Definitive guide: How to dry and store used coffee grounds?

Drying coffee grounds prevents nasty odors and bacteria growth

But why do we need to dry used coffee grounds anyway? Can’t we just store them as they are?

Storing wet coffee grounds can be dangerous for health, and can create a nasty and smelly problem down the line. This is because wet grounds can yield the following:

• Foul smells and nasty looking colors.
• A perfect environment for bacteria, fungi and mold.

Wet coffee grounds can be dangerous for health if you intend to use them in beauty treatments on the body.

Therefore, we very strongly suggest that you should thoroughly dry coffee grounds before storing them.

2 easy methods to dry coffee grounds

We would like to share 2 SUPER EASY methods of drying coffee grounds before storing them.

Using either method should yield fully dried coffee grounds of deep brown colors. Whichever method you select, be careful not to burn them! This may occur in high temperature environments.

• Drying in the sun, and
• Drying in the oven

We have also tried drying coffee grounds in clothes drier, microwave and with a hair dryer. However, those were not particularly successful. Hence, we recommend drying in either the sun, or the oven, or both!

✔️ Drying coffee grounds in the Sun – EASE, CONVENIENCE AND FLEXIBILITY

In order to dry coffee grounds in the sun, you will find the following helpful:

• a baking sheet or any other similar container (wide but not tall)
• dry newspaper/paper sheets
• sunlight

Going through the process is very easy and provides flexibility. Drying in the sun does not require your constant attention for a specific period of time. Instead, you can simply lay coffee grounds and leave them there for a couple of days.

In fact, drying in the sun takes anywhere between 2 to 4 days. Coffee grounds should dry faster if left outside in the direct sunlight.

If there are winds in your area, you may want to leave coffee grounds in the direct sunlight inside your home.

If you prefer drying coffee in the sun (like we do), it might be useful to follow these steps:

➡️ line the baking sheet with newspaper

➡️ place the coffee grounds inside forming a layer not thicker than 2-3 inches

➡️ place the coffee grounds in a sunny place

➡️ remember to turn the grounds around every day, so that the wet ones on the bottom can come on top

➡️change the newspaper sheet if necessary and replace it with a dry one

➡️bring the coffee grounds inside if it starts to rain or of it gets too windy

✔️ Drying coffee grounds in the oven – SPEED AND ACCURACY

In order to dry coffee grounds in the oven, you will find the following helpful:

• a baking sheet or any other similar container (wide but not tall)
• dry newspaper/paper sheets
• an oven

Going through the process is much faster, but requires more attention and accuracy. You need to be careful not to burn the grounds. The temperature of the oven cannot go over 200 degrees.

If you do not have a lot of grounds to dry, you can even pop them in the oven right after switching it off. The oven is still hot, and you can put the grounds inside and leave them in the oven overnight to dry. That might not work, however, if the quantity of grounds is large and they need to be turned around.

If you would like to dry coffee grounds in the oven, here are some steps to follow:

➡️ line the baking sheet with newspaper

➡️ spread the coffee grounds on the newspaper (the layer should be not thicker than 2-3 inches, to allow heat to pass)

➡️ pre-heat the oven at a temperature of maximum 200 degrees

➡️ put the baking sheet in the oven

➡️ turn the coffee every half an hour to facilitate the even spreading of the heat among the grounds

How to store coffee grounds?

Once nice and dry, we recommend storing coffee grounds carefully to prevent humidity. This would be in a dark place at room temperature in airtight containers.

• plastic containers (like those big plastic protein jars)
• glass containers (re-use those marmalade jars)
• vacuum sealed bags

How long can I store used coffee grounds

If coffee grounds are dried and containers are dry and stored in favorable conditions, used coffee grounds can be stored for up to 2 years. Remember to check on them every month or every other month, just to make sure that everything is ok. They should be dry and in a good condition.

Re-using used coffee grounds

Used coffee grounds can be really useful. While most people appear to discard used coffee grounds, these grounds can have some beneficial effects at home.

We shared some of the ways to re-use coffee grounds in our previous article. Here are the most important highlights:

• A fertilizer in the garden. Used coffee can contribute to the growth of some plants in the garden. In fact, there are people who intentionally dry used coffee grounds and sell them to gardeners for a profit.
• Speeds up decomposing in compost. The acid contained in coffee helps speeding up decomposing when added to composting mixtures.
• Effective scrubber around the house. Thanks to their abrasive texture, coffee grounds can help in the household chores.
• Great peeling for the body.
• Removes nasty odors.

Owly’s conclusion

While I initially thought that drying and storing coffee grounds was boring at first, I quickly fell in love with the scents, ease and convenience of the process. I was further fascinated with what I could accomplish with used coffee grounds.

I typically dry and store used coffee grounds on occasional weekends. Thanks to this, my house smells great (I love coffee aroma!), and my neighbors are jealous about my blossoming garden!

Show your coffee some love and re-purpose it!

What do you think?

Do you dry and store coffee grounds? What do you use used coffee grounds? Did we miss any creative ways to dry or store coffee grounds?

Let us know in the comments!