Coffee has many people split into two categories – those who praise its contribution to our health and those who condone it for doing the exact opposite. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, however, as coffee can indeed provide a boost in health (not just the case of green beans), but can prove to be extremely damaging if consumed excessively. Believe it or not, coffee is an extract that serves for many purposes, and we’ve lined up some of them in a list with 9 Alternative Uses for Coffee Beans.
#1 Headache Soother
A clinic in Illinois conducted an experiment aiming to prove the benevolent effects coffee has on headaches. Two groups were formed, with the first one being given pure caffeine and the second being given some ibuprofen alongside the caffeine. The first group remarked an amelioration of the pain in a percent of 58 while the second noted an improvement in an astonishing 70 percent. This is due to the fact that coffee can reduce the swelling of blood vessels and, thus, the painful throbs in our heads.
#2 Furniture Repairer
I bet this is the last use you’d ever think of for a coffee bean. If that crack or gouge in your furniture isn’t giving you any rest, there’s no need fear – if it’s dark colored, you’re in luck. All you need is to mix 2-3 tablespoons of instant coffee with some water, just enough to result in a thick paste. Fill up the crack or gap with a plastic knife, remove any excess on the sides with a slightly damp cloth, and then polish your marvel with some furniture paint.
#3 Car Cleaner
If you’re looking for a quick way to rid your vehicle of any unpleasant odors, place an open cup filled with freshly ground coffee beans – and pro tip, make sure it’s somewhere it won’t get easily knocked over. These coffee beans will absorb any unwanted scents that you bring into your car, with one good example being fast food.
#4 Food Griller
Let’s say you went camping. Or, I don’t know, somewhere you had a limited number of things you could pack and take with you. If you don’t have any grills nearby and would like to enjoy a healthy meal, all you need is a coffee can. Into the metallic bottom, cut some holes. Into the top, craft a moderately sized triangle shape. Flip the can, add some kindling into the triangular gouge (dry pine needles would work, for example), ignite, and once the bottom is sufficiently heated up, you can toss some meat or veggies.
#5 Plant Fertilizer
Plants like rosebushes, evergreens, or azaleas thrive off soil acidity and the best way to naturally improve said acidity is through, you guessed it, coffee beans. Bury about ¾ of a cup worth of coffee grounds near the roots of the plant, a process that needs to be repeated no more often than once a month. Going overboard with it might result in a surplus acidity that will do more harm than good.
#6 Odor Remover
Since we’ve already talked about it at number three, we’ve established that freshly ground coffee beans are good at absorbing and containing unpleasant smells. They can also be useful to pet owners who wish to remove animal scents from their house. Heat the beans in a cast-iron skillet at low temperatures then place the pan in the room you wish cleaned.
#7 Bread Baker
I think a good consensus we can all reach is that coffee cans make excellent replacements in case of missing cookware. If you ever find yourself in dire need to bake some bread but are unfortunate enough to have left all the necessary equipment back at home, you’ll be glad to know that bread can be baked just as fine in a coffee can. The only requirement – cover the inside in some unstick cooking spray and sprinkle some flour.
#8 Hair Shiner
Coffee is beneficial to personal care, too! Aside from making a great face exfoliator, applying strong coffee to a clean and dry hair is going to make it glossier, all over the course of seven days. Make sure to keep the coffee in no more than 20 minutes and then to rinse. The process will start to show its effects, as mentioned before, after seven days.
#9 Cord Controller
How many of you struggle every Christmas with tangled cords of tree lights? You can make this a matter of the past by simply using an empty lidded coffee can. Pierce the lid, insert one end of the cord through the gauge, and start coiling it around the can, making sure to tape the other end to the lid at the end. It’s a guaranteed way to keep your cords in check.
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