How to Dispose of French Press Coffee Grounds

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Things You'll Need

  • French coffee press

  • Wooden spoon

French coffee presses should be cleaned carefully to avoid breakage.

With a regular coffee maker, the coffee grinds are filtered. This action separates the majority of the essential oils and diminishes the robustness of the flavor. Issues such as water temperature and preparation time come into play with a French press; the process can't be rushed. Once you've brewed coffee in your French press, it's time to dispose of the grounds.

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Step 1

Push down the plunger located on the top of the press to confirm that all the coffee grounds are packed at the bottom of the carafe.

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Step 2

Pour out any leftover coffee. Alternately, you can pour it into a sealable container and store it in your fridge.

Step 3

Pull the plunger up and remove the mesh filter. It should not have a lot of coffee grounds on it and can be cleaned easily with warm water and soap.

Step 4

Grip the top of the carafe, and gently remove it from the metal base.

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Step 5

Scoop out the coffee grounds from the glass carafe with a wooden spoon. A metal utensil may crack the carafe. A plastic utensil may bend or break, because the coffee grounds are packed tightly in the bottom of the carafe.

Step 6

Dispose of the coffee grounds in the garbage can or add them to your compost pile, if you have one.

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Step 7

Wash the carafe with warm and soapy water. This mixture cuts through the leftover oils from the coffee grinds. Clean out as much of the coffee grounds as possible before washing the carafe to avoid clogging your sink drain.

Tip

For a weaker cup of coffee, immediately brew a second round with the same coffee grounds.

Warning

Never brew anything except coffee in the French press. Always make sure that the carafe is secure in the metal base before brewing.

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