Can I Use Normal Grinder for Coffee?

The grinder is an essential piece of kitchen equipment for extracting the flavor and aroma of coffee beans. Brewing tasty and refreshing coffee every morning has become a tradition for many households to kickstart the day. If you read any best coffee grinder reviews, you’ll learn how it improves your coffee experience.

However, you may also wonder if it’s possible to grind the coffee using a standard grinder. With that in mind, let’s discuss the relevant topics about the ways of grinding coffee.

Blender for Grinding Coffee

When your grinder is out of service and the replacement isn’t available yet, a standard blender can be a temporary coffee grinder substitute. The blender’s blade slices the coffee the same way as a blade grinder does.

Some blenders and food processors feature a grinder preset designed for coffee beans. When using one, ensure that you only grind in quick bursts instead of continually running the equipment.

Standard blender blades rotate at high speeds and can potentially heat the beans, overheating the beans’ natural oils. When the beans get exposed to too much heat, it can result in a coffee that tastes awfully bitter.

For a moderately coarse grind like French press, using an on-and-off grinding approach yields the most excellent results. Even if you do this improvisation, keep in mind that it will never be as consistent as a burr grinder, so do not treat a blender as a permanent alternative.

How To Use

Below are the steps to using a blender for grinding coffee beans.

  1. As mentioned earlier, some blenders have a grind setting. If yours have it, then you’re good. Otherwise, look for medium-high speed in the dial.
  2. Slowly pour an amount that won’t fill the blender fully, then secure it using the lid or cover on top.
  3. Grind the beans using the “on-and-off” method to ensure the blades and coffee beans overheating are less likely to occur.
  4. While grinding, you can slightly tilt the blender to move the larger pieces to where the blades are spinning. This way, you can potentially get a consistent grind.
  5. Once you’re satisfied with the grinding, move the freshly-grounded coffee to a different container and repeat steps one to three if needed.

Other Methods of Grinding Coffee Without a Coffee Grinder

While a standard grinder or food processor can be a substitute for making coffee grounds, you can also use other ways or tools. We’ll highlight two classic kitchen tools that are usable in grinding coffee.

Mortar and Pestle

Despite the advances in technology, mortar and pestle remain as one of the staple kitchen tools. While you use it primarily for preparing herbs and spices, you may also utilize your mortar and pestle as a grinding tool for your coffee beans.

Although it takes a little more time and effort, pounding your coffee beans using this timeless kitchen device allows you to control the grind consistency and texture completely. It is preferable to use a ceramic set since it features more resistant to the bean oils produced while grinding.

How To Use

The process of grinding coffee beans via mortar and pestle is listed below.

  1. Fill your mortar with up to two teaspoons of coffee beans only. The vessel shouldn’t be close to being full.
  2. To avoid the beans spilling out of control, keep one of your hands over the lid of the mortar.
  3. Grab the pestle with your dominant hand and begin rapidly spinning it, pounding and grinding the beans.
  4. Repeat this process until you’ve obtained the appropriate grind.
  5. If you want additional coffee grounds, transfer the amount you have worked on to a different container, and repeat step one.

Rolling Pin

A rolling pin, meant for flattening the dough, is also an excellent method to grind coffee beans if you don’t have a grinder or blender. Its design allows it to provide a relatively consistent grind.

However, using a rolling pin to grind coffee can be cumbersome. It also necessitates paying great attention to the grinding process to achieve consistency. With some practice, you can produce a medium grind ideal for pour-over brews.

How To Use

Let’s learn how to use your rolling pin in grinding coffee.

  1. Ensure that there’s no air in the bag by squeezing it out before sealing because it might pop once you start pounding.
  2. Fill a resealable plastic bag with the appropriate amount of coffee beans.
  3. Then, put the bag on a chopping board or any flat, even surface.
  4. Wrap the bag in a towel and start smashing it using the rolling pin. The towel could make your pounding much longer because it will slightly protect the bag from impact.
  5. Remove the towel and start rolling the pin back and forth over the plastic bag.
  6. Repeat the pounding and rolling until the appropriate consistency is reached.

Grinding Coffee Beans With Other Tools

You can use a normal grinder and other standard kitchen tools for making coffee. Expecting the grind consistency to be similar to a good burr coffee grinder can produce is too much. Still, it’s good to know that you can use these tools when a coffee grinder is unavailable.