What Do You Do With Coffee After French Press? (Solved & Explained!)

After brewing coffee in a French press you should pour the coffee out immediately, serve and drink. Wash the French press thoroughly and dispose of or reuse the coffee grounds. You can reuse coffee grounds in a compost pile to make fertilizer, as an insect repellent, to make a body scrub, and to neutralize odors in the garbage and refrigerator.

There are many uses for leftover coffee grounds and the following will explore the ways to reuse brewed French press coffee and the leftover grounds.

What Should You Do with Coffee After Brewing in a French Press?

Immediately pour the coffee out, serve and drink. Wash any grounds out of your French press filter and dispose of them properly or reuse them. You can keep coffee warm, or freeze it to make cubes for iced or cold brew. Coffee grounds can be used in compost, as fertilizer, as insect repellent, for body scrubs, and to neutralize odors.

Can You Leave Coffee in a French Press After Brewing?

No, as soon as coffee has steeped in a French press, for around 4 minutes, it should be plunged and poured immediately. Leaving the coffee in the press means it will continue to extract and will get more bitter. This is because the mesh filter in a French press separates the grounds and water but does not filter them out.

How Many Cups of Coffee Can a French Press Make?

You can purchase different sizes of French press, but even the smallest can make a few cups at a time:

• 3-cup French press holds 350ml or 11 ounces.

• 4-cup French press holds 500ml or 17 ounces.
• 8-cup French press holds 1 litre or 33 ounces.
• 12-cup French press holds 1.5 litres or 50 ounces.

How Can You Keep French Press Coffee Warm After Brewing?

If you have brewed a few cups and do not want to drink them all at once, or have been sipping slow and your brew has cooled, you can do a few things to keep coffee warm or reheat it.

• Put coffee into a thermos to keep the heat.
• You can purchase smart mugs and other gadgets to keep coffee hot.
• You can reheat coffee on the stove or in a microwave, but it will taste bitter and not as fresh.
• Even in a larger French press you can choose to brew one cup at a time to prevent reheating.

Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds to Make French Press Again?

You can reuse coffee grounds that have already brewed in a French press for another steep. You should use them as soon as possible, immediately after the last brew and no later than 15 minutes after. As most of the flavor from the grounds have been extracted during the first steep they will taste milder and bitter the second time.

What Can You Do with Leftover Coffee?

• Reheat it on the stove or in a microwave (thought it will not taste as fresh as it did when first brewed, especially the longer it is left before reheating).
• Put coffee in ice cubes or moulds in the freezer to make iced coffee or cold brew, or even a frozen treat.

What Can You Do with Leftover Coffee Grounds?

Use in your garden:

• Add to compost pile to make fertilizer. Coffee grounds contain nutrients and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and high amounts of nitrogen which are beneficial for plant growth and soil health.
• Coffee beans act as a natural insect repellent and pesticide due to the caffeine content.

Use in your home:

• Make a coffee body scrub with coconut oil or water.
• The strong smell of coffee and the absorption properties of the grounds can neutralize odors in your garbage by placing them in some cloth or a bag and attaching to the lid of the trash can, or wrapping them in cloth and placing them on a shelf in the refrigerator.

How Long Do Used Coffee Grounds Last?

They can last for up to 2 years – yet they must be fully dried and stored correctly. If they are not fully dried out before storing bacteria, mold and fungi can grow. If stored properly they can be used around the house and garden in the ways mentioned above.

How Do You Store Used Coffee Grounds?

Used coffee grounds must be completely dried out before being stored. They need to be kept in a dry, dark place to prevent heat or humidity getting to them. They should be sealed in an airtight or vacuum-sealed plastic or glass container, or bag. If kept properly they will not expire and can be used around the home and garden.

How Do You Clean the Grounds Out of a French Press?

Cleaning your French press thoroughly in-between uses will prevent grounds getting stuck in the filter and residue building up.

1. Take apart the French press and unscrew the filter.
2. Rinse with hot water and dish soap to remove all loose grounds.
3. Dispose of coffee grounds.
4. Fill beaker with hot water and plunge down a couple of times.

Should You Dispose of Coffee Grounds After Using a French Press?

You should not rinse coffee grounds down the sink as they can clog the drain and block pipes. You should instead sieve them out of the French press filter using a paper towel or sieve and then dispose of them in your usual household waste. They can then be reused for the various reasons stated above.

What Are Other Uses for Paper Coffee Filters?

Although French presses have an in-built, stainless-steel filter, many coffee makers use paper filters. These can be recycled or composted, unless they have been bleached. There are also ways to reuse them:

• Packaging and storage: you can place the paper filters between fragile items such as plates, glasses, or ornaments.
• Gardening: filters can be placed in the bottom of plant pots to allow water through the bottom while keeping soil in.