John M

Yes, you can use expired canned beans, and in most cases, they are still perfectly safe to eat long after the date on the can has passed.   That date you see printed on the label is usually a “best by” date, not an expiration date, which means it’s more about peak quality than actual … Read more

Yes, you can use espresso beans in a regular coffee maker, and it will still brew you a perfectly drinkable cup of coffee.   Espresso beans are just regular coffee beans that have been roasted specifically for espresso machines, but that doesn’t mean your drip machine can’t handle them.   If you’ve been wondering whether … Read more

Yes, you can use espresso beans for normal coffee, and it will still give you a perfectly drinkable cup.   Espresso beans are just regular coffee beans that have been roasted specifically for espresso machines, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used in a drip maker, French press, or pour-over.   If you’ve been … Read more

Yes, you can use espresso beans for drip coffee, and it will still produce a perfectly drinkable cup.   The main difference is that espresso beans are roasted specifically for espresso machines, which means they are usually darker and more intensely flavored.   If you have a bag of espresso beans sitting in your pantry … Read more

Yes, you can use espresso beans for cold brew, and the result can be a rich, bold, and surprisingly smooth coffee concentrate.   It might sound like a strange idea if you’re used to seeing espresso beans pulled through a machine at high pressure, but those same beans work beautifully in a cold brew setup. … Read more

You can use dried vanilla beans to make extract, and yes, it actually works beautifully as long as you know what you’re doing.   It might sound like a kitchen experiment gone wrong, but using dried vanilla beans for extract is a legitimate method that many home bakers swear by.   The key is understanding … Read more