Coffee grounds are actually a shame to throw away, because they can be used in many different ways in the home and serve as a valuable fertilizer in the garden. However, the wet powder molds quickly and should therefore only be used when it is well dried. This is quite simple. We'll explain how in the following article.
How to dry coffee grounds properly?
To dry coffee grounds, spread the wet powder on a tray or flat plate, crumble the grounds and let it dry in the sun or in the oven at 80 degrees for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can dry the pomace in the microwave for 5 minutes at full power.
Let cool and dry
To prevent mold from forming, follow these steps:
- Spread the moist coffee powder from the fully automatic coffee machine or espresso machine on a tray or a large, flat plate. To do this, crumble the firmly pressed pomace. – Cut the coffee filter open on the side.
- On sunny days, put everything outside. Here the powder needs about a day to dry.
- Alternatively, you can heat it in the oven at 80 degrees for half an hour. In order not to waste energy unnecessarily, you can simply push the coffee grounds in after using the tube. As a rule, the residual heat is enough to kiln the powder.
- If you have a microwave, place the pulp in the device at full power for five minutes.
After drying, the Prütt should feel as powdery as before the hot drink was prepared.
Store dried coffee powder properly
Especially in the winter months, the collected coffee grounds are not immediately used in full, but must be stored temporarily.
- Let the dried coffee grounds cool down thoroughly.
- Pour into an airtight container.
- Closing.
- After a few hours, check whether a moist condensation has formed on the lid.
- If this is the case, repeat the drying process, as there will then be too much residual moisture in the coffee powder. This would be sufficient for unwanted mold formation.
- Store the well-sealed container with the coffee grounds in a dry, cool and dark place, for example in the basement.
Areas of use for dry coffee grounds
The dried pomace can be used in many ways in the household:
- Cleaning the grill grate: Coffee grounds make the use of chemicals to clean the grate after the barbecue party (€14.00 at Amazon) unnecessary. Simply apply some of the powder to a damp sponge and sand away the grease stains.
- Skin peeling: Mix the dried coffee grounds with a little oil to form a paste. Dead skin cells can be gently rubbed off with this peeling, which is also said to be effective against cellulite.
- Nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer: Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, the same substances that are found in many fertilizers. Work the dry pomace lightly into the soil so that the nutrients are available to the plants.
Tip
Dried coffee grounds are suitable for weakly acidifying very alkaline soil. In order to find out the correct dosage, it is advisable to check the pH value of the soil occasionally when using the powder regularly.
