How to Keep Your Coffee Beans Fresh

Just like a banana that's left on the counter for several days, coffee beans go bad. This is due to oxidation and the loss of volatile soluble flavor compounds.

You can keep the fresh roast taste for a couple of weeks by following a few simple tips. Your beans' worst enemies are moisture, air and heat!

How do you store coffee beans

It's not a secret that coffee beans go through a process of degradation quickly. To get the best flavor from your beans, you have to store them in a proper manner. Many people aren't sure how to best do this, though. Some believe they can simply put their beans in the fridge, but this isn't actually the best way to go about it.

The key is storing your beans in an airtight, opaque container at room temperature. This will shield your beans from their biggest enemies: moisture and air. Air and moisture can ruin the beans' fresh-roasted taste, while moisture can also weaken them. The heat can also degrade the flavor and aroma of the beans, and light (especially sunlight) can take away their natural shine as well.

In fact, keeping coffee beans in a refrigerator could be more harmful than useful. They could absorb the flavors of other foods, such as cheese and onions in the refrigerator which can alter the taste of your coffee. They may also be exposed to condensation and moisture due to the cold air in the refrigerator.

Instead, you can store your beans in the container they were packaged in or in a resealable bag. Make sure to push out all the air prior to sealing the bag again, and store it in cool, dark area. This can also help the beans to last longer, but it is ideal to use them within 72 hours of roasting.

Storing coffee beans in the Fridge

Many people store their coffee beans in their refrigerators but this isn't necessarily an ideal idea. Coffee beans kept in the refrigerator absorb food smells and moisture and can affect their flavor. The best place to keep your coffee is in the dark cabinet, with an airtight, transparent container.

If your beans aren't in a bag that has a single-way valve, you'll have to transfer them into an container that is sealed and opaque, such as the Coffee Gator canister. It's important that you note that the fridge might be a bit too cold for coffee, which can affect the taste of the coffee.

The primary enemies of coffee beans are air, heat and moisture. To maintain the freshness of your coffee beans, store them in a container that is opaque (not transparent) at the room temperature. A cool, dark pantry is a great location to store them however, a closet or cupboard is also acceptable. It is not recommended to store coffee in the refrigerator. It will prolong the shelf-life of your coffee, but you may want to test it. It can affect the flavors of your beverage and make them stale quicker due to its cold temperature. The moisture and food smells in the fridge can affect the coffee beans.

Storing Coffee Beans in the Pantry

After the seal of packaging on the beans is broken, it is best to keep them in a dark area at ambient temperature and in an airtight container. This will help preserve the flavor, aroma and freshness of your coffee for a prolonged period (depending on how much oxygen or heat is absorbed by the beans). Storing your beans in a cabinet close to an oven or kitchen counter where they get direct sunlight isn't a good option as these places can become extremely hot and accelerate the process of oxidation.

Moisture can be a significant aspect, since beans absorb moisture in the air. This can dilute the natural flavors. Oxidation is also accelerated by heat since the beans can degrade the molecular structures that give them their aromas and flavors. The heat also strips the bean of its natural oils and causes the flavor to fade away.

If you store your beans in the resealable single-way valve bag they came in, or in an airtight container that is equivalent to it, they'll stay fresh for about a week. They will last longer if you place them in the freezer, but you have to be careful because the beans might be affected by freezer burn and they may also absorb food odors that are floating around in the freezer them.

Storing coffee beans in the freezer

If you're spending $20 or more for bags of premium coffee beans, it's crucial to determine the best way to store them. Coffee is a sponge and can absorb aromas, moisture, and flavors so keeping it in a cool dark location Indulge in Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee an airtight, opaque container can help keep the taste and aromas safe. You can also freeze your beans but be careful if you do this it's best to move them into a Ziploc bag prior to freezing in order to avoid burning in the freezer.

Although freezing isn't ideal, it is a good quality coffee beans option if have a limited time frame or you're traveling and wish to take along a cup of your favorite roast. However, the coffee beans that are frozen will not be as fresh and will have a less mild flavor than beans that were properly stored in the fridge or in the pantry.

As you can see it's recommended to use your beans in a lickety-split fashion, but sometimes we aren't able to afford that. Making sure that your coffee beans are stored properly can extend their shelf-life by up to three times, if you're using them in a cool dark space in an airtight, opaque container. You may be surprised by how much better the coffee will taste when in comparison to beans that were rotten in the freezer or fridge.