They may look old and unusable, but truthfully you can actually use the grounds in your french press to brew another cup of coffee. However, you’ll need to do this fast. The longer you take to reuse the grounds, the more bitter the resulting coffee will become.
Reusing coffee in your french press isn’t as simple as pouring more hot water in whenever you want though. Read on to find out everything you need to know about if you can reuse coffee in a french press!
Can you reuse coffee in a french press?
Yes! As mentioned above, it is possible to reuse coffee grounds that are in your french press. However, there are a few caveats to this.
You’ll need to reuse them quickly. If you don’t, the coffee will lose its flavor and become very bitter and watery. Obviously, this won’t be a pleasant experience, and the coffee won’t have the same effects as fresh coffee would.
You can’t just reuse any old grounds, as after a while they will become flavorless.
How to reuse coffee in a french press
Reusing coffee in a french press is exactly how it sounds. Leave the grounds in the bottom of your french press and get more hot water. Pour your hot water into the french press in a circular pattern, making sure you cover all of the grounds. Fill the french press up with as much coffee as you want to drink.
Wait a few minutes, as you did the first time you filled the french press with the original fresh coffee. After this, press down slowly and you should be good to go!
How long can you wait to reuse french press coffee grounds?
If you wait too long to reuse the coffee grounds in your french press, they will lose their flavor, as mentioned earlier. Ideally, to achieve the best results when it comes to keeping that delicious coffee flavor, as well as the beneficial effects that come with drinking coffee, you’ll want to reuse the grounds in the bottom of your french press within 15 minutes.
If you wait any longer than this, the coffee will become bitter, watery, flavorless, and/or lose all of its beneficial effects, such as the energy that a fresh cup of coffee would usually bring to your body.
How many times can you reuse the same grounds?
If you’re going to reuse coffee grounds, it’s normally recommended that you only do so once. If you reuse them more than once, they’ll surely be flavorless and ineffective. As mentioned above, you should also always do this quickly. Once about 15 minutes have passed, you can not reuse the coffee grounds at all.
Reusing coffee grounds two times or even more than that will just result in flavorless, bitter coffee that lacks the effects that fresh coffee has.
Will reused french press coffee taste the same?
If done properly, you can get pretty close to the original taste of the fresh coffee. The most important thing is that you reuse the grounds quickly. As mentioned a number of times, your coffee will lose flavor and become bitter if you are too slow.
However, if you are quick enough, your coffee can have the full, rich, delicious flavor that it had the first time around. This is especially true of bolder, richer coffees.
Is reusing your coffee grounds recommended?
It’s not normally recommended to reuse coffee grounds. After all, drinking two cups of coffee within 15 minutes of each other is a lot! It’s probably for the best that you just add fresh grounds to your french press every time you’re looking to have a cup of joe!
That being said, if the opportunity presents itself and you’re either out of coffee, or you don’t want to waste coffee, you can try out reusing your grounds! Just make sure to be quick about the process, as you don’t want to lose the bold, rich flavor that fresh coffee provides.
Can you leave coffee in your french press?
You can leave coffee in your french press for a little while, but coffee left out will eventually go bad and lose flavor. However, if you’re prepared to refrigerate your French press coffee, you can make yourself enough cold brew to last you a week or even more!
This can be a great way to save time, as you don’t have to let the coffee steep before you drink it every morning, and can instead pour it directly into your cup.
However, this process has a long initial preparation time, as it takes around 12 hours for your cold brew to properly chill.
Can you drink old coffee?
Drinking old coffee isn’t necessarily recommended. Not only does it lose flavor and become bitter over time, but it can also have an impact on your digestive system. Drinking coffee that’s too old can lead to diarrhea and other gastrointestinal distress.
It’s best to avoid drinking coffee that’s more than a day old, and instead, stick to just making yourself a fresh cup.
Can you leave french press coffee in the fridge?
Yes! As mentioned earlier, leaving your french press coffee in the fridge is a great way to save some time in the coming days. As a matter of fact, you can pre-prepare enough cold brew for a week or even more if you’re willing to commit to the first 12 hours of waiting.
Refrigerated french press coffee is delicious and an easy pour every morning! This is a great method for people who work early or are on the go regularly.
How to dispose of coffee grounds
The best way to dispose of coffee grounds that you don’t mean to reuse is to simply put them in the garbage. Try not to rinse them out in the sink unless you have a garbage disposal, as they can harm your plumbing. If you’re feeling extra environmentally conscious, try composting your old grounds.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.