15 Best Ways to Use Your Old Coffee Beans

If you’re like most coffee lovers out there, then you probably have a stash of old coffee beans lying around waiting to be used. 

But what can they be used for besides brewing a cup of Joe? 

If you thought your old coffee beans had no other use than the morning pot, think again! 

There are quite a few creative ways you can repurpose those beans, and it doesn’t take much time or effort either. 

In this blog post, we'll give you 15 clever ideas for how to reuse leftover coffee beans in all sorts of interesting and useful ways.

From making DIY scrub powders to creating natural cleaners – and even using them as decoration – don't miss out on these awesome uses for your aged grounds!

15 best ways to use your old coffee beans - and it’s fun!

1) Make coffee flour 

Making your coffee flour is a great way to add robust flavor and color to all your baking needs. 

An easy way to make the flour is to take your old coffee beans and the leftover grounds you have lying around after brewing – and grind them up even further. 

You can use a blender, food processor, mortar, or pestle to do this. Aim for a grainy consistency that falls between sand and powder. 

Store the cocoa-brown result in an airtight container and you now have coffee-flavored flour ready for all sorts of recipes!

2) Use them as a natural exfoliant 

Coffee beans are global superstars when it comes to beauty and skincare. One way to use them is as a natural facial scrub through exfoliation. 

To put it into practice, simply take old used coffee beans, grind them, and mix them with an all-natural oil like coconut or almond oil for a face scrub that benefits both your complexion and the environment. 

Not only does this exfoliant help remove dirt, oil, and other debris from the surface of your skin gently, but it also helps tighten pores, combat acne, and provide deep hydration. 

Plus there's the bonus of not having to worry about any caffeine jitters!

3) Add to your compost pile

Composting old coffee beans is another easy and effective way to put them to good use! 

Remember that a compost pile should be 50% carbon-rich organic materials, like coffee grounds, and 50% nitrogen-rich materials like vegetable peels or grass clippings. 

Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen, so their addition will help create nutritious soil for your garden. 

So if you have some old coffee beans sitting around, consider adding them to your compost pile next time – doing so will not only save those beans from going to waste but also benefit your garden in many ways.

4) Use them as a natural deodorizer

Believe it or not, old and used coffee beans can be a huge help in naturally deodorizing your home! 

Simply place some beans in an open container and place it in the area where you’re having the odor issue or want to prevent one. 

The grounds tend to absorb any foul smells and replace them with their natural aroma. 

Within hours, you'll notice that smelly couch, pet bed, fish tank filter, shower curtain, or whatever else has been giving off an unpleasant scent will now be giving off a pleasant one! 

5) Create a coffee-infused oil 

Making a coffee-infused oil can be an excellent way to use old coffee beans and give your homemade lotions and salves an extra kick. 

Simply heat some lightly roasted coffee beans in a slow cooker with the base oil of your choice; using light oils like jojoba, almond, or grapeseed is best. 

Slowly cooking the beans in the oil allows their flavourful goodness to steep into the mixture, while also providing skin-nourishing benefits such as vitamins and antioxidants. 

Just make sure you keep an eye on it, so that it doesn't burn! 

After cooking for several hours, turn off the heat and strain out the beans to finish your infused oil. Enjoy!

6) Make a coffee-scented candle

Making a coffee-scented candle is a great way to fill your home with a delicious, comforting fragrance and get rid of your old beans! 

It's easy to do and requires only a few simple ingredients. All you need is paraffin wax, dried coffee grounds, an essential oil of your choice, a wick, and an old mug or glass jar. 

To create the candle, begin by melting the wax and adding the essential oil. Then stir in your ground coffee beans and pour the mixture into the mug/jar. 

Once cooled, insert the wick in the center of the wax and let it sit for about 24 hours until hardened. After that, all you have to do is light your candle whenever you want to enjoy that cozy smell of coffee wafting through your home!

7) Use them as a natural bug repellent

Looking for a natural way to keep bugs away from your produce in the garden? Use your old coffee beans!

Coffee beans can be used as a natural and eco-friendly bug repellent. They emit strong smells that mask the scent of your product, which makes it virtually invisible to bugs. 

Simply spread evenly across the topsoil around your plants and you're good to go! 

Even better, you can source these coffee beans without breaking the bank; just save up old bags of coffee grounds and you'll get plenty of use out of them. 

So next time you want a bug-free vegetable patch, skip loading up on chemical repellents and give those old coffee grounds a try – your garden will thank you‍!

8) Create a refreshing coffee sachet 

Making your own homemade coffee sachets is a simple, natural, and affordable way to keep closets, drawers, and other small spaces smelling fresh. 

All you need is some old, clean clothes or scrap fabric and old coffee beans. 

Cut the fabric into 4-inch squares, fill each one with two tablespoons of ground coffee beans, and sew the sides shut. 

Hang or place the sachets in any space that needs a pick-me-up and breathe easy knowing that you're freshening up with a natural fragrance instead of synthetic chemicals.‍

9) Make a coffee-stained paper 

Did you know that you can bring your old coffee beans back to life by using them to make a kind of paper? In fact, it's quite simple. 

All you need is some unused paper, used coffee beans, and boiling water. 

Start by soaking the beans in hot water for 30 minutes. Next, crumble the soaked beans onto the paper. Allow this to sit for 15 minutes before lightly brushing over the paper with a soft brush to spread the mixture evenly. Finally, let it dry.

Incorporating this type of paper into craft projects or even gift wrapping can be an excellent way to add distinct textures and warm colors. 

10) Dye fabrics naturally using coffee beans

Natural dyeing is a great way to explore color in the world of textiles without resorting to synthetic dyes. All you need is some old coffee beans.

To start, remove the old beans from their filter/bag and grind them up in a food processor. Then mix these ground beans with water and salt in a pot and simmer them for about 30 minutes. 

Once you have a richly concentrated liquid that looks very dark brown and kind of syrupy, it’s ready to use as a dye bath. 

Dip the desired pieces of fabric into the dye bath until they reach your preferred shade deepness – keep in mind that it will lighten slightly after the fabric is dry – let everything sit overnight, rinse thoroughly, hang to dry, and voilà! beautiful earthy shades on your beloved fabric projects.

11) Make a coffee-infused vodka or whiskey

If you’re looking to take your at-home bar to the next level, why not try using old coffee beans to make a coffee-infused vodka or whiskey? 

Using old coffee beans is economical and imparts a bitter and robust flavor to the liquor that you just can’t get from other ingredients. 

To make this infusion, all you need is a bit of patience. Just add your used (but dried) beans in with your favorite spirit for several days or up to two weeks before straining out the grains. 

Enjoy responsibly!

12) Create a coffee-flavored sugar

If you enjoy a cup of coffee every day, then why not make use of your leftovers to create delicious, coffee-infused sugar? 

Simply combine one tablespoon of leftover old coffee beans with one cup of white granulated sugar and mix until the beans are incorporated. 

You'll be left with a sweet, aromatic blend.

Whether you’re looking for something special to add to your breakfast muffins or simply seeking an elevated sweetness for your morning latte, this coffee-sugar hybrid is definitely worth a try.

13) Make a coffee-infused bath soak

A coffee-infused bath soak is a unique DIY spa experience that is easy to create at home. All you need is some leftover coffee beans and Epsom salts, and you are ready to go.

Adding Epsom salts not only brings out the aroma of the coffee beans but helps to bring relief from muscle aches, acne, and skin problems while also detoxifying the body. 

Mix two cups of old ground coffee beans with two cups of Epsom salts in a bucket or any container you choose, mix it all together, and create your own version of a comforting spa day right in your home.

14) Use them as a natural dye for Easter eggs

If you're looking for an easy and natural way to dye Easter eggs this year, consider using old coffee beans. 

Start by finely grinding your olf coffee beans putting the grounds into the pot of water and boiling it. 

After the mixture has boiled, turn off the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes before straining it through a sieve into another pot or bowl. 

Once cool enough to touch, dip your hard-boiled eggs into the cooled liquid for about five minutes until they reach the desired color intensity. 

Let your finished eggs dry in a bowl or on paper towels before displaying them around your house this Easter!

15) Create a mosaic by gluing old coffee beans 

Recycling old coffee beans into something creative and beautiful is an excellent way to repurpose this common household item.

All you need are some old coffee beans, a piece of paper, and a gluing device. 

Start by arranging the beans in whatever pattern or design you desire, making sure to fill the entire page; a simple grid can look lovely when done carefully. 

When you have your desired layout all set, begin gluing the beans into place. You may want to use pins first and then add glue for extra security. 

The finished product will be a unique and whimsical mosaic made out of something that was going to waste. Enjoy creating your masterpiece out of these tiny seeds!

Conclusion

From fragrant candles to exfoliating scrubs, it's amazing to see the sheer volume of uses for old coffee beans! 

While most of us don't always think about reusing our used coffee beans, we can now see that there are plentiful options for creating something useful and beautiful. 

This is an especially important skill set to have when you want to reduce your waste output or repurpose items in creative ways. 

Whether it be giving life to a houseplant, using the grounds to create plant-based dyes, or simply enjoying them as baked goods, utilized coffee grounds prove they can certainly serve many special purposes.