Should You Store Coffee Grounds in the Freezer?

Storing Coffee Beans & Coffee Grounds in the Freezer

What You Need to Know About Keeping Coffee Fresh

So you've bought some delicious coffee and now you want to know how to keep it fresher for longer. The good news is that all of our coffee comes freshly roasted on the same day it ships for the best shelf life and most delicious flavors possible! However, prolonging that delicious flavor is definitely a bonus. So should you store coffee in the freezer? That's what we're here to find out!

Storing Coffee in the Freezer: It’s Not Ideal

At One Great Coffee, we commonly get asked a few questions about coffee storage:

• Should I be keeping my coffee grounds in the freezer? 
• How can you keep fresh-roasted coffee tasting great?
• Will storing coffee beans in the freezer work better than storing coffee grounds in a can? 

Let's start off by saying that storing coffee grounds in the freezer is generally considered safe but is not an ideal solution.

The thing is, freezers can sometimes get humid. Humidity and freshly roasted coffee do not mix. Plus, freezing and thawing foods may disrupt the oils and thus, the flavors. And yes, coffee beans and grounds do have oils. Lots of them, in fact. So, freezing can cause issues with these oils and detract from the taste. 

Storing coffee in the fridge is even worse, as your ground coffee or porous coffee beans might begin absorbing the flavors of other food items in your refrigerator. Not to mention, most refrigerators are very humid. Moreover, coffee beans and grounds do not require refrigeration.  

So what about keeping coffee in a can on the counter or in a cabinet? Yeah, this is the better choice. However, keeping coffee grounds in a can is still not ideal. Depending on where you live, the air will be either humid or dry. A metal or plastic coffee can will let that dry or humid air in every time you open the lid. Then, that air gets trapped with the beans or grounds. This can lead to staleness and flavor loss over time. 

There’s a Better Way to Store Your Coffee. 

The best solution for keeping coffee fresh is a nice valve bag, the same bag your coffee is shipped in by One Great Coffee. Valve bags let coffee mature and regulate air. Every time you shut the bag; you can squeeze out any excess air. These bags also let coffee beans and grounds produce and expel natural gases, enhancing or preserving the flavors without issues like staleness, dryness, mold, etc.

In an unopened, foil-lined, vacuum-sealed valve bag, coffee can stay fresh for up to nine months! That’s about the same timeline as you get in the freezer, but without the potential complications. 

Just don’t open your coffee until you are ready to drink it. After opening a valve bag, try to drink the coffee within two weeks. Squeeze out the excess air and store it at room temperature out of the sun. If you use a spoon to scoop your coffee out, make sure it's clean and dry. This reduces the chances of introducing bacteria. 

What to Do Instead of Storing Coffee in the Freezer?

The best way to store coffee is to keep it in a cool and dark place between 58 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't store your coffee in the sun and try to prevent humidity and bacteria from getting in as much as possible. 

Really, the ideal solution is to get your coffee in a heat-resistant, vacuum-sealed, foil-lined valve bag. These handy bags allow the coffee to naturally age while releasing gasses without letting any air or humidity in. They reflect light and create a cozy home for coffee beans and grounds until you’re ready to brew them.   

Where to Buy Vacuum-Sealed Valve Bag Coffee?

Get your fresh gourmet coffee in vacuum bags right here! At One Great Coffee, every batch is freshly roasted per order. Then, it is custom ground to meet your specifications. From there, all coffee grounds and beans come packaged in vacuum-sealed, foil-lined, heat-reflective bags. This creates the longest possible shelf life and preserves the flavors of our blends beautifully! 

Expect an unopened bag to last for a few months. For the best flavors, we do recommend brewing your coffee as soon as possible. After all, coffee is usually better when it’s fresh! 

How to Keep Your Coffee Super Fresh? 

We want you to enjoy the tastiest, freshest, most flavorful coffee in every cup! Here are a few more tips on storing coffee to keep it as fresh as possible. 

For the best results:

• Buy fresh-roasted coffee if you can. The fresher, the better!
• Try to purchase from a coffee retailer that uses vacuum-sealed, heat-resistant, foil-lined, valve bags. These bags let coffee naturally release gases without letting in stale air or humidity. They also reflect the sun to prevent blanching or the destruction of essential oils. 
• Keep your coffee in a relatively cool and dry environment. Think cabinets, pantries, or even your kitchen counter away from a window. 
• Every time you open a valve bag, get the coffee you need, and then carefully shut the bag. You can gently squeeze any excess air out as an extra precaution. That’s what the valve helps with! You can also keep your valve bag of coffee in a plastic container or zip-lock baggie as an extra precaution. 
• Buy your coffee fresh whenever you can. Drink it within a few weeks of opening the bag for the best results. We offer a coffee rewards program and all kinds of discounts so that you can keep a fresh coffee supply coming your way without having to settle for less! 

Storing Coffee Beans in the Freezer: Tips for Coffee Bean or Ground Storage

We get it- sometimes you just can't drink all that coffee at once. If you want to keep your coffee for a few extra months before brewing, the best thing to do is let it sit unopened in your pantry. If you absolutely must use the freezer, here are some storage tips. 

• It is not recommended to store coffee beans in the freezer. 
• If you really need to, you can store coffee grounds in the freezer.  
• You can store ground coffee in the freezer for 6-12 months. 
• Don’t open the coffee grounds prior to freezer storage. 
• Get a zip-lock freezer bag and put the unopened bag in there as an extra precaution. With a valve bag, this extra step will keep out any potential moisture from the freezer from getting in. 
• Let your coffee thaw at room temperature for about an hour before brewing. This lets the oils warm up.
• Never thaw coffee in the microwave.
• After thawing your coffee, do not re-freeze it. Instead, drink it within a week.