Coffee is one of those things that many of us feel we can’t live without, isn’t it? And there are so many different types out there! But what about the process – I mean, do you need to grind coffee beans or can you just throw them in the cup?
I’m sure you already know that this is not the ideal way to make coffee! We’re going to have a look into the hows and whys of grinding coffee beans…
Do You Need To Grind Coffee Beans?
In a word, yes. You can’t just throw whole beans into a cup and pour water on them and expect a cup of coffee!
If you do not grind your beans, the best you can expect is a cup of hot water with a vague coffee-like flavour.
The beans need to be ground to allow the flavour and oils to be released when the hot water comes into contact with them.
There are a great many ways you can grind your beans; you don’t necessarily need a dedicated coffee grinding machine…
We have great tips for grinding coffee beans without even using a coffee bean grinder – they’re inexpensive and easy, and will still make you a great cup of coffee.
Can I Use Coffee Beans Without A Grinder?
In short, yes you can! You don’t actually need fancy equipment to grind your coffee beans in a pinch – you can do it yourself with household items:
- Blender. This handy gadget is great for grinding and blending just about anything – including coffee beans!
- Pestle and mortar. It won’t surprise you that this perfect spice grinder is also perfect for grinding coffee beans. It’ll take a bit of elbow grease, but it’ll be worth it.
- Towel and hammer. This is a very simple way of grinding – just pop the beans into a towel and hit them with a hammer. It might not be very smooth, but at least they’ll be ground!
- Rolling pin. The humble rolling pin (or empty wine bottle, if you don’t have a rolling pin) is ideal for grinding coffee – just pop the beans into a bag and roll them repeatedly.
As you can see, you don’t need a coffee grinder – just a bit of determination and a few household items – and you’ll be grinding your own coffee in no time.
Here’s a useful video showing you 3 different ways to grind your coffee beans without a grinder:
Is Instant Coffee Just Finely Ground Coffee Beans?
Although instant coffee looks a lot like ground coffee, the two are actually very different from each other.
Obviously, being made of the same substance, they have a great many similarities too – it comes down to personal preference!
Ground coffee is just that – dried, ground coffee beans that you put into a coffee machine or a cafetiere, and enjoy fresh brewed coffee.
Instant coffee is a freeze dried coffee beverage, that needs no more preparation than having boiling water poured over to dissolve it.
Fresh brewed coffee is considered a more pure form of coffee, and some people refuse to even look at instant coffee.
However, instant coffee is very convenient and there are no leftover coffee grounds to clean up afterwards.
There is no snobbery here – some people like fresh ground coffee, others love the taste and convenience of instant. Whatever your preference, we’re not judging!
Each type of coffee has its own merits, and there is no hard and fast rule to say that you should have one or the other – just drink whichever type you prefer.
Which Is Healthier Instant Coffee Or Brewed Coffee?
There’s always a debate around instant or fresh coffee – which is better? Which is tastier? Which one should you drink?
Well, it really is all down to personal taste. It turns out there’s not much difference in the health benefits between the two!
All coffee (except decaffeinated coffee) contains caffeine, which can give us energy, and antioxidants which are good for the body.
Both instant and brewed coffee (as long as you don’t load it with cream and sugar) is actually a pretty low-calorie drink, so it can be useful if you are trying to lose weight.
Instant coffee contains slightly less caffeine than its fresh counterpart, so you may want to switch if you are trying to cut down on your caffeine intake.
Brewed coffee contains slightly less of any harmful chemicals that can be not great for your body, so if you are going for the purest of the pure then you might prefer this one.
Overall, these two types of coffee are very similar, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much if you are switching from one to the other.
Just make sure that you drink your coffee responsibly, and stick to around 3 cups a day – and enjoy it however you like it the best!
Does Grinding Coffee Beans Fresh Make A Difference?
Pretty much all food and drink is better when it is fresh – and coffee is no different. The fresher the beans, the nicer the coffee!
Grinding the beans when they are fresh will create a nicer consistency in your coffee cup, because of the naturally-occurring oils in the beans.
The flavour of a fresher bean will also be richer and more developed than that which comes from older beans.
You can, of course, keep coffee beans for years before using them and be safe in the knowledge that they will not rot, go off or go mouldy.
However, grinding fresher beans will make for a much nicer coffee experience, so do yourself a favour and don’t let them sit on the shelf for months!
If you are one of the millions of coffee lovers out there, you will want to know the best way to prepare your beloved beverage.
At least now you have a greater understanding of grinding coffee beans – why it’s done, and how to do it – you can get on with making yourself that perfect cuppa!
