If you are a lover of coffee, you will know how important a coffee grinder is, it makes it easy and faster to have coffee on the table. But what happens in a situation where there is no coffee grinder on ground or a situation where your coffee grinder suddenly stopped working, they can break down anytime without warning. Or in situation where you don’t have a grinder handy, there is no need to panic because there are several alternative methods you can use to grind coffee without a coffee grinder.
These other methods may be a bit stressful and time consuming compare to a grinder, but the good thing is that you won’t be starved of coffee. You will also get the same taste you will get when using a coffee grinder.
These are the method you can use to grind your coffee in the absence of a grinder:
- A Regular Blender
- A Mortar and Pestle
- A Rolling pin
- A Hammer
- A Knife
HOW TO USE A REGULAR BLENDER
Blender is a great alternative to a coffee grinder as it also uses its blades to chop up the coffee beans which is also the same way a coffee grinder works. There are some blenders that come with a grinder setting that is ideal for coffee beans. It is advisable to blend a small amount of the beans at a time and also bring the blender to a stop at intervals to avoid the natural oil in the beans being cooked by the heat generated by the speed of the blades.
PROCEDURE:
- For blenders with grinder setting, set the blender to grinder or to a fast speed in the case of blenders without grinder.
- Put some small amount of the coffee beans in the blender and cover the lid
- Grind coffee to your desired consistency
- Ensure to always have the lid in place to prevent the beans from jumping out.
HOW TO USE MORTAR AND PESTLE
The use of mortar and pestle is an ancient way of grinding. It has been used by Pharmacists over the years to grind herbs and medicines into a fine dust. It is by far the most tedious method of grinding coffee but also the only proven method that will retain the original taste of the coffee. This is what makes the mortar and pestle an ideal alternative to a coffee grinder.
PROCEDURE
- Put small quantity of coffee in the mortar
- Hold the pestle conveniently with one hand and use the other hand to hold the mortar in place to avoid it moving around
- Crush the coffee beans by using the pestle to press down the beans. You may have to apply some force.
- Continue adding beans until you have blended the desired quantity
- Use the pestle to roll the coffee around in the mortar in order to achieve a finer texture.
Continue rolling the crushed beans until you reach the desired texture.
HOW TO USE A ROLLING PIN
The rolling pin can crush and grind coffee beans because of how it is designed. This always helps to get a uniform texture and also brings you a good grind. It however requires some elbow grease and also requires that you have observant eyes to make sure that you get uniform texture. To use rolling pin you will also need a large cutting board and a plastic Ziploc bag or parchment paper.
PROCEDURE
- Place your desired quantity of coffee in the plastic bag or in between two parchment paper.
- Put the bag on the counter
- Use the rolling pin to smash the beans by pressing it down
- Once the beans is crushed, apply some pressure and rollover the coffee
- Continue rolling the pin over the grounds until desired consistency is achieved.
Patience is the key while using any other methods of grinding your coffee.
HOW TO USE HAMMER
The use of hammer to crush and grind coffee is a bit similar to the use of rolling pin, only that you have to be extra careful so as not to crush your hand or destroy your kitchen top in the process. You may not be able to get a finer texture from using a hammer to you will surely get a medium grind. You will need to have a plastic bag or parchment paper and a cutting board. Mallet or Tenderizer could also be used in place of a hammer.
PROCEDURE
- Place the desired quantity of coffee in the plastic bag or in between two parchment paper
- Exert a consistence downward motion on the beans, crush them until you get the desired consistency
- Ensure to start smashing from one side of the bag before moving to the other side to make sure that you achieve a smooth grind.
In conclusion, patience, consistency and uniformity are the keys to achieve a good grind and also a good flavour. An inconsistence grind has the tendency of leaving you with a bad taste of coffee.
