Where to Grind Coffee Beans for Free!

Ahhh… coffee. We love everything from its smell and flavor to its caffeinated body. For the freshest experience, it’s best to grind your own coffee beans. If you don’t have one at home, know there are ways to grind coffee beans without a grinder. However, some places will grind them for free!

The catch? Higher-end cafes require the beans to be purchased from their store or be a brand they sell. Where to grind coffee beans for free? Read on to learn if any of these places are nearby. 

1. Starbucks

There are over 15K Starbucks in the U.S., making them among the most widely known coffee chains. Not only do they offer amazing beverages, but they’ll also turn your beans into grounds for FREE. There is no fee for doing so as long as they’re Starbucks beans, so please don’t go in there with Dunkin Donuts whole beans because it’s likely you’ll be turned away.

Starbucks doesn’t refuse this service because they’re upset you’re drinking a competitor brand, but because their machines are designed for Starbucks products only. They have a reputation to uphold, so they can’t grind up a random brand of beans in the case it compromises their universal flavors.

That’s pretty understandable if you ask us! So, if you have a bag of Starbucks beans, swing by your local store before closing and ask them kindly if they’d grind your beans. You can also call them ahead of time and ask if there’s a preferred time you come in for that service. 

 2. Walmart

This next one may surprise you, but you can actually get your coffee beans ground for free at your nearby Walmart. How? Well, there are coffee grinders at their store that you can use for free. Simply go to the coffee appliance aisle and look for a display grinder. If you don’t find any, head on over to the bakery and ask the employees there what grind options they have for customers.

Unfortunately, because Walmart sells much more than just coffee, not all stores may offer this service. So, the next time you’re at your local store, pay attention to learn if it’s a place where you can grind whole beans for free.

3. Costco 

Costco Wholesales Warehouses are a hit or a miss. For starters, just like Walmart, you may or may not find a coffee bean grinder available for use. You can grind any type of beans (unlike Starbucks).

The downfall here is that these appliances are typically unmonitored, so you don’t know how often the grinder gets cleaned or what’s gone through them. If we know one thing for sure, it’s that leftover coffee beans impact the overall flavor of your brews. So, it may be worth asking an employee to clean the grinder before you use it.

4. Local Cafes 

You can’t go wrong going to your favorite cafe to get your coffee beans ground. Especially if you’re a regular, employees won’t mind doing you the favor. Some places may charge you to grind your beans if you’re not a regular customer or if you take advantage of this “free” service.

Also, remember that these places are doing you a favor, so be mindful of their schedules. You don’t want to ask them to do this for you at their busiest hour. In our experience, it’s’ all about timing. If it’s quiet with little customers, there’s your green light. Typically, when it’s slow, employees will have no issue grinding your coffee beans. 

If you’re in a pickle and it’s very busy, you may be charged to pay to get them ground. How this usually goes is they ask you to purchase some of their coffee beans, and then they’ll grind both bags for you.

The Takeaway 

Where to grind coffee beans for free? You now know of 4 great options! Nine times out of ten, wherever you go will help you out when you’re in a pinch for fresh coffee grounds. 

Happy caffeinating!