From bean to cup: How to make coffee from coffee beans

This is your guide to making coffee with coffee beans, covering everything from selecting the ideal roast to properly brewing it. You can grind and brew coffee at home.

It’s safe to assume that choosing the right coffee beans is the first step in the battle for strong, pure coffee. You are not alone, though, if your inability to purchase these and preference for instant coffee is due to your inability to figure out how to make coffee from coffee beans. Although instant coffee is quicker and simpler to prepare, coffee that is ground from beans has a distinct smell and aroma. To manufacture coffee powder, the seeds of the coffee fruit are dried, roasted, and powdered. These seeds are known as coffee beans. But processing is necessary to prepare instant coffee, and processing can change the flavour and taste. Grind the beans yourself at home for a safer and more delicious choice. Yes, that is possible, and no, you don’t need to go broke buying an expensive coffee maker to do this. Here is a simple way to make coffee out of coffee beans.

How to prepare coffee from coffee beans?

There are various easy methods of grinding coffee beans in addition to the numerous coffee makers that turn coffee beans into powder that are sold on the market. Here’s one method:

Items you must have:

• A grater
• Warm water
• A cup
• A sieve or coffee filter wrapped in muslin cloth

Steps to follow:

Step 1: Place the filter on top of your coffee cup and fill it with hot water by running it over the filter once. After finishing this, discard the water.
Step 2: Grind one tablespoon of coffee beans per cup of coffee that you wish to prepare in the grinder. Place this on the filter.
Step 3: Wet the coffee grinds and allow them to sit for approximately 30 seconds.
Step 4: Add half a cup of water to the mixture and let it pass through a sieve. Pour the remaining half gradually.
It’s time to enjoy your newly brewed cup of coffee!

Are coffee beans better than instant coffee?

The flavour of coffee brewed from beans is more intense than that of coffee made from instant powder. While instant coffee is created by spray-drying and freeze-drying roasted ground beans to extract the flavour, brewed coffee is manufactured by passing hot water and ground beans through a sieve. Arabica beans, which have more flavour and aroma, are used to make brewed coffee; robusta beans, which are more expensive, are used to make instant coffee.

However, coffee beans might not be the solution if you want to reduce your caffeine intake. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, instant coffee has 30-90 mg of caffeine, while coffee brewed from ground beans has 70-140 mg. In addition, instant coffee is less expensive than whole coffee beans.

A mug of coffee with beans.

Compared to coffee produced from instant powder, coffee made from beans tastes stronger. Picture sourced from Pexels
How can I pick the best coffee beans?
It may get really complicated because there are so many different types and kinds of coffee beans available on the market. But these are some easy pointers that you can adhere to:

1. Get your flavour right

You must choose whether your coffee will have a spicy, fruity, floral, or chocolatey undertone. Arabica beans vary in different flavours, so it will be easier to choose the perfect ones if you know what you’re looking for. Additionally, robusta beans come in a variety of tastes. This study, published in Functional and Speciality Beverage Technology, claims that Arabica coffee produces beverages with nearly half the concentration of caffeine compared to Robusta.

2. Decide your roast level

To create coffee, coffee beans must be roasted. According to this study, which was published in the Handbook of Coffee Processing By-Products, roasting is the procedure that turns green coffee beans into roast coffee. This will determine the desired level of acidity and taste intensity in your coffee. Light, medium, and dark roast levels are the three basic categories. Dark roasts are richer and bolder than light roasts, which have more naturally occurring flavour.

3. Milk or no milk

Yes, your preference for coffee will eventually influence the type of beans you choose to use. Light roasts are a wonderful option if you enjoy black coffee because they have more flavour. On the other hand, a medium or dark roast is what you should choose if you intend to add milk. A study that was published in Food Chemistry claims that whereas dark roasts have more complex flavours, light roasts have more subdued flavours. On the other hand, light roasts have a thinner profile, and dark roasts are fatter. Dark roasts are excellent with milk or cream, but light roasts are better as pour-over or drip coffee.

4. Decide your blends

There are different kinds of blends available when it comes to coffee beans. Single-origin coffee is beans which are from one location, while coffee blends are a mix of beans from various origins. This can help you decide the kind of coffee you want to have as the taste varies.

What to remember while using coffee beans?

There are a few things that you need to look out for while sourcing as well as using coffee beans:

Roast date: Usually, coffee beans are best brewed within weeks of being roasted. Therefore, it is very important to check this date while making your purchase.
Oil levels: If you go for dark roasts, your coffee beans will have more surface oil. This a sign that can help you tell the roast levels apart. But if you regularly grind very dark coffee, the oil will cling on to your coffee machine and grinder. This can spoil your machine. Therefore, make sure your beans are not shining with oil.

coffee in a cup with beans spilling out.
Be sure to examine the coffee beans’ roast dates and oil levels. Picture sourced from Pexels
Aside from making coffee, what other uses are there for ground coffee beans?
Coffee beans are used for a wide range of purposes besides making coffee. You can use coffee beans as a scrub. To make a mild exfoliator, mix ground coffee beans with a carrier oil, such as coconut or olive oil. Additionally, coffee is an excellent solution for dark circles. It eliminates dead skin cells, promotes circulation, and can help decrease cellulite.

With your beans, you may also make a potent brew and allow it to cool. Following shampooing, use it as a last rinse. It helps naturally darken hair, adds gloss, and tames frizz. Additionally, coffee encourages hair growth.

They work well as air fresheners as well. In a bowl, mix the potpourri and coffee grinds. It creates a nice perfume while absorbing odours.