cup of coffee utilizes merely 1% of coffee’s health-benefiting compounds such as antioxidants and fatty acids. Therefore, 99% of coffee’s benefits go to waste, every day.

Therefore, instead of putting taste buds through experiencing coffee brewed from used grounds, it might be better to look into some creative ways of reusing coffee grounds. They may revolutionize your day-to-day life.

→ #1. Used coffee ground as cosmetics, nutraceuticals and functional foods

Kaffe Bueno has revolutionized the way we recycle used coffee. The organization has inserted coffee into a circular economy. Thus, it extended coffee’s life-cycle to all of coffee’s health potential.

The organization has developed an oil, Kaffe Bueno Oil®, upcycled from used coffee grounds. This oil is applicable for cosmetic products. The oil is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants providing moisturizing, anti-aging and wound healing components for the skin.

Further, the organization has designed flour, Kaffe Bueno Flour®, which is also upcycled from used coffee grounds. The flour is gluten-free and high in insoluble dietary fibers, protein, potassium and calcium. The flour can be applied in both sweet and savory foods, working as a healthy and sustainable choice of flour.

→ #2. Used coffee ground are great in removing unpleasant odors & cleaning

Not only does coffee smell great, but it is fantastic at absorbing odors, especially really bad ones. You might have seen this in some trendy restaurants around the country.

One way to reuse coffee grounds is to dry them, tie them up in a porous cloth, and place them wherever you need a smell fix (the cupboard, the dumpster, the fridge, and even inside shoes). You can also use coffee grounds to scrub your hands after cutting garlic or onion, in order to get rid of the smell.

Another way to use coffee grounds is in cleaning. Coffee grounds are abrasive, so they can be successfully used in cleaning dishes or surfaces that need some scrubbing. Just dry them, sprinkle them over the surface that needs to be cleaned, and use a wet cloth or sponge to move them around.

→ #3. Used coffee grounds can serve as an insect repellent

You can reuse a larger quantity of coffee grounds to infuse a pot of water. This infused pot of water can later be used to spray your plants to prevent larvae from growing into fully matured insects.

Also, you can try keeping mosquitoes away with dry coffee. Place dried coffee grounds in a piece of aluminium and set them on fire using a bit of lighter liquid.

→ #4. Fighting cellulite? Used coffee grounds can be your ally.

Used coffee grounds can be used to exfoliate hands, face and body. You can either use them as they are, and scrub them on the wet skin, or you can mix them with some olive oil, with your soap or your shower gel.

Exfoliating with coffee grounds has a beneficial impact on the skin:

  • removes dead skin cells, and
  • caffeine contained in coffee grounds make skin more supple.

Caffeine is often used in anti-cellulite products due to the effects it has on accelerating blood circulation and the metabolism of fats.

→ #5. Using coffee grounds in the garden

We have put together a Definitive Guide to Reusing Coffee Grounds in the Garden [2020 edition]. We go in-depth how we can smartly use coffee to make our gardens blossom!

In essence, used coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen. The compounds make coffee an excellent choice for some of the gardening work, which includes the following:

  • Fertilizing some of the plants
  • Composting
  • Vermiculture

Owly’s conclusion

There are some strong reasons to use coffee grounds twice to brew coffee. We do encourage to better understanding the implications of re-using coffee grounds for another pot of coffee.

However, we have successfully used used coffee grounds in other ways, specifically in removing unpleasant odors and in our private SPA. Whether it is a beverage or a dried powder, coffee can make miracles.

What do you think?

What do you think about re-using coffee grounds for another pot of coffee? Do you re-use coffee grounds at home (outside of brewing another cup of coffee)? How do you best recycle coffee grounds?

Let us know in the comments!

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