Whether you accidentally bought whole beans instead of pre-ground coffee, or you’ve been given whole bean coffee as a present, you can still enjoy your coffee without having to own a grinder. Recently, I faced a dilemma like this while visiting my parents. They aren’t coffee drinkers and only have a coffee maker for the benefit of their guests (and their coffee-loving daughter, of course). So when the only bag of coffee I found on my last visit was a bag of whole beans, I panicked for a second. Then I did some research and found I could easily grind that coffee without the help of a grinder.

Here are some of the ideas I found in my research over at wikiHow (I used the first idea to great effect!):

1. Use a Blender: just toss those beans in there (grind about a tablespoon per cup of coffee you’d like to make) and blend them on the pulse setting.
2. Use a Mortar and Pestle: this method may take a while, but it should work. Start with just a few beans at a time and add more as you go.