Piece contributed by Natasha Bourlin Passport and Plume
Coffee, while delicious, isn’t just for your cup
An Ethiopian legend is told in which Kaldi, a goat herder from the plateaus of Ethiopia, originally discovered the benefits of coffee beans after witnessing his goats eating them and becoming so energetic, they didn’t sleep.
Whether or not this is truly the first revelation of coffee’s many benefits, humans have enjoyed it for centuries. And we continue to, daily.
Why do we love coffee so?
Well, aside from sipping on this deliciously caffeinated concoction prepared ritualistically by millions each morning, it’s far more than just a delectable beverage. It has health benefits, adds to the flavor of foods, is usable in a multitude of ways around the house, and also can be part of your daily beautification.
Here are a few reasons we’re enamored by coffee in this season of gratitude and love.
1) The flavor.
With a bevy of diverse varieties and roasts, there’s a coffee for everyone, you just need to explore. Try a coffee sampler to find your favorite and read up on proper preparation methods so you elicit the finest flavors from your beans.
Tasting coffee can be much like tasting wine, identifying flavor profiles and subtle aromatic notes plus finding foods that pair well with them. Have fun with this, perhaps host a – virtual or real-life – tasting party, taking notes and sharing perceptions of the different varietals and roasts.
2) It has numerous health benefits.
Experts at Healthline have rounded up a whopping 13 ways coffee can keep you healthy, ranging from helping to burn fat and lessening your risk for Type 2 diabetes, to lowering risks of strokes and certain types of cancer.
Another benefit, especially while homebound?
As cited by Healthline, “In a Harvard study published in 2011, women who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed (38Trusted Source).”
3) Your plants love it too.
Did you know you could use any leftover coffee to water your plants? Dilute it slightly and pour it into plants that need an acidity kick or use the leftover coffee grounds for compost to replenish the soil. Make sure you don’t over acidify them, however. Just a bit now and then should do the trick.
4) It makes you even more beautiful.
Use coffee grounds or freshly ground coffee beans to make a face or body scrub. The caffeine in coffee helps boost blood flow and reduce the appearance of cellulite. It’s also fantastic at exfoliating dead skin cells, leaving your skin soft and smooth after using your homemade scrub.
Here’s a simple recipe to create your own.
5) It contains essential nutrients.
Riboflavin (AKA vitamin B2), manganese and potassium, pantothenic acid (aka vitamin B5), niacin…coffee contains vitamins and minerals that may surprise you. So, you’re not just getting that reassuring sense that you can make it through the day when you pour yourself a cup, your body is thanking you too.
6) You can cook with it.
Have you ever made a coffee rub for your steak, tri-tip, or pork? You absolutely should.
Ground coffee is acidic, acting as a flavor enhancer and tenderizer for meats. Rubbing the cuts of meat with coffee also creates a flavorful crust that keeps the moisture in, maintaining its mouthwatering juiciness. Try this Bon Appétit recipe for a coffee-rubbed steak. A homemade coffee-balsamic glaze drizzled on the steak is the perfect topper…
Another option is to bake with coffee. Replacing water or milk in a recipe with coffee adds a subtle richness to any baked good (think Belgian waffles or cupcakes). Other recipes require ground coffee, like these delicious vegan brownies.
You can also make fantastic overnight oats using brewed coffee.
7) It makes your hair soft and scalps healthy.
Save your money on baldness or thinning hair treatments and scrub your scalp with coffee grounds instead. One study found that the caffeine in coffee is helpful in slowing hair loss and promoting growth.
Acids in coffee also help strip your hair of product build-up, with the oils leaving it shiny and soft. Here are some ways your hair is helped by coffee.
8) Coffee makes the world smell better.
The nitrogen in coffee combined with carbon helps to neutralize foul odors. If your home or car needs some natural deodorizing, put coffee grounds in something breathable, perhaps a sock, then tie it off for an instant air freshener.
Also, a bowl of grounds in the fridge works much like baking soda to eliminate odors from smelly or rotten foods.
It’s your new kitchen sink helper. Do your dishes have some stuck-on stuff you can’t get off? Try coffee grounds when scrubbing your pots and pans! Another handy use is washing your hands with coffee grounds after working with onions or garlic. It’ll help you not have to remember cooking dinner for the rest of the night.
9) Get crafty with coffee.
Feeling creative? Grab your coffee grounds. 
The same coffee that dribbles on your clean shirt and reminds you of its goodness all day can also be handy in dying fabrics. Steep fabric in coffee (a bucket works great), add a bit of vinegar to set the color and you have hand-dyed cloth.
Another crafty use of coffee grounds is antiquing paper. Create aged-looking invitations, cool letters (remember those?), or a fun canvas for art projects.
10) Repel ants.
Coffee is beloved by humans, but no so much by ants. If you have an ant issue, sprinkle used coffee grounds around problem areas like your pet bowls or sink to deter the pesky creatures. They’re not a fan of the strong aroma that draws us in daily.
Keep ordering Wood-Fire Roasted Coffee and use every last bit after you relish the flavor. It’s so much more than just a morning eye-opener.
