5 Tips for Keeping Your Coffee Fresh

No one likes stale coffee. Am I right?

 

Okay but wait...

 

What if you don't even know what stale coffee tastes like?

 

If you have a tendency to buy cheap coffee, ground coffee, coffee that comes in a tin can, or coffee that comes in a large, bulk bag, more than likely you're drinking stale coffee. 

 

Stale coffee loses it's complex flavors which aren't very detectable if you are masking it with flavors and creams. You may notice that older beans look greasy or ground coffee may smell sour. 

 

That's a great sign you've got stale coffee on your hands.

 

But if you're reading this, you probably aren't one of those people.

 

You're here because you're used to buying high quality, specialty coffee.

 

You appreciate complex flavors so you'll want to protect your stash from going stale. 

 

To begin...

 

Consider buying whole beans instead of ground. This way you can extend the shelf life without sacrificing quality. We covered that in our Whole vs Ground convo here.

 

But if you need to go the way of ground coffee, consider using vacuum seal bags or at least some form of air-tight container to remove as much air as possible in-between uses. 

 

This helps to prevent the natural oils from oxidizing and going rancid.

 

Next, keep your coffee away from light and heat.

 

You may like to keep your coffee on the counter or close to your stove for easy access. 

 

In which case, aim for a dark container that blocks the light. And move it away from the heat so the container remains cool. 

 

This helps to prevent steam from building up in the container which can also cause stale coffee.

 

Another thing you'll want to consider is buying coffee in smaller quantities. 

 

It can be a bit of a challenge if you're like me and drink a lot of coffee but hear me out...

 

FRESH coffee is life giving. 

 

That ginormous Costco-Sized bag may be great for convenience but it's more susceptible to oxidation. 

 

You're opening the bag more times in total than you would a smaller bag so it's exposed to a LOT more air overall.

 

Plus, you have no clue how long it's been on the shelf. 

 

You have no clue in what conditions that bag has been shipped and stored. 

 

And so, it's hard to to tell how long it will really last without going stale.

 

But what about freezing?

 

This one's a bit tricky...

 

In some cases, say using a vacuum sealer, freezing can work to protect the beans and ground coffee by extending the freshness.

 

However, not everyone has a vacuum sealer and not every one has freezer with proper air flow. 

 

Have you ever reached in to grab something from your freezer and it's covered in thick frost? 

 

This can indicate high moisture or inconsistent freezing power caused by an overloaded freezer or leaving the door open for too long/too frequently. 

 

Which can be damaging to the coffee. 

 

Moisture in storage is NOT your coffee's friend!

 

So IF you plan on freezing specialty coffee, be sure it stays frozen AND moisture-free for a max of 6 months. And if you're a 'food lives indefinitely in my freezer' type of person...

 

We need to have a serious talk! lol

 

Coffee, like herbs and spices, aren't meant to live forever on the shelf. OR in the freezer.

 

If you're willing to learn how to keep your coffee fresh for as long as possible, you'll truly enjoy its fullest potency in every cup. 

 

"Thou shalt not drink mediocre coffee." Coffeelations 4:32