How to Stain Wood with Coffee

In case you never heard of it

Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash because Author is too lazy to take a photo

I may be lazy but like things to look good. And you woodworkers probably know about the coffee stain technique. But I had never heard of it before. I was just too lazy to go out and buy some wood stain so I improvised.

With some ancient instant coffee lurking on a back shelf in the kitchen. Not sure what it was doing there since I never drink the stuff. It was put to good use.

I have an old, beautiful, beat-up carpenter’s table that I use as a dining table. Full of nicks and marks — that’s what makes it beautiful.

But it sometimes becomes dull and polishing it is not enough.

So. I buffed the table with some white vinegar to get rid of any residue of old polish. I used a steel wool pad but that could be too abrasive on some wood.

I then made a strong mix of instant coffee and water. About a one-to-one ratio. As usual, this can be altered but the mixture shouldn’t be too diluted. It will defeat the whole purpose.

I applied the first coat with a normal paintbrush but you can use a sponge brush or even a sponge. I left it to dry. And continued until I reached my ideal tint. I then left it overnight. It needed another coat.

To shine it, I polished the table with some of my furniture polish. This is just a mixture of 1 cup olive or almond oil, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 1/8 cup coffee.

I haven’t specified the amount of coffee stain to make because that depends on the size of the furniture.

The stain can be used on new or old wood. Wood that has been sanded or just scrubbed down as I did for my table.

Needless to say, some woods soak up the coffee mixture more than others. A spot test is a good idea unless you throw caution to the wind.

Up and away!