Coffee is expensive. If youbrew coffee at home every day, it will cost a lot of money over time. If you end up dumping part of the pot down the drain, it is especially true. You are wasting money by throwing away cups instead of recycling them.
There are many ways to reuse leftover coffee so that you don’t waste your favorite drink.
Cooking with coffee can add depth of flavor to sweet and savory dishes. You can degrease dishes with it, and even use it as a natural dye. There are a lot of ways you can use this leftover drink! Let’s check out a few of our favorites.
Saving leftover coffee
Yes! Leftover coffee will not taste as good as coffee that was freshly brewed. Saving leftover coffee is a great way to get more bang for your buck, as long as you don’t mind that it won’t taste as fresh.
How long is leftover coffee good for
It’s best to drink coffee right after it’s brewed. The flavor is best when it is fresh, but it is still edible after a day.
You should drink coffee within 12 hours of making it if you don’t want to risk contamination.
You can keep coffee in the fridge for up to four days. Some of the best storage containers for your leftover coffee are mason jars, sealed Tupper Ware, and mugs with lids.
If you refrigerate coffee, the flavor will be light after four days. It is best to use leftover coffee as quickly as possible if you want to use it for eating or drinking purposes.
You can keep coffee in the fridge for up to four days, regardless of its flavor.
Top things to do with leftover coffee
Here are 13 things you can do with leftover coffee:
1. Bake a cake
Chocolate is a great flavor to pair with coffee. Coffee and chocolate are a classic flavor combination that can be enhanced by using coffee as an ingredient in chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes.
This coffee will bring out the chocolatey flavor, making it ideal for those who love chocolate. Don’t worry, adding coffee won’t make the cake taste like your breakfast pick me up.
There are many recipes that use leftover coffee to make chocolate cake. Here is our personal favorite. This recipe is even good for vegans! This recipe can also be used to make chocolate cupcakes.
Since cupcakes are smaller, you will need to adjust the baking time. This is because they don’t require as much time to cook thoroughly.
2. Water plants
You can give your plants diluted leftover coffee occasionally as a more natural fertilizer. Coffee is naturally high in acid, which makes it great for improving soil health.
To make your compost more effective, mix in used coffee grounds and leftover coffee. This will nurture the soil to help plants grow. If you use too much coffee, it could make the soil too acidic.
3. Rub on rib eyes
The most wonderful taste ever is probably not created by coffee and rib eyes. Actually, coffee is a great ingredient to add to rib eyes or any other meat. A marinade is a great way to make your meat more flavorful and tender.
Try this Coffee Rubbed Ribeye recipe the next time you have a grill out. This ribeye steak will taste impressive, but it won’t require a lot of expensive ingredients or time to prepare. Perfect!
4. Make a hair mask
Coffee is not only great for energizing your morning, but also for your hair.
One benefit of caffeine and antioxidants is that they can make your hair appear shinier and bouncier by removing built-up products from your scalp. It can also help to improve the condition of your hair, making it stronger and promoting growth.
You can make a coffee hair mask using a variety of different ingredients. There are many recipes that use other ingredients such as coconut oil, honey, or egg yolk. To find the best recipe for your hair needs, wash it out. If you are looking for a way to promote hair growth, you can add coffee powder to your shampoo.
5. Coffee ice cubes
The ice in iced coffee slowly melts, which creates a diluted flavor. A way to avoid wasting leftover coffee is to freeze it into cubes and use them the next time you want iced coffee.
The result is a coffee that is both flavorful and chilled.
Freezing coffee ice cubes is really simple. Let the leftover coffee temperature decrease to room temperature. Then, pour the leftover coffee into a container that can make ice cubes. Freeze the coffee cubes as you would any other ice cubes. Pop them out when it’s time to make your iced coffee.
6. Use it as a stain
If you wish to have a classic and attractive finish on your unfinished wood, you should stain it.
Unfortunately, many wood stains are incredibly expensive. Instead of using expensive stain, use strong leftover coffee.
In order to use coffee as a stain, you must first sand the wood. Once the wood is sanded, you can then use a paintbrush or cloth to apply the coffee.
To make the color darker, add multiple coats of coffee, waiting 15 minutes in between each coat. Choose a less concentrated coffee mixture and apply only a few thin layers for a lighter stain.
7. Bake brownies
Adding coffee to brownies will make the chocolate flavor more pronounced. Instead of using water or milk, use your leftover coffee. The coffee’s strength will affect how much the chocolate flavor is enhanced.
This brownie recipe is delicious and safe for vegans.
When the chocolate, vegan butter, and sugar have melted, add coffee to the mixture. The key to making this recipe perfect is to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn, otherwise the batter could become grainy from the coffee.
8. Reheat it
The most uncreative way to recycle leftover coffee is to heat it up and drink it later. Reheated coffee may not taste as good as freshly brewed coffee, but it will still give you the caffeine boost you need in the morning and help you get more bang for your buck.
Place your coffee in a sealed container in the fridge if you want to reheat it. Only remove the energy drink from its container immediately before you consume it. You can either heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. We recommend the microwave simply because it is faster.
9. Use it as a degreaser
The acid in the coffee is not only good for plants, but also has other benefits. Acid is a really great cleaning agent. This cleaner is so strong that it can even remove grease from surfaces. This is because the coffee’s high acidity makes it a great cleaning agent.
coffee can be used to clean the grill, floors, dishes, or anywhere else with many buildups.
Coffee has a strong, pleasant smell that helps to mask unpleasant odors, making it a great choice for cleaning your garbage disposal. Just remember that coffee can stain. Do not use vinegar as a cleaner on any surfaces that can be stained.
10. Chill it and make iced coffee
Store your leftover coffee in the fridge and enjoy it a few hours later. But beware!
Coffee that is left over will start to taste worse the longer it is not consumed. The oils in coffee that give it flavor begin to go bad after about 4 hours, so you only have a short time to enjoy the flavor of your coffee after you make it.
11. Kick your oatmeal up a notch
The importance of breakfast cannot be overstated. It is the most important meal of the day. We also know it’s impossible to function without coffee. If you combine the two, you will get the most efficient nutrient and caffeine delivery system!
Here’s how to make coffee oatmeal thanks to Good. Food. Stories. Making oatmeal with coffee might sound simple, but it’s not as easy as you might think.
Coffee Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup leftover coffee
- Pinch of salt
- Honey, agave nectar, maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Steps
- Combine oats, milk, coffee, and salt in small pot and simmer on medium heat
- Let cook for about 5 minutes
- Stir in your sweetener of choice and vanilla extract inside the last minute, if desired
- Once desired consistency reached, remove from the heat and enjoy
12. Make a delicious mocha
A mocha is a drink made with coffee and chocolate. It can come in different variations, but the basic idea is always the same: coffee and chocolate mixed together. What am I classifying as a mocha here?
- Traditional mocha, which is more coffee than chocolate
- Iced mocha
- Hot chocolate with a splash of coffee
- Chocolate milk with a splash of coffee (or coffee iced cubes!)
The above can all be seen as delicious, it just matters what mood you’re in!
13. Blend up a frappe
I was not familiar with the term “frappe” and had to look it up.
Frappe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of coffee frozen into ice cubes
- 2 cups almond milk (or milk of your choice)
- 3 1/2 tbsp chocolate syrup
- 3 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Whipped cream (garnish, optional)
- Additional chocolate syrup (garnish, optional)
- Shaved chocolate bar (garnish, optional)
Steps
- Make ice cubes from your leftover coffee
- Combine coffee ice cubes, milk, chocolate syrup, and granulated sugar in a blender
- Blend until you reach desired texture
- Top with garnishes if desired
14. Make your own ice cream
It is an experience that everyone should have, at least once, to make ice cream from scratch. The recipe called for so much sugar that I was surprised. Despite that, it was really good.
I don’t have sugar very often, but it’s okay to have a sweet snack every now and then. Enter coffee ice cream! Check out this easy recipe from The Kitchn:
Coffee Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk (whole works best)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup leftover coffee
- 4 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
Steps
- Heat milk and heavy cream in a pot over medium heat until just scalded
- Beat egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl
- Add the milk to the mixing bowl slowly until well combined
- Pour the contents of the bowl back into the pot and cook over low-medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 12-15 minutes)
- Remove from heat and stir in the coffee
- Allow to cool to room temperature and then freeze using your ice cream maker’s instructions
15. Try your hand at tiramisu
You generally have to get the tiramisu when you go to an Italian restaurant. Espresso is typically called for in most tiramisu recipes, but you can also get by with using really strong coffee.
Tiramisu is a more complicated dish than the others I’ve shared here, so I won’t include the recipe here. Try the Fifteen Spatulas recipe for tiramisu for a delicious and easy to follow dish.
16. Add coffee to chili
I grew up in New England, so I’m a really big Patriots fan. I am a big fan of chili, especially in the colder months when tailgating is more common. I think it is the perfect dish to enjoy with friends and family at a tailgate.
Adding coffee to the dish creates a deep, earthy flavor that goes well with the beef and beans. The coffee’s acidity helps to offset the heaviness of the chili, making each bite more enjoyable.
How much coffee should you add to your chili? This recipe for Tailgate Chili calls for 1 1/4 cups of chicken stock. You can replace some of that with coffee. I would personally use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of leftover coffee that is strong, and supplement the chili with some beef bouillon cubes.
17. Deepen your vinaigrette
Big vinaigrette fan here. This homemade Balsamic Coffee Vinaigrette is just delicious! I make it all the time.
Think coffee in your salad dressing is weird? Maybe it is. I think the best way to make this drink is to use a light, citrusy coffee from Ethiopia. I think this dressing goes great with steak salad.
To make iced coffee, follow the recipe above from Community Coffee Company.
18. Water your acid-loving plants
I’ve had the dream of being a gardener for a while, but my lifestyle gets in the way. I’m constantly moving, so it’s hard to have a garden, and every house plant I’ve ever owned has died under my care. I may not have a garden, but that might be for the best.
I think I might need to water my plants with coffee instead of water. Seriously, this is actually a thing. A lot of plants grow best in acidic conditions, and coffee grounds can be beneficial for them. What kind of plants are we talking about
- Azaleas
- Rhododendrons
- Camellias
- Hydrangeas
- Daffodils
- Magnolia
- Marigolds
- Holly
- Gardenias
- Iris
- Begonias
This tip works best with lightly brewed coffee. And don’t water your plants with coffee every day. Maybe once every 1-2 weeks.
Conclusion
There are many ways to use leftover coffee rather than throwing it away. There are many uses for leftover coffee outside of simply drinking it. It can be used for cooking, baking, hair care, and more. You can use coffee in many different places in your home.
Remember that coffee only lasts for four days in the fridge. You should not drink coffee that is more than four days old. Try to use coffee that has been sitting out at room temperature within 12 hours. Good luck!