The first phase in influencing the flavor of the final brew is how you grind coffee beans and when you grind them. Although pre-ground coffee selection could be rapier and simpler on these days when you are overloaded, there is nothing like grinding the coffee beans at home.
If you are not ready to purchase an electric coffee grinder, there is a manual alternative way to get the accurate grind. It is grinding coffee in a mortar and a pestle. Your cup of coffee in the morning will be more fabulous.
Why is grinding crucial?
To save electricity and water sources, we cannot grind all of the coffee beans. Grinding is a good way to save our sources and time. Furthermore, we should not brew whole coffee beans. Although you can do it, it will never stop.
By grinding into tiny pieces, you expand the surface of coffee beans, supporting the coffee brew process faster. The extract process will be more even. You might buy coffee beans to grind at home or find fresh coffee ground from indie roasters.
Who should use a mortar and pestle?
For those who love cooking and brewing drinks, many of you can take into account these grinding tools. You possibly use a mortar and pestle to prepare wide-ranging food items and grind coffee beans. Ensure that you have much time to start. Additionally, your hands and arms are ready for the extra effort.
If you want to grind coffee beans for your Espresso shots, you will try mortars and pestles. The process is surely demanding, but I am aware that these units probably generate the finest coffee grounds for your final results.
Please keep in mind that you need to clean those tools carefully after every use. Whether you take them for your coffee, foods or other drinks; make sure that they do not leave funky tastes in your cup of Joe. Moreover, residues may occur.
How to grind your coffee beans with a mortar and pestle set
The most legitimate way to ground coffee beans is using a mortar and pestle. Well, it ought to take longer than applying other tools. However, you cannot monitor the whole process. You know, most chefs and pharmacists have been grinding spices, herbs, and some medicines into fine powders by the mortar and pestle for a variety of generations.
Although this is an ancient method, it provides you authentic control over various coffee bean grinds, from French Press to Turkish coffee. The results will depend on your effort and your time in crushing coffee beans.
- Step 1: fill the small amount of coffee in the mortar. Remember that you should not fill the coffee beans more than a quarter for better control and avoiding spills. There is always the choice of grinding another batch.
- Step 2: position the right place for your mortar and pestle to make sure that they do not slip out of your hands. Your dominant hand keeps the pestle and the other reach the mortar
- Step 3: pound the coffee beans into a fine powder
- Step 4: crush and add coffee beans until you want to the desired amount of coffee
- Step 5: use the pestle to move the coffee grounds around
- Step 6: continue grinding and rolling your coffee till you catch the smooth texture
In case you need more coffee grounds, put the coffee you have already ground into a bowl or a coffee maker. Then, start over the first step. It is highly recommended to use a ceramic mortar and pestle set. This is because it will be more resistant to the extracted oils from coffee beans.
Pros of using a mortar and a pestle
Whether you are going to buy a set of mortar and pestle or you have already owned one at home, you would be wondering if grinding coffee beans with these typical devices is amazing. Using mortars and pestles takes plenty of effort.
- No electricity: as manual tools, you do not have to plug them into a power outlet. Everything you need are your strong hands. If you do not have much strength in arms, you will need stamina and persistence. Additionally, you can ignore power outages.
- Do exercises for your arms: of course, applying your arm strength will improve your hands and arms. Perhaps, you will boost arm muscles after once grinding coffee.
- Control the texture of the coffee grounds: during the process, you always handle the texture and stop when reaching the desired grind size.
- Affordable method: mortars and pestles are always more reasonable than coffee grinders. Not only is the first cost but also is the long-term maintenance (as explained above).
- Ease of maintenance: though you do not have to do complicated maintenance, you still need to keep them hygiene.
Cons of using a mortar and a pestle
Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks when grinding your coffee beans with a mortar and a pestle set.
- Arm strength required: as mentioned earlier, your arm strength is a key to grinding coffee beans with this set. If your hands and arms are not robust enough, think of another option.
- Time-consuming: not only do these units require a lot of effort but it also takes much time to crush coffee beans to the right consistency.
- Contamination: honestly, these tools give you a chance to consume bacteria, dirt, and other residues. You should be aware that cleaning them requires lots of effort. Grinding spices, herbs, and other ingredients may leave unexpected guests for your cup of Joe and the stomach.
What devices and tools to avoid when grinding your coffee beans
Here are a few units that you should avert when grinding coffee beans.
- Knife: someone recommends you using a knife to squash coffee beans like you do with a clove of garlic. I wonder if they see how hard coffee beans are. Perhaps, they have ever seen coffee beans in their lives. Please pay close attention that garlic cloves usually have moisture content inside, so the flesh of these can compress and break the cell walls. Roasted coffee beans, on the other hand, are denser without compressing. Using a knife means that you shoot the bean across the kitchen or shred your fingers.
- Meat mincer: this way is less dangerous than using a knife. Nevertheless, you need to use a clean meat mincer. Make sure that meat residues do not leave in the tank. Meat residues affect the coffee flavor and harm your health. In a pinch, a meat mincer will be a good coffee grinding device. However, it is not an excellent way for long periods.
Safe tips when grinding the coffee beans
When grinding your coffee beans in a mortar and pestle set, it is necessary to remember safety precautions and follow some small tricks to make sure that you will get the best results.
- Grind consistency: obtaining a persistent grind is vital for coffee flavor. When using alternative methods, the resulting texture could be coarser and unsmooth compared to applying a coffee grinder. Attempting different techniques will help you find the right grinding method for your coffee brewing.
- Batches (small): grinding coffee beans without using modern tools could be time-consuming and might require effort to reach the desired consequence. To achieve efficiency and rational results, kick off small batches instead of huge amounts of beans at once. Moreover, be patient and careful while using manual solutions.
- Methods (manual and mechanical): there are manual and mechanical alternatives to coffee grinders. Using a mortar and pestle set is a manual grinding coffee method. Zip-lock bags and heavy objects are also manual options. Mechanical solutions are mostly machines such as spice grinders, blenders, food processors, etc. Whether you select a manual option or a mechanical tool, take into account the capacity of the apparatus and the possible dangers to yourself, as well as coffee beans and the machine.
- Possible damage: if you select a spice or a blender, for instance, be circumspect and use gentle pules to evade damaging your equipment. Over-processing the coffee beans in an electricity machine ought to induce heating and undesirable flavors. Always try a lower setting and change the amount as needed.
Final words
Coffee brewing is a formality for several of us. The aroma of a fresh coffee cup wakes us up and boosts us for an energetic day. Brewing coffee could be a simple task, but grinding coffee beans can be harder when you do not own devices. Lacking a coffee grinder does not mean you get rid of the coffee routine. Let’s practice about grinding coffee in a mortar and pestle.
