This Is The Easiest Way To Make Coffee Without A Grinder

It is probably fair to say that a majority of people need a little caffeine kick-start to get their day going. In fact, if you are a coffee drinker, and according to Disturb Me Not, that encompasses 64 percent of adults in the United States, you also might fall in the 79 percent of coffee drinkers who brew their morning pick-me-up at home. Over the course of the year, Americans will drink up approximately 146 billion cups of coffee — we're getting a buzz just thinking about all that caffeine. 

And unless you are a fan of the instant variety of coffee, you probably buy coffee in a nice tin that has already been ground and is ready to go. Why not? It's convenient. But, fresh ground coffee, well that can't be beat. It's just more flavorful. And, if you own a coffee grinder that is definitely the easiest and most convenient way to grind up these aromatic beans to produce fresh grounds ready for brewing.

However, if you are among the masses who do not own their own coffee grinder, do not despair. There are coffee grinding methods that require little more than some simple household items, a little bit of patience, and rolling up your sleeves for a little manual labor that can accomplish the same thing as an expensive grinder. 

According to the blog Home Grounds, there are a variety of kitchen items you can use to grind up your coffee beans if you want to forgo the coffee grinder. One item the site suggests does a superb job of grinding up coffee for a French press is the mortar and pestle. The Blend explains that this kitchen tool also gives you the most control over the size of your grind. To do so, the blog recommends filling the mortar about a quarter of the way full with coffee beans and grind away by holding the mortar (or bowl) and twisting.

If that sounds like a lot of work, you could also break out the blender. The Blend notes that most blenders come with a blade that is similar to that of a coffee grinder. You want to grind your coffee beans in small quick bursts using the grind or high setting. If you go this route, the site notes that you shouldn't keep the blender running or it will allow the coffee bean oils to seep out, resulting in a bitter tasting cup of coffee. But if neither of those options in the cards for grinding up your coffee beans, no worries. There are other kitchen tools that you can use in a pinch.

Home Grounds shares that a knife, a hammer, or even a rolling pin can also do the job of crushing and grinding your coffee beans. If you opt to use a knife, you will be producing a medium-size ground by using the flat side of your knife to push down on the coffee beans and crush them. The blog does say that this is not the easiest method and does require a modicum of skill.

If you lack knife skills, there is always the rolling pin. Using a rolling pin to grind your coffee beans doesn't require a lot of skill, but your arms might feel a little like Linda Hamilton's from Terminator 2. Using a rolling pin both crushes and grinds the coffee beans which makes this a great option, according to Home Grounds. But it also cautions that you want to keep an eye on the beans to ensure they are evenly crushed and ground. 

And if neither of these methods has you excited, you can always find a hammer or meat mallet to do the job. Simply put your coffee beans in a plastic bag and press down on the beans with the mallet to crush them. Home Grounds warns folks trying this method to not hammer away at the bag. In doing so, you could destroy your countertops in the process, and no caffeine fix is worth that. But don't expect espresso-grade grounds with this method. Save these for a cold brew.