What is the Best Way to Keep Coffee Beans Fresh?

For coffee enthusiasts, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is a heavenly delight. The secret behind this enticing aroma and flavor lies in the freshness of the coffee beans. Therefore, understanding how to keep your coffee beans fresh is essential for maintaining that perfect cup of joe. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best ways to store coffee beans, ensuring they remain as fresh as possible for your brewing pleasure.

Understanding Coffee Freshness

Before diving into storing coffee beans, it’s important to understand what we mean by ‘freshness’. Freshness in coffee terms refers to how long it’s been since the beans were roasted. After roasting, coffee beans start losing their flavor due to a process called oxidation. This process begins as soon as the roasting is complete and accelerates once the package is opened.

Therefore, keeping your coffee beans fresh essentially means slowing down this oxidation process. It’s all about preserving those precious oils that give your coffee its unique flavor and aroma.

The Four Enemies of Coffee Freshness

There are four main factors that accelerate oxidation and spoil your coffee’s freshness: air, moisture, heat, and light. When storing coffee beans, you need to protect them from these elements.

1. Air: Oxygen reacts with the oils in your beans and makes them go stale faster.
2. Moisture: Water or any form of moisture can damage your beans and promote mold growth.
3. Heat: High temperatures can cause your beans to ‘sweat’, losing their oils and flavors.
4. Light: Both natural and artificial light can speed up oxidation.

Now that we know what threatens our beloved bean’s freshness, let’s dive into how we can combat these enemies effectively when storing coffee beans.

Best Practices for Storing Coffee Beans

1) Store in an Airtight Container

The first and most important rule in storing coffee beans is to keep them in an airtight container. This will protect your beans from exposure to oxygen and moisture, two of the biggest threats to their freshness. Glass, ceramic, or non-reactive metal containers with airtight seals are ideal for this purpose. Better yet, our Coffee Canister with De-Gas Valve seals tightly with a flexible plastic insert surrounding the lid, forcing CO-2 from your fresh coffee to exit the one-way valve on the bottom.

2) Keep Away from Light and Heat

Remember, light and heat can speed up the oxidation process. Therefore, it’s crucial to store your coffee beans in a cool, dark place. Avoid storing them near windows, ovens, stoves or any other sources of heat and light.

3) Don’t Store in the Fridge or Freezer

Contrary to popular belief, storing coffee beans in the fridge or freezer can actually do more harm than good. The humidity levels in these appliances can introduce moisture to your beans. Moreover, coffee beans are porous and can absorb flavors from other foods stored nearby.

4) Buy Whole Beans and Grind as Needed

Pre-ground coffee has a larger surface area exposed to oxygen compared to whole beans. This means it oxidizes faster and loses its freshness more quickly. Buying whole bean coffee and grinding only what you need for each brew is a surefire way to maintain freshness.

Storing coffee beans properly is not rocket science; it just requires a little knowledge about what affects their freshness. By following these simple guidelines—storing in an airtight container, keeping away from light and heat, avoiding fridge or freezer storage, and buying whole bean—you can enjoy fresh-tasting coffee every time you brew.

Remember that even with the best storage methods, coffee won’t stay fresh forever. It’s always best to buy smaller quantities of freshly roasted beans at Union Place Coffee Roasters more frequently rather than stocking up on large amounts. Or, order in our online store for home delivery!