HOW TO STORE COFFEE...
- Feb 15
- 3 min read
Perhaps one of the most enjoyably annoying conversations that a coffee "snob" endures is how to keep your coffee fresh.
Being a coffee drinker first, I care about this obsessively. Being a coffee roaster next, I am asked this quite frequently.
The key to remember is that roasted coffee beans do not like oxygen.
What I've found is that while the taste or enjoyment of coffee can be selective and subjective, so it is with the impression of fresh coffee. Most people are prone to assume that fresh coffee is what is brewed at a cafe as opposed to a gas station or what's coming out of a Keurig.
While some of those assumptions are true, freshness can escape the intent of a cafe by a poor employee simply leaving a bag of ground coffee open for the duration of their shift. I have seen this and desperately want to offer a helpful hint but find myself not wanting to condescend --- so instead I just ask questions like, "where's your shift manager?"
All of that being said, we caring home coffee brewers are interested in what the best methods are for proper coffee storage and keeping it fresh. You can google it. There are many helpful hints and tips.
But for some reason, I've felt compelled to answer that question here and if you're reading, I have a few suggestions of my own.
First and foremost, always buy whole bean and get yourself a simple or incredibly complex grinder to use for each brew. Once you grind the beans, oxygen ever increases its deepening spell of staling your coffee.
Second, once you put your whole bean coffee away, make sure you are storing it away from daylight --- cupboards or pantries are great.
Lastly and ever expanding, use a proper storage container. The bag your coffee comes in likely has a tin tie which can help tighten the seal of your bag but it's a temporary solution.
A good rule of thumb is treat your bag of coffee like a bottle of wine. Unless you have a good sealing container or a ziplock valve coffee bag (Chapel Coffee supplies these!!), consuming the coffee within a couple of days will ensure freshness.
People will ask if refrigerating or freezing coffee helps. It's possible, however, the problem lies in the thawing process. Any moisture that exists will exacerbate in the cooling and warming phases, creating great opportunity for further oxygenation and mold to set in.
Below are some of my favorite container options for your whole bean coffee --- blessings and peace!
This is the first storage I ever used outside of a coffee bag and it works great! The canister uses a gasket seal which pushes internal air out and then locking down when closed -- a topper lid is also included. A bit expensive but worth it.
I cannot speak highly enough of Rok Coffee and their innovative manual coffee designs. Beyond this very expensive little coffee storage device, their shop is a game changer for home brewers. I do not have one of these but I am sure it works in a very similar yet more attractive way than the Airscape.
I am reticent to send you off to Amazon but it's helpful to have a less expensive route as opposed to the 2 options above. The only way that a storage device is going to work beyond simply keeping your beans is if it has the ability to force the air out of the container, not just "seal" the air out. They have a small, medium, and large. I'll be purchasing the large soon.
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