New Life for Your Beans After the Coffee's Over

April 14, 2021

What to do with your grounds after brewing your favorite Humblemaker Coffee blend or single-origin roast? 

The folks over at Coffee Affection came up with a list of great re-uses to keep them out of the landfill and waste stream, and some will probably surprise you.

Here are our Top 5 from their list:

  1. Insect repellant - set bowls of used grounds out around your camp or even sprinkle used grounds around the perimeter of your home patio to keep pests away. 
  2. Flea repellant - mix used grounds into your pet shampoo, and when you wash your dogs, the grounds act as a natural flea deterrent. 
  3. Odor control - take used grounds, roast them at 250 degrees in your oven to dry them completely, then place in your refrigerator or freezer, where they soak up stray fruit and veg odors.
  4. Scrubbing cleanser - Add damp grounds to crusted and over-baked pots and pans, then scrub away. The grit of the grounds will help break free the dirt. And dried, used grounds can be added to coconut oil to make a gentle skin exfoliant.
  5. Compost - Old unused beans and used coffee ground can go right into your compost bin, or onto your garden soil. As they break down, they add a deep, rich component to your soil.

Coffee Affection has more clever ideas -- 13, in fact, on their list. Check them all out.