Easy and Unique Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds

If you’re a two or three-coffee-per-day kind of person then you’ll certainly end up with a fair bit of used coffee grounds in your organic waste bin towards the end of the week. 

 

This may have had you wondering if there are any ways to reuse coffee grounds…

 

Well, the short answer is yes. 

 

Don’t throw your coffee grounds away just yet as we may be able to help you find a way to use your old coffee grounds or turn them into something useful for you. 

 

Having worked in many busy coffee shops throughout the world, I have seen the amount of organic commercial waste that used coffee grounds produce. 

 

Some of the uses for old coffee grounds described below are innovative ways that some of the coffee shop owners came up with to prevent the coffee grounds from ending up in a landfill. 

 

 

 

How Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds?

 

 

Face Scrub

 

One of the most popular ways that you may have already seen to use your old coffee grounds is to turn them into an organic face scrub. 

 

Coffee beans are naturally packed full of antioxidants, caffeine, and nutritious compounds even after the coffee has been extracted. 

A used coffee grounds face scrub may help with aging and under-eye circles, it has also been linked to stopping and combatting cellulite as a body scrub. 

 

To make your own coffee grounds face scrub is pretty simple, just take a tablespoon of coffee grounds and add half a teaspoon of coconut oil and there you have your own organic face scrub. 

 

Be aware that depending on the type of coffee you drink will affect the coarseness of the coffee grounds (espresso uses finely ground coffee, while French press uses coarsely ground coffee), this will impact the type of coffee scrub you eventually make. 

 

Both ends of the coarseness spectrum work well, however, I would recommend finer-ground coffee for face scrubs and coarse-ground coffee for body scrubs. 

 

 

Feed Your House Plants

 

Coffee grounds as mentioned before are packed full of goodness even after they have been used. 

 

One easy way to use up some of your old coffee grounds is to use them as a natural fertilizer for your house plants (or outdoor plants for that matter). 

 

Simply add used ground coffee to potting soil or combine it with the top layer of soil. 

 

I recommend that you use the old coffee grounds sparingly and try to mix the coffee grounds in with the existing soil to create drainage. 

 

 

Use as a Grit

 

This obviously only applies in colder regions of the world. But this method of using old coffee grounds came about from one of my old coffee shop managers after a few inches of snow the night before. 

 

Used coffee grounds work really well as an organic grit to melt the snow. 

 

The acidity and the coarseness of the coffee grounds combine to create a brilliant way to use old coffee grounds.

 

This application works particularly well with coarser, ground used coffee from a French press. 

 

 

Meat Rub

 

A great way to use old coffee grounds especially if you enjoy a barbeque is to make a meat rub. 

 

The coarseness and the rich, full-bodied flavor profile of coffee help to draw out flavor in the meat when cooked (especially when grilled). 

 

Simply add a little oil to the meat and rub a small amount of coffee combined with salt around 30 minutes before you intend to cook. 

 

 

 

 

What products can you make with coffee grounds?

 

Some of the products that you can make from used coffee grounds are described above, they include a used coffee face and body scrub or an organic houseplant fertilizer. 

 

There are other products that can be made from used coffee grounds, however, they require equipment that you probably don’t have around the house. 

 

One of the products made from used coffee grounds that is now on the market is coffee logs that can be used as fuel for your fire. 

 

However, equipment to press the coffee grounds along with an organic composite to create a log is needed. You may also find other coffee ground products online such as candles or soap.

 

 

 

 

Do plants like used coffee grounds?

 

Yes, plants do benefit from used coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients that can help improve soil quality and promote healthy plant growth.

 

Used coffee grounds can be added to the soil around plants, or they can be composted along with other organic matter to create nutrient-rich soil. However, it’s important to use coffee grounds in moderation, as they can be acidic and may lower the pH of the soil if used in excess.

 

Some plants that are particularly fond of coffee grounds include acid-loving plants like blueberries, cranberries, and azaleas, as well as vegetables like tomatoes and carrots. 

 

 

Do used coffee grounds keep mosquitoes away?

 

I am aware that there are claims that coffee grounds can repel mosquitoes and other pests, however, there is limited scientific evidence to support this notion and I can also say from personal experience that I don’t believe that coffee grounds repel mosquitos. 

 

While coffee does contain certain compounds like caffeine that are known to have insecticidal properties, it’s not clear how effective they are at repelling mosquitoes. Especially as a lot of the caffeine has already been extracted.

 

 

Are there other ways you can reuse coffee grounds? Share what you have done in the comments below!