Most people take a cup of coffee to start up their day. Coffee keeps you alert and ready to brave the activities of the day. So what do you do when you don’t have a coffee maker in your home? How do you prepare your daily cup of morning coffee, espresso, or Americano? Can you grind coffee in a food processor?Â
Usually, you should not grind your coffee using your food processor. Coffee is extremely delicate and your food processor might not be the best appliance to prepare your coffee to get the perfect texture and taste as it won’t grind it fine enough.
However, if you don’t have access to a coffee grinder then using a food processor can work as a substitute.
Fortunately, there are some ways which you can consider in order to grind your coffee in your food processor for a finer blend. Check out if the best food processors under 100 dollars can do the trick.
In this article, we will discuss those techniques and the best ways to grind your coffee beans using your food processor.
Can You Grind Coffee in a Food Processor?
While you can grind your coffee in your food processor, you should not. The food processor sometimes functions as a blender so it is strong enough to grind your coffee beans. On the other hand, you should not use your food processor to grind your coffee beans because you might not be able to achieve the smooth coffee consistency that you want.
When you use your food processor to ground your coffee beans, you might not be able to get that perfect coffee flavor that you crave.
Also ensure that you check your food processor manual or instructions to ensure that it can be used to grind coffee beans as not all food processors are strong enough to do this.
Moderately Grounded Coffee Beans
This is usually the most thorough grind you can get using your food processor. Simply turn on your food processor and let the coffee grind for a couple of minutes.
Fortunately, it will work to make a perfect cup of coffee for you. Simply pour a cup of boiling water over the beans and you can have a nice cup of coffee ready
Coarse or Roughly Grounded Coffee
This method is slightly more complicated compared to the moderately ground beans. You have to turn on your food processor and turn it off at intervals. Maybe grind for about 3 seconds per time and turn off for another 2 seconds. Ensure that the consistency is coarse.
There is usually a method to this otherwise your coffee beans might end up losing all its flavor while you grind.
Alternatively, you can add a very small batch of coffee beans to the food processor, grind to a smooth paste then add some more which you can then monitor and ensure that it is not too smooth.
How to Grind Coffee Beans with a Food Processor?
Food processors weren’t exactly designed with coffee making in mind which is probably why you will never make a perfect cup of coffee using your food processor.
On the other hand, you can produce a moderately flavored cup of coffee using your food processor.
Be sure to always check your food processor if it can be used to grind coffee beans before attempting to grind. Food processors are usually used to grind coffee beans for French press.
Most coffee beans that are grounded using a food processor can be used to produce French press coffee brew.
Measurement
Ensure that you grind only the quantity of coffee you need as coffee usually tastes better when it is fresh. If you leave it for longer than a day, you might not enjoy the full flavor.
To grind using your food processor, measure a tablespoon of coffee into your food processor.
This quantity of coffee is perfect for about 2-3 cups of coffee. You can double the quantity if the coffee isn’t enough to grind properly in the food processor.
Hence, it should be noted that different sized food processors would grind differently. We recommend one from these small food processor reviews to achieve consistent results.
Also Read: What Size Food Processor Do I Need?
Grinding
You will be needing the chop, grind or pulse feature of your food processor. You can search for a button. Sometimes, pulse might be replaced with low on your food processor.
If this is the case, press down this button for 3 seconds at 2 seconds interval each.
You will need to ensure that the all the coffee beans are getting grounded and not just part of it. Tip the food processor sideways and grind using the high pulse feature of your food processor.
Do this for about 30-40 seconds at a time. This is to ensure that the blades cut through all the coffee beans. Also make sure that you’re not grinding the coffee into too smooth powder.
Once you achieve a coarse consistency, your coffee beans are ready.
Pouring Out Your Ground Coffee
Once you’ve achieved the right consistency with your coffee beans, it is ready to be poured out. Detach the work bowl from the food processor and pour the contents carefully into your French press maker.
You can tap the sides of the bowl to shake some of then powdered coffee lose then get a pastry brush or any other usable brush to reach the rest of the powder contents left in your food processor.
Ensure that you brush out everything that is left in the food processor so some don’t go to waste.
Wash your food processor bowl and store for subsequent use.
Tips for Grinding Coffee Using Your Food Processor
Grind in Multiple Batches
To get the best coarse grind out of your coffee beans, add the beans in batches. You might sometimes feel that you have a food processor that is big enough to grind your coffee in one batch but this might be bad for the coffee. More recent food processors generate heat while they’re running.
This heat can cook your coffee and extract the bitter oils in it. The result is a bitter and imperfect coffee.
If you grind in different batches, you can monitor your food processor so this doesn’t happen. If it does happen and you decide not to use that batch of coffee, you won’t have to waste too much coffee beans.
Grind in Small Quantities
Another reason why you should grind your coffee beans in small quantities is to note the consistency of the coffee grind.
While you want it to be coarse, you don’t want it to be too coarse, otherwise, it might not be smooth enough for the flavor to seep into your cup.
Also monitor the process and note the texture for subsequent times
The Best Option
When you want to grind a batch of coffee, you can use a food processor, but don’t expect to get the best result. The best option would be to use a coffee grinder.
With a coffee grinder, your coffee beans will retain all the flavors as well as acquire the perfect texture for your morning brew.
Alternatively, if you have a mortar and at home, you can grind your coffee beans using that instead. It is as close to a coffee grinder as you can get.
Conclusion
Here we talked about coffee and food processors and particularly looked at a common query: can you grind coffee in a food processor. While it is alright to grind coffee in your food processor, it is not recommended especially if you have better alternatives like a coffee grinder or a mortar.
When you use your food processor, ensure that you monitor the chunks, you don’t want your coffee beans grinding into a smooth powder and at the same time, you don’t want it to be too coarse. Otherwise, it might affect the quality of your coffee brew.
FAQs:
1. How do you grind coffee beans in a food processor?
Simply use your food processor's pulse function. Turn it in short bursts to coarsely grind the beans, shake it between grinds, and stop when the grind reaches a medium-fine consistency. This method is a little more difficult to master, and you may not achieve the same coarse grind consistency as a burr grinder.
2. What is the difference between a coffee grinder and a food processor?
Coffee grinders and food processors grind coffee in significantly different ways. While food processors chop coffee beans into irregularly sized pieces, burr coffee grinders consistently grind coffee beans. Using a food processor to grind coffee requires more effort and frequently results in a bitter or weaker brew.
3. What is the best way to grind coffee beans?
The best course of action is to purchase a burr grinder. Burr grinders apply the same consistent pressure and rotation to the beans, 'crushing' them to the desired consistency. This is done at a lower speed, which results in no added heat, preserving the flavor and consistency of the grind.
4. Can I grind coffee beans in a blender?
You certainly can grind coffee beans in a blender. Generally, using a blender produces a coarser grind, which is ideal for use with a drip coffee maker, French press, or cold-brew coffee maker. To begin, add a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of beans to the blender. Pulse the beans on a medium speed until they reach the desired grind.
5. Can you grind coffee in a mortar and pestle?
You definitely can. Because it is simple and effective, a mortar and pestle is one of civilization's earliest kitchen tools. Grinding coffee beans with a mortar and pestle allows for the most precise control over the grind size, allowing you to confidently grind coarse French Press grounds or ultra-fine grounds.