zaterdag 26 augustus 2017

The Alphabet for Alternative Uses with Coffee

Ant deterrent

Sprinkle the used grounds near the ants´ traces. You could also stuff their holes between the tiles. It won´t chase them away forever, but they´ll be gone for a good holiday.

Bio diesel

Recycle waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals. Companies like Bio Bean work within the existing energy and waste infrastructure, developing sustainable products and solutions to displace conventional fuels and chemicals.

Cascara

The whether or not forbidden fruit these days… If you can get your hands on it, make yourself a nice tea-like brew of the dried coffee cherry husks. The nice flaky Chaff (roasted silverskin) might also be used as a (legal?) alternative: you need a handful of the fluffy stuff to brew a similar style, but non-sweet light tea.

Decoration

Use your fantasy! Make signs, coasters, glue them to your walls, melt in the bottom of candles, fill vases and put tealights in them, compose letters, numbers or words.

Eat

If you can´t make a brew, then get a chew!
Especially after consuming onions, garlic and other leeks (see also at letter H).

Flour

Those husks (see: Cascara) can be milled to a fine flour.
Substitute a part of your regular flour in your baking recipes with it.

Garment

There is a way to use the oils from coffee to make garments or use the grounds to produce bed sheets.

Hand cleansing

Been cutting those leeks, garlic and onions?
Grab some grounds and wash your hands and fingers with it (also see letters E and S).

Inject

OK kids, this is the only use I’m NOT promoting nor encouraging! It’s just… well, possible, but the effects are quite shocking. Better to follow the advice of one of the commenters below this article: “If you really feel you need more caffeine, just drink a second cup.” 
So: Do. Not. Try. This. At. Home! (nor at your fav coffee bar).

Jewels

Arm bracelets, neck laces, ankle bands… you name it.
Pinching the holes in the roasted beans can be quite a tricky operation though.

Kombucha

When overfermented natural coffees are not good enough for you (think descriptors like winey, overripe fruits, rum/raisins), then get your scoby and DIY!

Liquorize

Before we go to the next letter you might want to brew some liqueur yourself, with either ground coffee, (cold-)brewed coffee or both!

Mix

Well, you might have heard of the Coffee In Good Spirits Championship before…? Shake it like Brian Flannagan! The M also bridges us via "Mushrooms" to the next letter:

Nutrition

Grow a coffee plant, pick, process and brew and afterwards use the grounds for other plants as a nutritient. Oyster mushrooms also grow particularly well on coffee grounds.

Odour repellent

Place a small tray with grounds in your car, microwave or other stinky surrounding overnight. Freshly ground preferably of course..

Paint

A very artistic way is to use the brew as paint and for instance put it on canvas.
Plus: lots of Perfume makers use coffee as (part of) their base. 

Qishr

If those teas listed under letter C. are not sparkling enough for you, then add some ginger and cinnamon: kind of Chai-ish, so there’s another C. (making the Circle round).

Rub

Rolling your barbecue out? Then Rub your meats with fresh grounds and roast it!
Some brewed coffee can be added to your marinades.

Scrub Salt

Go further than hand cleansing (see H.) and scrub your whole body with it. The abundant shower afterwards is like a full body ;) brew flowing slowly through the drainpit.

Tableware

Kaffeeform and Huskee are two examples of how to upcycle grounds ‘n husks into cups ‘n saucers.

Uɔ

And what about U? Where would U use the contents of your coffee mUɔ for? ¯\_()_/¯

Vintage

“Vintafy” your beans from crop years ago by freezing green beans, roasted beans or tossing & turning them in your warehouse.

Water cleaning

“By adding sugar and silicone to coffee, the researchers were able to make a foamy brick that held together on its own and was easy to use as a filter. Soaking the brick in water caused the sugar to leach out and leave the coffee grounds open to bind to metal ions in the water.”

X-rate

Get a powerful UV light and scan the defects out of your green beans.

Yogurt

Masking the fact that perhaps this should have been listed under letter M. we better relax, enjoy life (and coffee) and keep those wrinkles away. (P.s. you can also add yogurt to your coffee, when that washed Kenyan coffee isn’t acidic enough.)

Zen

By now you probably want to try all these prior uses out?! But wait… “Being mindful of how you make your coffee shows you how to be mindful in every part of your life. Smell the aroma…  Breathe in…, Notice, hear, listen …. Let yourself sit for a moment or two, to obtain the full flavor of… Meditating.”


Whatever you’re gonna use coffee for (except injections!): Keep enjoying coffee, either way!

(disclaimer: I'm in neither way affiliated with the companies in the links nor cannot be held liable for any consequence arising from the recommendations following these links in the broadest sense)

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