Are you someone who loves to drink coffee, especially a strong cup of coffee every morning to give you the energy you require for the day? Well, apart from just energizing you for the day, coffee has so many more uses and we’re here to talk about them!
Here are 15 coffee hacks for you to try out:
1. Iced Coffee Cubes
Into 500 ml of hot water, add in 10 tablespoons of instant coffee powder and give it a mix. Wait for it to cool down and then pour this mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid.
You can drop in a few ice cubes into your milk and let it melt. Then enjoy and cold coffee!
Note: You can also pour in your regular brewed coffee into ice cubes and follow the same method.
2. Make Coffee Popsicles
Into a mixing bowl, add in a can of condensed milk, along with 1.5 cups of milk and 3 tablespoons of instant coffee powder. Whisk it until smooth and well-combined.
Pour this mixture into popsicle moulds and free until solid. Demould and enjoy!
3. Make coffee creamer
You will need –
- 1 3/4 cups Half and half, or milk or heavy cream
- 14 oz Sweetened condensed milk, or add to taste
- 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
Add the ingredients to a quart-sized mason jar, cover with the lid and shake up or you can whisk together until well combined.
4. Use your used coffee grounds as plant fertilizer
Coffee grounds contain high amounts of potassium, nitrogen and other minerals that can help nourish your plants, especially yielding plants.
So, sprinkle your used coffee grounds onto your mud and this can act as a natura nutrient-delivery to your yielding plants.
5. Bitter coffee? Add in a pinch of salt
If you find that your coffee tastes bitter, just add in a pinch of salt. The sodium in the salt helps offset the bittery taste and will make the taste better for you.
6. Make a coffee scrub for skin exfoliation
Have you been throwing out your used coffee grounds al this while? Well, just keep your coffee grounds as you can use it as an exfoliant for your face as well as for your scalp.
To make the scrub, you can combine equal parts of coffee grounds, with sugar or cane sugar and then mix it along with water (if used for the face) or oil (if used for the hair), until it becomes a semi-liquidy paste and then use it as a scrub.
7. Make your own homemade coffee syrup
Do you like to drizzle some coffee syrup over vanilla ice cream? Or maybe make some cold coffee and top it up with some coffee syrup? How abut make it at home then!
All you need to do is make a cup of strong hot coffee. You can either use instant coffee powder or even coffee grounds.
Then, strain this mixture and add in a cup of granulated sugar and give it a mix until the sugar completely dissolves. Next, let this mixture cool down and lastly, pour into a bottle and your coffee syrup is ready to use.
8. Use coffee to color your hair naturally
If you have dark colored hair with just a few greys on your hair and do not wish to dye your hair yet, then simply use coffee. It will stain your hair brown and you will not require to dye it anymore!
All you need to do is mix two tablespoons of instant coffee along with half a cup of water. Then, apply this mixture all over your hair. Make sure your hair is clean and damp before its application.
Then, leave it to sit on your hair for at least 30 to 40 minutes and then rinse it off as usual. You can repeat this process, if you wish to have the hair color darker.
9. Iced coffee with french press
A simple and easy hack to make cold brew coffee is to use a French press. Add coarse ground coffee to the French press. Next, pour room temperature or cold water over the coffee grounds and stir the mixture to ensure all of the grounds are fully immersed. Place the French press in the refrigerator and let it steep for 12-24 hours. After the steeping time is complete, press down the plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the liquid. Pour the cold brew into a separate container and store it in the refrigerator. This method produces a smooth and refreshing cold brew that’s perfect for hot summer days.
10. Cinnamon coffee
If you want to avoid sugary drinks or just want to add flavor to your coffee, then you can add cinnamon to your coffee. Cinnamon is an alternative to enhancing the flavor of your coffee while reducing the need for sugar.
11. Creamy coffee
Mix milk with as much honey as you want! Add milk to your ice tray and freeze for at least 3 hours (or until it sets!) Add these milk cubes to your coffee, and enjoy.
12. Remove furniture scratches
If you have scratches on dark wood floor or furniture, mix one tablespoon of coffee grounds with one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of water. Let the mixture sit for about an hour so the tannins in the grounds will leach into the vinegar. Use a cotton swab to apply the “dye” and then buff with a soft, dry cloth to hide the scratches. Repeat as needed.
13. Froth milk in mason jar
Fill a mason jar halfway with milk and shake vigorously until the milk doubles in size. Microwave the milk for 30 seconds until it’s nice and frothy. Pour it on your coffee.
14. Instant coffee in secs
Add sugar, coffee, ice cubes and cinnamon ( optional) to a mason jar and shake for 5-10secs. Add in any milk of choice and your instant coffee is ready.
15. Remove coffee stains
Scrub baking soda with a sponge on your cup to remove the coffee stains. This hack can be applied to coffee mugs, carafes or thermos.