Drinking a cup of coffee in the morning to fuel up is a common habit of millions of people around the world. The best coffee is the one you get from freshly brewed ground and the easiest way to grind coffee is to use the coffee grinder. However, if your grinder has broken or you don't have one available, there are many other ways to grind coffee beans to start the day with energy.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Mechanical Grinding of Coffee Beans
Step 1. Blend them
Measure 25 g of coffee beans and pour them into the blender container. Place the lid on and blend them on low speed for two intervals of about 10 seconds each. Add another 25g and repeat. Continue blending for about a minute or until you have the required amount of coffee and the correct consistency.
- When you're done, wash the blender container carefully to get rid of the coffee aroma.
- In exceptional circumstances the blender is the best substitute for the coffee grinder, but it does not allow you to obtain a fine and uniform ground. With the blender you can only get a coarse grain.
- Turn on the blender at short intervals to prevent the blades from heating up and cooking the coffee beans.
Step 2. Use the food processor
Measure the coffee beans and pour them into the food processor container. Grind them at intervals of 5 seconds for a total of 10-20 seconds, then check the consistency of the coffee and continue grinding it at short intervals until you have obtained the result you want.
- Disassemble and wash the food processor when done to eliminate the coffee aroma.
- As with the blender, using the food processor you can at most get a coarse and poorly uniform ground coffee, but you will still be able to prepare a decent coffee.
Step 3. Try using the hand blender
Pour the coffee beans into a tall, narrow container. Insert the neck of the blender into the container and cover it with one hand to prevent the coffee beans from spilling out as you blend them. Blend them for 20-30 seconds, check the consistency and repeat at 10-second intervals until you reach the desired result.
Wash the hand blender and the container as soon as you are done to remove the oils and aroma of the coffee
Method 2 of 3: Grind the Coffee Beans Manually
Step 1. Use pestle and mortar
Measure a couple of tablespoons (5-10 g) of coffee beans and pour them into the mortar. Cover it with your hand to prevent the grains from spilling out as you shatter them. Rotate the pestle inside the mortar to break up the coffee beans. After 5 seconds, lift the pestle and squeeze the grains from above with a vertical movement.
- Repeat again: rotate the pestle in the mortar for 5 seconds, then mash the coffee beans from above, until they reach the desired consistency.
- Grind a little coffee at a time to obtain a consistency that is as uniform as possible.
- With this method you can get the grain of your choice, from coarse to ultra-fine.
Step 2. Break the coffee beans
For lack of anything else, you can put the coffee beans on the cutting board and mash them with the flat side of a large butcher's knife. Place the palm of your hand on the opposite side of the blade and squeeze the grains against the cutting board to shatter them. When they are broken, slide the blade towards you very carefully. Continue to force yourself to grind the grains as finely as possible.
Using this method you will be able to get a medium or medium-fine grain at the most
Step 3. Use the rolling pin
Measure the coffee beans and pour them into a food bag made of sturdy plastic. Seal it, place it on a flat surface and distribute the coffee beans evenly. Hit the coffee beans with a rolling pin, with a light hand, to crush them. Once broken, mash them by rolling the rolling pin back and forth until you get the desired grind.
- If you don't have a food bag available, you can put the coffee beans between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Using a rolling pin you can get a medium or fine grain.
Step 4. Use a hammer
Place the coffee beans between two sheets of parchment paper or in a zip-lock food bag. Find a flat surface and spread the paper or bag over a towel, taking care to distribute the coffee beans evenly. Break the grains with the hammer by hitting them with moderate and steady force. Continue until you have a ground with a medium-coarse grain.
You can also use the meat tenderizer or a mallet
Step 5. Use a manual chopper
It is generally used to mince meat or vegetables for sautéing, but it is a very versatile tool that you can also use to grind coffee. Measure the grains and pour them into the container of the food processor. Turn the crank clockwise to crush them. For a finer grind, transfer the coffee to a container and then grind it again.
Method 3 of 3: Choose the Correct Degree of Grind
Step 1. Get a coarse grit if you want to make coffee with a French coffee maker
The degree of grind must change depending on how you intend to prepare the coffee. Coarse grinding means that the coffee must have a consistency similar to that of breadcrumbs. You can achieve this by using the blender or food processor. This type of grind is ideal for:
- The French coffee maker (the so-called "French press" or plunger or press-filter coffee maker).
- The cold extraction method.
- The vacuum coffee maker.
Step 2. Get medium grain for different coffee brewing methods
Medium grind means that the coffee must have a consistency similar to that of white sugar. This type of grain is suitable for many methods, but not for making espresso or Turkish coffee.
You can get a medium grind by breaking the coffee beans with a knife or hammer. Using a rolling pin you can achieve a medium-fine grind
Step 3. Get a fine grain for making an espresso
To obtain the best possible result using a professional or home coffee machine or mocha, a fine grinding of the coffee beans is required. By fine grinding we mean that the coffee must have a consistency similar to that of table salt.
If you do not have a coffee grinder, you can obtain this type of grinding using the pestle and mortar or the rolling pin
Step 4. Get super fine grain for making Turkish coffee
Super fine grind means that the coffee must have a consistency similar to that of icing sugar. This is the degree of grind required to make Turkish or Greek coffee. You can achieve this by using the pestle and mortar.
Advice
- In roasters it is generally possible to have the coffee grinded at the moment according to one's needs.
- If you intend to buy a new coffee grinder, the ideal is to choose a high quality one.
- Store ground coffee in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. It must remain protected from heat, air, humidity and intense cold.
