Tips About Making and Using Coffee Soap
I use about 6 T of coffee and run it through the coffee maker. Then I cool the coffee in the frig. Do not use hot coffee. I then use the coffee in place of water and add at trace 1 T. coffee grounds per pound of oils. I do not measure exactly on this. I have found that the color varies from light tan to DARK brown. This depends on the coffee used. I also add a coffee FO. This soap turns out great.
Thought I’d share my favorite thrifty gift for coffee lovers and cooks: find a BIG mug, line it with a kitchen towel (I knit my own cotton dishcloths), then add chunks of coffee soap and maybe a little scrubby or nail brush. To complete the package, make a mini “book” that describes the MANY uses for coffee soap and includes some yummy coffee-time recipes, add your greeting to the cover, and tie it to the mug handle with a big raffia bow. Sometimes I add a coffee-scented candle, or a single serving package of favorite coffee and my own chocolate-covered coffee beans (very well-wrapped). I like to keep everything in earth tones, but these would look nice in holiday colors, too.
I made my coffee soap the same way Cheryl did, but my recipe called for twice the amount of coffee grounds as hers. I used unbrewed grounds. Although I don’t think the soap lives up to its claims for removing odors, I love the way it “scrubs”. My soap was more of a caramel color with the dark flecks.
That is funny, because I find my soap TOTALLY removes odors. I even tested it against the softsoap stuff. Rubbed my hands in chopped onion and garlic, let it dry, then washed. The coffee soap totally took the odor away, whereas the softsoap just smelled like scented onions and garlic!
I have to agree that my coffee soap removes the odors. When I make coffee soap I substitute the water for “cold” double/triple strength coffee and at trace add the coffee grounds that were from making the coffee. I would probably add about 1 TB. per pound of oils. The soap turns out anywhere from light brown to dark brown, depending on the type of coffee used. I love my coffee soap.
I have made two batches of coffee soap. Both of them were rebatches and both turned out very dark brown. The first one I tried by adding the unsteeped (virgin, unused… you know) coffee grounds when I added my shredded soap and the second I added steeped coffee grounds at the very end before pouring into molds. Both turned out looking like brownies.
These are ways my friends have used coffee soap in the basic three oil recipe (olive, coconut, palm):
My Gourmet Friend says she keeps hers in the kitchen to remove odors from hands such as fish and onions.
My Gardener Friend says the gentle scrub removes the dirt, and the olive oil used in recipe avoids over drying her skin.
My Hedonist Friend keeps her bar in the shower to use on her feet for a gentle scrub.
I’ve used a whole cup of dry coffee, ground up very fine, and soap turns out really dark. I added at trace (five pound batch). I’ve used half a cup of ground dry coffee, lighter color (five pound batch). And I’ve made the triple strength brewed coffee to add the lye to, plus some of the wet coffee grounds. It came out the lightest in color (five pound batch).
A reminder — The usual disclaimers apply. The recipes in this library reflect the individual contributors' own methods of soapmaking and are written in their own words. We cannot personally guarantee the success or results of any of the recipes included in this library.