A freshly brewed coffee tastes and smells the best when it’s made with fresh ground coffee beans, and you know it. Blenders aren’t the top recommended way to grind coffee beans, but using a sledgehammer to break the beans (or whatever creative way) isn’t advised either.
The ninja blender — as a whole spices grinder, food processor, and basically a magical secondhand — can turn you into a ninja master prep coffee brewer at 6 o’clock in the morning, and then you can rinse out the dry ingredients and blend away a smoothie at noon. No problem.
So here we go — here’s how to grind coffee in a ninja blender!
Can you grind coffee beans in a ninja blender?
Yes, you can grind coffee beans in a ninja blender. Blenders aren’t the best methods for grinding coffee beans, but the critics accept blenders in a pinch for coarse ground coffee, and if you go the blender route, a ninja blender is a good choice.
Ninja blender vs other blenders for grinding coffee beans
A ninja works better than some other blenders for grinding coffee beans because the ninja has a higher blade speed powered by at least 900 watts and stainless steel blades that help keep the coffee flavor intact.
Ninja blender models for grinding coffee beans
There are several different ninja models that turn out good coffee grinds. Here are what users say about them:
Ninja XSKBGA 12-Tablespoon Coffee & Spice Grinder for Auto-IQ Blenders
The Ninja Coffee & Spice Grinder is made to grind coffee beans to grind spices — customers review that the product isn’t just one of the best spice grinders, but also conveniently doubles as one of the best electric coffee grinders. The small personal blender takes whole beans well and offers smooth fine grind coffee grounds to make great espressos.
Ninja BL480 Nutri Ninja with 1000-Watt Auto-IQ Base
The Ninja BL480 Nutri is a personal blender made for smoothies and extractions, and reviewers say they also turn out ground coffee beans with it, as well as with the BL482, albeit a loud process.
Reviewers recommend using the milling blade for a finer grind rather than the 4-blades.
Ninja BL660 Professional Countertop Blender with 1100-Watt Base
The Ninja BL660 Professional blender can be used with the big pitcher or to-go cups to grind coffee beans. Just remember that you shouldn’t fill the cups or the pitcher with beans — use up to 3/4 cup at a time for a more even grind.
The best ninja blender model to grind coffee beans
The ninja blender coffee and spice grinder is the best ninja model for grinding coffee beans.
The second best is a ninja blender with a single serve cup. If you don’t have any of these, any ninja blender pitcher will work but the grind will turn out courser and less even than with a single serve cup or the specific coffee grinder model.
How to grind coffee in a ninja blender
So, yup, you can grind coffee in a ninja blender. Here’s how you should do it for the most perfect of perfect brews.
Course grind coffee beans in a ninja
Ninja blenders grind coffee beans to a coarse grind better than they do a fine grind. Use no more than 3/4 cup of coffee beans at one time and use a pulse grinding technique for the most even grind.
Grind 3/4 cup of coffee beans
Add 3/4 cup of coffee beans to the ninja single serve cup or the pitcher. Blending more than 3/4 cup of beans at one time is difficult for the blender and results in an uneven grind. Less than 3/4 cup of beans results in a finer grind.
Grind for up to 20 seconds
Pulse-grind the beans in 2-second increments for up to 20 seconds, or around 8 to 10 pulses. Check the beans at 10 seconds to see if the grind is how you like the consistency, and continue pulse grinding until the consistency is as you like it.
For a finer consistency, add fewer beans at a time and pulse-grind for longer.
Fine grind coffee beans in a ninja
Blenders don’t do a good job of fine-grinding coffee beans because the results are usually uneven. It’s better to use the blender for coarse grinds.
However, if you have no other choice, you can use your blender to fine-grind by adding fewer coffee beans at a time and pulse-grinding for at least 20 seconds.
Use less than 3/4 cup of coffee beans
Add between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of coffee beans to the single serve cup included with your ninja blender, or into the blender pitcher.
Pulse grind for 20 seconds
Pulse-grind the beans in 2-second increments for at least 20 seconds total, or up to 10 to 12 pulses, until the beans are as fine as you like.
Tips on how to grind your coffee beans in a ninja
So, can you grind coffee beans in a ninja? Yup. Just stick to the basics:
Here are some tips for how to use a ninja blender to grind whole coffee beans, and how to use those home ground coffee beans.
Don’t use too many beans
Use up to 3/4 cup of beans no matter how big your ninja blender’s standard pitcher or single serve cup is. Too many beans in a ninja results in unevenly ground beans.
Use the ninja pulse setting
Even though your ninja blender has several nifty controls, use the pulse grinding process or manually start and stop the blender for 2 seconds at a time to reach the desired consistency.
Running the blender for longer than 2 seconds at a time to grind the beans might heat your beans and result in burnt coffee beans, and pulse grinding offers more control over the final result.
Wash the blender and ninja blade after grinding your coffee beans
You should wash your standard pitcher or smaller cup and the ninja blade immediately after grinding your coffee beans so that the blender doesn’t retain the coffee flavor.
Read the ninja blender’s step by step guide to ensure that the bpa free pitcher is dishwasher safe before you wash it in the dishwasher. Otherwise, you should hand wash it using hot water.
Brew your coffee according to the grind
Prepare an espresso style brew with super fine grind coffee, and medium grind for french press coffee, and make either french press or cold brew with a coarse grind.
Extra tips on grinding and brewing coffee!
Can I grind coffee in my vitamix?
Yes, you can grind coffee in your Vitamix blender or food processor. Here’s how!
What can you use instead of a coffee filter?
There are several tools you can use instead of a coffee filter, and here’s the magical list. If you’ve already just used a Ninja blender for your perfect grind, why not wiggle in another tool that you have on hand instead of running out for a proper filter?
How to make the perfect cup of coffee
And, while you’re at it, here’s how to make THE perfect cup of coffee, whether you have all of the do-dads or not.
So, what coffee beans have you been getting lately? Let us know!
