The Dos and Don'ts of Coffee Storage

How to Store Coffee the Right Way: What to Do and What to Avoid

Have you been looking for some surefire coffee storage tips? Making sure that your coffee beans last as long as possible is always nice, especially if you've got delicious, high-quality coffee on hand! In this guide, we will cover how to properly store your coffee so it will last as long as possible for blissful brewing every day. 

How to store coffee?

The main thing to remember when storing your coffee is that you will need to keep it away from heat, light, and moisture. Any storage methods that lead to coffee beans or grounds getting wet, being exposed to direct sunlight, or changing in temperature, are a problem. 

The best way to store your coffee is in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, like a cabinet. It's also helpful to keep coffee in a vacuum-sealed valve bag or valve jar so any gasses produced by the beans or grounds can easily escape. Never store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer, as this can lead to moisture getting in and ruining your coffee. 

How long does unopened coffee last? 

Unopened bags of coffee beans can stay fresh for a surprisingly long time! In fact, some argue that unopened coffee can be kept for up to a year after its roast date. However, fresh roasted coffee tends to have a better taste with bold flavors and delicate nuances.

After about 3 weeks, the flavor in your coffee may start to deteriorate, even if the bag is unopened. While you can still safely brew it, you may notice that the flavors and aromas are diminished. After opening a bag of coffee, it is best to try to consume it within about 2 or 3 weeks. While you can keep brewing your coffee after this, the flavor won't be as nice. 

Coffee Storage Do’s and Don’ts: 5 Surefire Coffee Storage Tips 

Now, let's give you some helpful coffee storage tips to keep those beans fresh and delicious for as long as possible! 

1. Do Use Opaque Airtight Valve Storage Containers

It is always best to keep your coffee beans away from air, heat, moisture, and light. So, store your coffee beans or coffee grounds in an airtight container, preferably with a vent or valve of some kind that will allow any gasses the beans produce to escape without letting air in. If you don't have a valve bag or a vented container, that's fine. Just avoid translucent canisters that let in light or air, as this will compromise the taste of your coffee. If your coffee came in a valve storage bag, keep it in there! For an extra measure of freshness preservation, you can put the entire valve bag of coffee inside a canister as well. This will help to keep it safe and fresh. 

1. Don't Put Coffee in The Fridge or Freezer 

There are many differing opinions when it comes to whether or not you can freeze coffee. The issue comes with the moisture of your freezer or refrigerator. Stale coffee is never very tasty, and once the seal on the original coffee packaging has been broken, air and moisture become problematic for coffee beans and coffee grounds.

When kept in the refrigerator or freezer, coffee can easily absorb moisture, flavors, and odors. And yes, there is definitely moisture in your freezer. In fact, this moisture is one of the reasons that freezer burn occurs when you keep food in your freezer for a long time. If you have already opened your coffee and don't plan to drink it for a while, that's okay. Just put it into an airtight container and keep it in your cabinet. As long as the container truly is airtight, your coffee will be fine. 

1. Do Buy the Right Amount of Coffee

It can be really helpful to buy the proper quantity of coffee in the first place. Not only are you more likely to consume all of your coffee at its peak freshness, but you won't be left with problematic storage issues. Some coffee retailers sell fresh small-batch coffee prepared for you on the same day that it is shipped for ultimate freshness. 

This coffee retailer (onegreatcoffee.com), for instance, sells sample-size and full-size coffee, roasted in small batches by experienced roast-masters and packaged on the very same day that it is shipped out to you in the mail. 

1. Don't Get Coffee Wet

When coffee gets wet, all sorts of chemical processes begin taking place. After all, this is why you brew coffee with water. The porous surface of coffee beans and coffee grounds is quite receptive to moisture. This can include the moisture in the air! If you live in a humid part of the country, keeping your coffee grounds dry until brewing is the name of the game. If your coffee beans or grounds are exposed to moisture, they will begin deteriorating almost immediately. 

1. Do Brew Grounds as Soon as Possible for the Best Taste

If you want the freshest possible coffee, brew fresh-roasted coffee grounds as soon as you can. When you grind your coffee beans, a larger surface area becomes exposed to air, light, and moisture. So, the sooner you brew your coffee grounds after they have been roasted and ground up, the fresher your coffee is going to taste. If you know your coffee is going to sit in a cabinet for a little while, order whole beans instead of pre-ground coffee to give you a longer window of freshness. Then, grind your coffee beans right before brewing for the best taste. If you order freshly roasted pre-ground coffee, know that it will taste best within 10 days of its roast date. 

Why is coffee going bad in my cabinet?

If you've noticed that your coffee tastes stale or simply isn't up to par, you could have a storage issue. Ask yourself these questions: 

• Is your coffee in a genuine airtight container, or is it just in a poorly sealed bag?
• Has your coffee been exposed to light or moisture in some way? 
• How humid is the environment where the coffee is stored? 

Humidity, air, and light can all have a big impact on the flavor (or lack thereof) of stored coffee. 

Is my coffee bad?

How can you tell whether your coffee has gone bad? Well, one option is to see how your coffee smells. Does your coffee smell fresh and fragrant with bold aromatic undertones? Or, does it have a stale, musty odor? You can also find out if your coffee has gone bad by brewing some. As a shelf-stable dry good, brewing stale coffee usually won't cause any issues for your health. However, it will taste pretty bad. If your coffee has gotten wet or is growing visible mold, do not taste test it, as this can make you sick. 

Where to get the freshest coffee delivered?

To give you an edge when it comes to coffee storage, one thing you can do is buy your coffee as freshly roasted as possible. Top-rated online coffee roastmasters can prepare your coffee beans and roast them on the same day that they are shipped to your home address. This means that your coffee will arrive within just a few days of its roast date for the freshest brew possible! One example of this is www.one greatcoffee.com, a highly-rated online coffee company that roasts and ships coffee on the same day for deliciously fresh flavors and irresistible aromas in every cup.