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 loss of volatile flavor compounds.

You can preserve the fresh roast taste for a few weeks by implementing a few guidelines. Your beans' worst enemies are air, moisture, and heat!

How to Store Coffee Beans

It's not a secret that coffee beans are degraded quickly. To get the most flavor out of your beans, you need to store them in a proper manner. Despite this, many aren't sure how best to do it. Many people think they can just put their beans in the refrigerator. This is not the best way to go about it.

The key is storing your beans in an airtight, opaque container at room temperature. This will protect your beans from their most formidable enemies: moisture and air. Moisture and air can both rob the beans their fresh-roasted flavor, and the moisture can make them less flavorful. Heating can also ruin the aroma and flavor of the beans. Light (especially sunlight) can also affect the natural shine of the beans.

It's not a wise idea to keep coffee beans in your refrigerator. They could absorb the flavors of other foods, like onions and cheese in the fridge and alter the taste of your coffee. They can also be exposed to moisture and condensation from the cold air in the refrigerator.

Instead, consider storing your beans in the container they were packaged in or in a resealable bag. Be sure to eliminate all air from the bag prior to sealing it and storing it in a cool, dark location. This can aid in keeping the beans fresh a little longer, but the best time to use them is within 72 hours after roasting.

Coffee beans are stored in the Fridge

A majority of people keep their beans in the fridge but it's not an ideal solution. Coffee beans stored in the refrigerator absorb food smells and moisture, which can negatively affect their flavor. The best place to store your coffee is in a dark cabinet that is sealed with an airtight, transparent container.

A gourmet coffee beans bag that has a one-way valve will work perfectly in the fridge, but if your beans didn't come in this type of container, it is necessary to transfer them into a tightly sealed and opaque container, like a glass canister or the Coffee Gator canister mentioned above. The fridge can also be too cold for the coffee, which can affect the taste.

The main enemies of coffee beans are air, heat and moisture. To preserve the freshness and quality of your coffee beans place them in an opaque container (not transparent), at temperatures that are at room temperature. The ideal place to keep them is a dark, cool pantry, however cabinets or wardrobes will also work. It is not recommended to keep coffee in the refrigerator. It will prolong the shelf-life of your coffee, but you may want to try it. The cold temperature can alter the flavor of your Specialty Coffee Beans and cause it to go through a stale-like process faster. The smells of food and the moisture in the fridge can affect the coffee beans.

Coffee beans are stored in the Pantry

When the seal on the packaging of your beans is broken, it's best to store them in a dark area at the temperature of room and in an airtight container. This will preserve the aroma, flavor, and freshness of your coffee for a prolonged period (depending on how much oxygen or heat is exposed to the beans). Storing your coffee beans in an oven or kitchen counter, or any other area where they are exposed to direct sunlight could be not a good idea. These areas can become very hot and accelerate the process of oxidation.

Moisture is an important factor because beans can absorb moisture from the air. This can reduce their natural flavors. Heat can also accelerate the process of oxidation, as beans break the molecular structure that gives them their aromas. Heating also strips the beans of its natural oils, which makes them taste less.

If you keep your beans in the resealable one-way valve bag that they came in or in an airtight opaque container that is equivalent in size, they'll be fresh for about a week. They can be kept longer in the fridge, but be aware that they may suffer from freezer burn or absorb any food odors in the fridge.

Storing Coffee Beans in the Freezer

If you're spending 20 bucks or more to purchase the finest coffee beans it's important to be aware of how long they'll last and what the best methods are to store them. Coffee absorbs aromas, moisture and flavors therefore placing it in an opaque airtight container in a dark, cool place will help to preserve the flavor. You can also freeze your beans but be cautious if you do this, you should move them into a Ziploc bag prior to freezing in order to avoid freezing burn.

While freezing isn't the best option, it is a good option if have a limited amount of time or if you're on the road and want to bring along some of your favorite roast. However, coffee beans frozen aren't as fresh and will have a less muted flavor than beans that were stored correctly in the fridge or in the pantry.

As you can see, it's recommended to use your beans as a whole but sometimes we simply don't have the luxury. If you store your coffee beans in a dark, cool place in an opaque airtight container, their shelf life can be extended by as much as 3 times. So go ahead and give it a try (be sure to follow the directions above carefully) you might be amazed by how much better your coffee will taste compared to the dull and stale beans that went bad in the fridge or freezer.