Can You Grind Coffee In A Food Processor? Let’s Find Out!

Last updated on May 28th, 2024 at 10:37

Bummer! Your grinder has conked out, broken, you are in need of a much-needed caffeine fix and that food processor is looking tempting! The question is, can you grind coffee in a food processor?

Rather than leave you hanging and drag out the answer over a whole article I’ll give you what you were searching for just now – the answer to can you grind your coffee beans in a food processor is yes.

You can use any food processing apparatus, even a mini food processor that has a blade to produce  a medium-fine grind with a reasonable consistency. It is a reasonably good temporary coffee bean grinder.

You should also be able to get a coarse grind size, and thus you will be able to use a number of brew methods such as:

• 1. Cold Brew.
• 2. French Press.
• 3. Chemex.
• 4. Pour Over.
• 5. Drip Coffee.
• 6. Siphon coffee.
• 7. Percolator Coffee.

Due to an imperfect but reasonable consistency in grind size you may need to adjust your brew time to get a perfect cup of coffee.

Well, with your question answered – Keep reading as we dig down deeper into the topic of grinding coffee beans in a food processor.

Can You Grind Coffee Beans In A Blender Or Food Processor?

Yes,

a blender is like an amplified version of a blade grinder. You won’t get the same quality as a ceramic conical burr grinder or anything anywhere near the consistency of particle size or control of grind size.

But,

when you are stuck, and you really need to grind some coffee grounds, and all you have is your food processor or blender and some coffee beans what you need to make a quick coffee in minutes, go right ahead and use your hand blender or your food processor to get the job done.

Read: Handheld coffee grinder 

How To Grind Coffee Beans With A Food Processor

Measure how much coffee beans that you will need for the coffee that you are about to brew. I am not at all a fan of using scoops of coffee as this is a non-exact method. You simply do not know how much coffee by weight that you are using.

If you are brewing a cold brew and using the 1:8 coffee to water ratio, then use 30 grams (1 ounce) of coffee beans for every 240 ml (8 ounces).

Weigh both your water and your coffee grounds, so you are getting the exact amount and adhering to the coffee to water ratio.

Pro Tip: Weigh your coffee beans as whole beans, and you will have the exact amount you need. Whole bean weight and ground beans weight are the exact same.

The pulse technique is the best technique that you can use. You will effectively grind your coffee beans in short, quick bursts. For the best effect, tilt your food processor slightly. Tilting your processor helps to get the bigger, larger coffee beans to move into and towards the blades of your food processor.

If you could not get all your beans into your food processor to grind your coffee simply empty it and refill until you have enough ground coffee to make a cup of coffee. Repeating and using the pulse technique as above.

Read: Can I Grind Coffee Beans In A Blender?

What Grind Should You Expect

You can expect an imperfect grind that is not quite on par with Pre-ground coffee or what you would expect from a burr coffee grinder. What you can expect is bits of coffee that are ground to an adequate size and reasonably acceptable grind consistency.

A food processor or hand blender is an adequate coffee grinder replacement until you get your hands on a proper coffee grinder.

What you have essentially is a motor-driven, spinning blade which will only produce a couple of types of ground coffee, which are:

A Coarse Grind Size

To achieve a good quality coarse coffee grind, coffee expert James Hoffman recommends that you pulse your hand blender or food processor. Use short bursts to get the coarse grind size and shake your food processor between grinds.

This technique is a little tricky because if you use this method and grind too much you will end up with a medium find grind. Even if you do it perfectly, you will not get a good coarse grind consistency that you would expect from a burr grinder.

It is a technique that will take a little practice as you most certainly don’t want your coffee beans to be too coarse, or extra coarse, or you will end up with an under-extracted coffee that is weak and watery.

Sure,

your brew time can be adjusted, but this can only compensate for so much. If you are using your favorite coffee beans, you want to avoid that as much as possible.

One way of doing so is to grind in small quantities at a time and aim for a consistent grind size. This way you will have more control than grinding a large amount all at once.

Medium-Fine Grind Size

Getting a medium-fine grind size with a modern food processor is easy. All you need to do is add your coffee beans and then grind them for a few minutes. You will get excellent coffee grounds which will lead to a close to excellent cup of coffee for most brew methods.

The Difference Between Using A Coffee Grinder And Food Processor

You can use a food processor and a coffee grinder to grind coffee beans. The result achieved will be different. A food processor will produce results that are more similar to a blade coffee grinder than a proper and much better burr coffee grinder.

A burr grinder uses a crushing action to break and crush your coffee beans to size with an abrasive surface. It is more of a proper grinding action.

The result is a more consistent grind size and more control of the grind size and variability. With a proper grinder you can get a finer grind, more uniform grind that is perfect for an espresso and Turkish coffee.

Achieving much better results and a much better coffee.

A Food processor, on the other hand uses the slicing action of sharp blades to cut your coffee beans, resulting in a coarser grind that is less uniform and lacks consistency. You can still make a cup of coffee that is better for percolators, Chemex and French press for example.

Can You Grind Coffee Beans In A Magic Bullet?

Yes,

bullet blenders work fine for grinding coffee beans and are good for just a single serving of coffee. The grind quality and consistency will be similar to that of a food processor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Can You Grind Coffee In A Food Processor?

Is A Coffee Grinder The Same As A Food Processor?

No,

food processors and coffee grinders grind your coffee beans in a very different manner. You get a chopping and cutting action from a food processor. The best type of grinder produces a crushing action of grinding your beans.

The crushing action of coffee grinder produces a better quality of coffee grind and produces a greater level of consistency.

Can You Coarse Grind Coffee Beans In A Food Processor?

Yes,

You can use a food processor to get a good quality coarse grind of your coffee beans. This is probably the easiest grind size to achieve but requires a bit of practice. You just need to be aware of not over grinding them and getting a medium fine grind size.

Can You Grind Coffee Beans In A Mini Food Processor?

Yes,

you can absolutely grind your coffee beans in a mini food processor. It will take longer, require a lot more in terms of effort as you grind a small batch of coffee beans in your mini food processor.

Can A Food Processor Be Used As A Coffee Grinder?

Yes, a food processor or a blender can be used as a coffee grinder but is best used only as an emergency back up when your coffee grinder has broken down, and you are awaiting a repair job to be completed or a new one getting delivered.

Can You Grind Coffee In A Blender?

Yes, a blender can grind your coffee beans particularly if you are looking for a coarser grind for using with a cold-brew coffee maker, a drip coffee maker, French press or other brewing methods.

Is It Better To Grind Coffee Beans In A Blender Or Food Processor?

In my opinion and experience, a food processor will get you a better quality of grind than a blender. If you are a serious coffee lover, it is best to invest in a proper coffee grinder and look for a ceramic flat burr grinder. There is no harm in having a hand grinder as a backup.

Don’t expect to get a finer grind from a blender or a food processor.

What Can I Use If I Don’t Have A Coffee Grinder?

You have two great options in a food processor and a blender. If these options are not possible, a mortar and pestle, a rolling pin and of course a hammer are good choices. 

With these tools you should be able to get a medium grind at best. 

Is It Cheaper To Grind Your Own Coffee?

No, it is not cheaper to grind your own coffee beans as more often than not ground coffee of the same weight and quality is usually a little cheaper. The benefit of buying whole beans is the ability to grind them to any size that you want and the freshness factor.

Unfortunately, when you grind your coffee you increase the total surface area that is exposed to oxygen, and thus you accelerate their degradation.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – Can You Grind Coffee In A Food Processor?

If you are wondering can you grind coffee in a food processor the answer is you most certainly can grind your coffee beans in a food processor. Just be aware the level of quality that you can expect and the lack of consistency. You can do it but are limited by the grind size and quality, which in turn will have an effect on the quality of the cup of coffee that you will produce.

Expect the result to be similar to a low-quality blade grinder at best.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location