25 Uses for Coffee and the Container

I came up with 25 uses for coffee and the coffee container. I find it amazing how the everyday items and products we use around our home - and take for granted - can be used in so many different ways.

I already knew about using coffee cans, but who would have ever thought that coffee could be used for more than just drinking? And it probably has even more uses than I've come up with.

But either way, I'm hoping that you can utilize some of the ideas that have been listed.

Add To Spaghetti For Flavor:
½ teaspoon instant coffee

Adding this to spaghetti sauce that was purchased will turn your sauce a little brown, and smooth out the acidic taste it has.

Cookie Or Candy Container:

Wrap an empty coffee can with your favorite wrapping paper, or a paper that has a design with the same color of the lid. Place your cookies or candy inside, and place on your counter, or give as a gift.

An Ant Repellent:

Apparently ants don't like it. So use dried coffee grounds, and sprinkle around the outside of any opening into your house. This will stop them from entering.

Use As A Brown Dye:

Using strong black coffee, Soak the item until it turns the shade you desire.

Eliminate Closet Dampness:

Punch holes in an empty coffee can, put in charcoal briquets, put the lid on, and set the can in the back of your closet. This will absorb moisture.

Patching Compound For Woodwork:

Put as much dry instant coffee into your spackling compound as you need... until you get the desired color. Then use this to fill any hole or crack in the wood. After you've finished, take a damp cloth and smooth over your work.

Cleaning Grills:

Restaurant grills that is. Take any brewed coffee that happens to be left over and just pour it on the grill. I doesn't matter if the grill is cold or warm - then use a cloth to wipe the grill clean.

Fertilizing Plants:

This can be used for plants in the house or the garden. Just pour coffee grounds onto the topsoil and work in until thoroughly mixed.

Deodorizer For Refrigerator:

You can use this in the refrigerator or the freezer. Just put a bowl of coffee grounds where it can't be disturbed, and this will absorb odors.

Traction For Car Wheels:

Fill a coffee can with cat litter, and keep it in your car truck... to be used for traction if your car ever gets stuck.

Hair Highlighter:

Better used on brown or red hair. Rinsing your hair with coffee gives it a shiny and very rich look.

Begin A Charcoal Fire:

Take an empty coffee can and cut off the top and bottom. Punch holes in the side of the can, then place it in the grill where the charcoal goes. Fill the can with the briquets, squirt on lighter fluid, then proceed to light. You can remove the can when the coals are hot enough.

Soaking Paintbrushes:

Take an empty coffee can and fill it with the solvent you use to clean your brushes. Cut an X in the top of the lid. Push the handle of your paint brushes up through the X, then put the lid on the coffee can. Your brushes will hang in the solvent, and not lean on their bristles, that could cause them to bend.

A Unique Gelatin Mold:

Use an empty, clean coffee can as a substitute for your gelatin mold. Fill the can half full, and when your gelatin come out, it will have the same ridges as the coffee can.

Dying Suede:

If you have either black or brown suede that have discoloration spots on them, just take some black coffee and sponge it over the spot.

Storage Container:

My favorite. Use your empty coffee can to store anything you want. From screws, nails and bolts. To pens, pencils and notepads.

Scratched Woodwork:
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 teaspoons water

Dip a cotton ball into the solution and run it over the scratch until it matches the surrounding color.

Melon Protector:

If you put your growing melons on top of empty coffee cans that have been pushed into the soil, this will protect them from insects and the heat that's accumulated by the coffee can will cause the melons to ripen sooner.

Used For Hangovers:

Drinking at least 2 cups of coffee will get rid of the headache by reducing swollen blood vessels.

Homemade Emergency Lights:

Take some empty coffee cans and wrap them with reflector tape, then keep them in the truck of your car. They can act as emergency lights in case of an emergency.

Toilet Paper Storage:

If you go camping, store your toilet paper in an empty coffee can. This keeps it waterproof. Also use it for anything else you need to keep waterproof while camping.

Store Bait:

This is best if you use worms as your fishing bait. Just put them right on in the can with the moist coffee grounds.

Stilts For Kids:

We did this as kids. Take 2 empty coffee cans, and punch two holes in the bottom of the cans. Make the holes equal distance from each other. Run thick string or rope through the holes so that the end of the string hangs outside the can, not inside. Tie the strings around your shoes and walk on the cans like stilts.

Boiling Water When Camping:

An empty coffee can is very useful for boiling water when your camping.

Protecting Baby Plants:

Cut off the top and bottom of an empty coffee can. Place it over the baby plants, and press into the ground. This will protect your baby plants until they are old enough and strong enough to grow without the aid.

Fertilizer Spreader:

Don't have a spreader? Then make your own by taking an empty coffee can and punching holes in the bottom. Then fill the can with fertilizer or grass seeds, cover with the lid, and start walking and shaking the can.

I hope 25 uses for coffee has helped you come up with some ideas on how to use it and their containers, but before I close, I would like to impart some interesting information about coffee.

It has been around for about 1,400 years or more, but it wasn't until the 17th century that coffee was brought to Europe. Before then, it was native only to Ethiopia.

Today there are many varieties of coffee, but there are only two types of coffee that provide 99% of the coffee in the world, and that is arabica and robusta.

And since Americans drink about 3.1 cups of coffee a day, there should be no problem in finding empty coffee cans.