Most of us know how much coffee we need to get us going in the morning and take pains to brew exactly that amount. At anywhere from about $8 to as much as $50 per pound for the good stuff, the price of those cups quickly adds up.

Still, you'd have to be a perfectionist never to have brewed more java than you are able to drink in one sitting.

Which raises the question: What to do with the leftovers?

Diehards will tell you that brewed coffee should be consumed as soon as possible -- within 15 minutes if you're not going to be pouring it into a warmed, insulated thermos, according to the National Coffee Association.

Purists also will maintain that coffee should never be reheated once it's cooled, even if your mother-in-law shows up unexpectedly and you have nothing else to offer her. It will taste bitter and burnt.

But if used coffee grounds can be sprinkled around plantings to enrich garden soil, and whole coffee beans can rid your hands of the smell of garlic or fish, there must also be some use for leftover cold coffee.

There are many reasons to try to squeeze the most bang out of your coffee buck: Research suggests that caffeine improves physical stamina and may even reduce muscle pain; coffee may also help reduce the risk of a number of diseases and ailments, including type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, cirrhosis, gallstones and depression.

So where to start?

At home, refrigerate leftover coffee before you leave for work and serve later with ice, as a cool dinner treat.

You can also freeze the leftovers in an ice tray and then use the frozen cubes to cool hot coffee without fear of watering it down.

Ken Zeff, owner of Crazy Mocha coffeehouse, which has nine stores in the Pittsburgh area, pitches coffee that doesn't meet his standards.

He suggests that if iced coffee is too basic you can make cafe au lait: Fill a glass half with coffee and half with milk.

Or, use it as a base for a low-cal banana-and-coffee smoothie.

Brewed coffee is also a nice addition to meat dishes, soups and pasta sauces because it adds color and improves the flavor.

Black coffee is a main ingredient in red-eye gravy, a Southern-style sauce made from the drippings of country ham.

Or maybe you're looking to satisfy a sweet tooth. Seeing that coffee and chocolate go together like peas and carrots, consider using your leftover java in dessert dishes.

A half-cup of coffee turns ordinary chocolate mousse into a mocha delight, while coffee cooked with cream, sugar, vanilla and eggs makes for a decadent sauce that just begs to be spooned over ice cream or cake.