how to grind coffee without a grinder

Introduction

Imagine you woke up in the morning, and you feel a strong craving for a fresh coffee sip, but your grinder just broke OR Imagine you are traveling and suddenly realize that you forgot to pack your coffee grinder OR Imagine your grinder recently broke; you went to the market to purchase a new affordable grinder, but you found that it was too costly…

In these situations, what will you do?

We know many people are curious about it, and for those who are coffee lovers, they must know the alternative method of how to grind coffee without a grinder. In this article, we are going to explore these alternative methods in detail.

Role of grind size in brewing

To understand how to grind coffee without a grinder, let’s explore the role of grind size first. Every coffee consumer knows that the grind size of coffee beans directly affects the coffee flavor. If the grind size of your coffee beans is coarse, then the flavor of the beverage will be weak, and if the grind size is too fine, then the result will be over-extracted and bitter. To ensure perfect balance of flavor, it is necessary to grind coffee beans with consistency to obtain the best desired output.

How grind size affects the flavor

Now, let’s explore how it actually affects. The reasons are as follows

Surface Area

Fine Grind	Coarse Grind
Fine grind means grinding coffee beans up to tiny particles. These tiny grind sizes help to spread on a large surface area, and for that reason, the chances of extraction are maximum when reacting with water.	Coarse grind means grinding coffee beans up to a little bit larger particles as compared to fine grind. This will not cover as large an area as fine grind covers, and because of that, slow extraction is performed, and a medium flavor of beverage is obtained.

Methods of how to grind coffee without a grinder

Now in this section, we are going to explore our main query, i.e., how to grind coffee without a grinder. So, the alternative methods are as follows:

Method 1 (Glass Bottle Rolling/Pin Rolling Technique)

Now, the first method in our list of how to grind coffee without a grinder is glass bottle rolling and pin rolling. The steps are as follows:

Steps

1. To reduce improper crumbling, firstly, you have to freeze coffee beans for almost 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Thereafter, put 2 to 4 tablespoons of beans in an airtight Ziploc bag and remove all internal air from it.
3. Placed this bag onto a flat or sturdy surface.
4. Roll the rolling pin or an empty glass bottle over with pressure to crush the beans.
5. Check the consistency of the bean grind size and repeat the process till the desired grind size is obtained.

Method 2 (Blender or food processor)

It is a simple method in our method list of how to grind coffee without a grinder in which we are using a blender or food processor.

Steps

1. Firstly, add beans into the appliance.
2. Now, start the appliance and take 4 to 5 second bursts to prevent it from overheating.
3. Shake the appliance after every shot for even grinding.
4. Stop the process once you achieve your desired grind size.

Method 3 (Hammer or meat tenderizer)

This method is similar to method 1, in which a hammer is used for grinding. The steps are as follows:

Steps

1. Firstly, you have to wrap the coffee beans in a cloth or parchment paper.
2. Placed it on a thick, solid surface.
3. Now, crush that covered bean with a hammer until it breaks into chunks.
4. Repeat the procedure until you get your desired output.

Method 4 (Mortar and pestle)

Another simple and easy method in our list of how to grind coffee without a grinder is using a mortar and pestle for grinding.

Steps

1. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee beans into the mortar.
2. Crushed that bean with a pestle in a circular way.
3. Monitor the grind size during crushing.
4. Continue the process until you get the desired result.

Method 5 (Knife chopping)

The second last method in our list of how to grind coffee without a grinder is knief chooping and the steps are as follow

Steps

1. Firstly, spread the beans on a flat surface or a cutting board.
2. Hold the knife over beans at an angle of 20°.
3. Now, start chopping the beans and continue the process until the perfect grind size is obtained.

Method 6 (Clean pepper mill)

The last and one of the simplest method in our how to grind coffee without a grinder list is grinding with help of pepper mill.

Steps

1. Firstly, wash the pepper mill perfectly with soap and water.
2. Before adding coffee beans to it, dry it completely.
3. Now, after ensuring proper dryness, add beans to it.
4. Adjust the grind size according to your desired output and twist the crank slowly.

Now, let’s overview a short table of the above-mentioned methods with respect to their grind size.

Method	Grind Size
Rolling Pin Technique	Coarse to Medium size
Blender or Food Processor	Medium to Fine size
Hammer or Meat Tenderizer	Ultra Coarse size
Mortar and Pestle	Small and controlled batches
Knife Chopping	Coarse size
Clean Pepper Mill	Coarse size

Sieve your ground for better result

To get a 100% accurate result, you have to follow a sieve process. In this process, you have to take a sieve or a fine mesh strainer. Pour the ground coffee beans in it and shake it gently. This will allow the smaller particle to fall, and the larger uneven particle will remain in it.

Now, regrind these remaining particles. Thereafter, you will get the desired ground of beans.

But remember one thing, this method is applicable if you want a fine grind size.

Common mistake to avoid

Grinding too many beans at a time

Usually, people select too many beans at a time for grinding, this is a bad practice. Selecting too many beans will cause uneven grinding. To prevent it, try to select a limited amount at a time, this may take time, but the result will be accurate.

Using a dull or inappropriate tool

Selecting an inappropriate tool like a blunt knife, a weak or lightweight rolling pin, or a glass bottle can also cause improper grinding. Always try to select the appropriate tool.

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