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Can You Use Coffee Ground Twice?
About reusing coffee grounds and how to get better results.
Published March 10, 2022
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Johan Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
If you’re like many people, you couldn’t imagine life without coffee. A good cup of coffee will wake you up in the morning and give you the energy to keep going throughout the day. But good coffee does not come cheap and being a regular coffee drinker can quickly begin to burn a hole in your wallet. Buying coffee beans, grinding them, and brewing your coffee can add up in expenses over time. So, you may be wondering can I reuse coffee grounds? Can you rebrew coffee grounds that you have already used? It might seem wasteful to throw them all away if it’s possible to save the coffee grounds in coffee and reuse coffee grounds for your next cup.
If you want to know can I save coffee for the next day, you may be surprised to hear that technically, you can reuse coffee grounds. However, when it comes to figuring out can you reuse coffee grounds, there are a few things to consider. First of all, bear in mind that due to over extracted coffee, your second cup of coffee is unlikely to taste as good as your first. How many times can you use coffee grounds? Ideally, you shouldn’t use the same coffee grounds twice unless you’re seriously trying to save money, or you don’t have any fresh coffee grounds left. But since it’s possible, let’s find out more about it.
What Happens When You Reuse Coffee Grounds?
Drinking coffee provides you with a caffeine hit that can be great for getting more energy. However, some people love drinking coffee mainly for the taste. If the flavor of the coffee is the most important thing to you and you don’t want to compromise on it, then you probably won’t want to reuse your coffee grounds. While you may be wondering can I reuse coffee grounds from cold brew, you will need to take into consideration that while there will be some caffeine available to get your caffeine hit, your coffee is not going to taste as nice as you like it to.
While making coffee might just be a hobby for some drinkers, it is more of a science for serious coffee lovers. If you spend a lot of time getting all the small details perfect to get an amazing brew and figuring out the right water to coffee ratio, temperature, and brewing method, then you probably won’t be able to taste the second brew from your used coffee grounds. The taste will simply not be the same and could even be stale or bitter depending on environmental factors.
If you are wondering how many times can you use coffee grounds while making the reused coffee taste a little bit better, then one of the best ways to do this is to add milk, cream, sugar, or flavor syrups to the coffee to mask the duller taste of the reused grounds. While it still won’t be the same as a fresh cup of coffee, it can be more palatable, which can help you save money in the process and waste less.
How Much Caffeine Do Used Coffee Grounds Contain?
Maybe you’re not too concerned about how the coffee tastes and are mainly interested in how much caffeine is in used coffee grounds so that you can get your energy hit in the morning without spending too much money. However, since most of the caffeine has already been extracted from the coffee, there will not be a lot of caffeine in your second brew. This is because when coffee grinds are brewed for the first time, around 25-35% of the ground coffee is extracted, while other insoluble particles don’t contribute anything. This means that the coffee concentrate that you get as a result will often have a refreshing flavor and will give you enough energy to keep you going all day thanks to the caffeine content in it. Unfortunately, when you reuse ground coffee, you’re unlikely to get a lot, if any, caffeine. So, if the caffeine hit is your main reason for drinking coffee, reusing your coffee grounds is not likely to be worth it for you.
How to Reuse Your Coffee Grounds for Coffee
Ideally, you should avoid reusing coffee grounds as the coffee will be weak and will not taste anything like the first freshly brewed cup. Along with this, there is a risk that you are going to end up with coffee that is over-extracted and bitter. However, if you are determined to reuse your coffee grounds and make the most of it, here are some tips to help you get better results.
1. Cool the Coffee Grounds
Cooling your coffee grounds before reusing them will help prevent them from burning the second time around. Can you reuse cold brew grounds? Since cold brew grounds are brewed in cold water, you don’t need to worry about cooling them first.
2. Cover the Coffee Grounds
Even when they are cooling, you should store your coffee grounds in a covered place to help lock in the flavor for as long as possible.
3. Avoid Tamping
If you are making espresso, then avoid tamping the second time around. However, it is not advised to reuse coffee grounds from espresso as the grounds have already been extracted as much as possible, and you probably won’t get anything at all out of it if you try to reuse them.
4. Avoid Reusing More Than Twice
Reusing just one more time is likely to result in a coffee that is weaker and doesn’t taste as good as the first and trying a third time is going to leave you with a beverage that resembles dirty dish water, so it isn’t worth bothering at all – your coffee will be undrinkable.
How to Make Reused Coffee Grounds Taste Better
If you must reuse your coffee grounds, there is always something that you can do to try and make the coffee taste better. If you always add creamer or milk to your coffee, then your second brew probably won’t taste that bad. However, if you love black coffee, you will definitely notice a difference when drinking a brew made with reused grounds. Add some creamer or sweeten your coffee to make it easier to drink.
Can You Reuse Cold Brew Coffee Grounds?
Cold brewing coffee is an excellent method of getting a refreshing, cold cup of coffee without the need for any special equipment. All you need to do to get the best results is steep the coffee grounds in cold water for between twelve and fourteen hours.
Can I reuse coffee grounds from cold brew? Do coffee grounds dissolve in water? Coffee grounds do not dissolve in cold water, so after making cold brew, there should be some grounds left over that you may be considering reusing. Reusing coffee grounds for cold brew can be done with a good result with the right strategies. However, it is important to note that just as is the case with hot coffee brewing methods, the taste of the coffee is not going to be the same as what you are used to as the majority of soluble particles will have already been extracted from the coffee the first time around. However, cold brewing is one of the best methods to use when it comes to reusing your coffee grounds.
You might want to add some milk or creamer to the cup to make the brew nicer to drink. Sugar or sugar alternatives like unsweetened cocoa powder or honey can also be added to the cup to counteract any bitterness and improve the taste of the coffee. Reusing your coffee grounds to make cold brew can be an ideal way to save money and may be a good choice for you if you like cold beverages or iced coffee drinks.
Reusing Coffee Grounds in Aeropress or French Press
It is possible to reuse your coffee grounds in a French Press or Aeropress. Always keep in mind that no matter what method you are using, your coffee will not taste the same as the first cup that you made. When using an Aeropress or French Press, it’s important to soak the coffee grounds for a longer period of time. With these methods, you will usually get more caffeine compared to other methods of reusing your coffee grounds.
Can You Wait Until the Next Day to Reuse Your Coffee Grounds?
Can I save coffee for the next day? It is best to reuse your coffee grounds as soon as possible and avoid waiting until the next day. This is because waiting until the next day is only likely to result in an undrinkable and nasty cup of coffee that you will want to throw away. It will be bitter and flavorless, and there is a higher risk of bacteria and fungi growth in the wet grounds the longer they are left.
While it won’t produce the best cup of coffee, if you have no coffee left or are pinching your pennies, you might be able to reuse coffee grounds.
About the author
Johan Hedlund
I´m living in Karlstad, Sweden with my family. Been working the last 25 years with several start ups in the tech industry. Coffee has been an integral part, both professionally and privately. Eager to learn new things and happy to be a member of the era of we community.
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