The many uses of coffee

beans and groundsHere at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we know all about roasting and brewing coffee beans to make the perfect drink. These versatile little beans have so many more uses,

Coffee in cooking

Coffee-flavoured chocolate and ice cream are common, but using coffee for flavouring can be far more sophisticated. Chefs often steep coffee beans in hot water to produce a strong coffee liquor used for flavouring desserts and puddings. It’s also great for adding an extra layer of rich complexity to savoury dishes such as casseroles and soups, sauces, gravies and spice blends for rubbing onto meat. You might be surprised to learn that coffee makes a particularly good partner for chili, and a little added to chili meat dishes will enhance the flavour. Of course, coffee’s best known partner is chocolate, and it’s great for adding an extra dimension to mousses, souffles and a host of other recipes.

Coffee in drinks

As well as the obvious ways of drinking coffee, it’s also a popular ingredient in more unusual drinks such as cocktails, summer iced coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, sodas and Irish coffees.

Coffee in cosmetics

The caffeine in coffee is highly prized by the world of cosmetics for anti-aging and rejuvenating properties. As organic products become more and more popular, so have homemade coffee body scrubs made from coffee grounds and olive oil, and a range of other inexpensive but effective recipes.

Coffee as a dye

Coffee is widely used as a natural dye, and gives a soft sepia tone to paint and natural fabrics such as cotton. Many artists use it as a painting media, and it’s also useful to artificially ‘age’ paper for art projects.

Coffee in the garden

Finally, used coffee grounds are a fantastic addition to the compost heap, or can be piled around the base of plants to act as a slug barrier. A handful of used coffee grounds added to the watering can will also make a cheap fertilizer that’s high in nitrates.

For more information about our range of coffee beans, all available at great wholesale prices, please visit our coffee beans page.

 

Back