5 FAST FACTS For Proper Coffee Storage

If you're like me, you drink coffee everyday. You depend on your morning cup to get your day started. The last thing you want is a bitter brew that ruins your experience

You may need proper coffee storage techniques to keep the taste of your coffee always at it's best. Have you ever heard that coffee is like wine? It's true. Just like wine, coffee's flavor comes from many different things. Things like the part of the world it comes from, the altitude at which it grows, the style of roast, how it's stored, and ground and finally, how it's brewed. I know, it's a lot to consider! That's why so many people don't want to be bothered with all that, they just want their coffee fix.

I don't blame you, I was the same way before I discovered how much more I enjoyed my coffee when I made just a few changes in how I stored my coffee.

Proper coffee storage is abundant with misconceptions and poor practices.

So, in an effort to help you get more enjoyment out of you coffee experience, I have prepared some fast facts on how best to store your coffee beans and ground coffee correctly; in order to maintain maximum freshness and flavor. Plus a few things to avoid when storing your coffee.

Enemies Of Coffee Quality & Freshness: 

• Time: Old coffee is tastes bad!
• Air: Keep it away!
• Heat: Keep it away! (unless your brewing)
• Light: Keep it away!
  

No 1: Best Coffee Storage Locations = Dark with constant temperature:

• Cool, dark, dry places with consistent temperatures (such as pantries and cabinets) are best for coffee storage.
  
• Counter-tops that are away from direct sunlight and other sources of heat can be appropriate if you use opaque, airtight storage vessels.

No 2: Worst Coffee Storage Locations = Fridges and freezers: 

• First, if you buy only enough coffee to last you about a week, you don't need to store it in the fridge or freezer.  Additionally, the fridge & freezer should be avoided because flavors from other foods can transfer into the coffee. Additionally, the freeze/thaw process also diminishes the flavors of your coffee.

• Freezing is not good for coffee's freshness because it causes some of the flavorful coffee oils to break down. Furthermore, if the packaging isn’t airtight, then the coffee beans will begin to taste like the inside of your freezer. (Gross!) 
  
• Warm spots, like cabinets above or next to the oven, or in cabinets that get warm from exposure to direct sunlight or counter-top appliances.

No 3: Best Coffee Container Types = Dark Glass, Ceramic or non-reactive metal like Stainless Steel, with airtight gaskets:

• Once the original packaging is opened, coffee loses freshness quickly.
• Coffee can be stored fresh in clear, glass canisters or clear plastic ware but only if the containers are kept in a cool, dark place.
• For counter-top storage, opaque, airtight containers are best.

No 4: Coffee's Freshness Over Time = Shortly after roasting (within days, not months.) coffee begins to lose its freshness:

•  And is at its peak flavor in the first week of it's roast date. To get the most enjoyment from your coffee, buy just-roasted whole-bean coffee. Buy in quantities that will only last you one, or at the most, two weeks. Make sure you employ proper storage practices such as those stated above.

• If you want to buy a larger quantity of coffee, store the bulk of it tightly sealed in an airtight container in a cool, dark area and keep a smaller quantity in a smaller container for daily use. Only open the large container to refill the smaller container. Storing coffee this way will reduce air exposure for the larger portion of your coffee.
  

No 5: Freshness of Ground Coffee = It's not fresh:

• First if you want the freshest flavor from your coffee, you should always buy whole-bean coffee and only grind it immediately before brewing. The subtle, delicious, flavors of the coffee is contained inside the roasted coffee bean. Once the bean is ground, oxidation begins immediately destroying those subtle, delicious flavors, thus; you should avoid buying pre ground coffee when ever you can.

• If you don't own a grinder, get one. You won't regret it. I recommend a burr grinder not a blade grinder. Even if you have a small budget, you can afford an inexpensive blade grinder (usually about $20). It' snot ideal, but it's better than buying pre ground! Once you have your cheap grinder, get the store brand whole beans. You'll be miles ahead of where you were before and you will begin to enjoy your daily coffee even more than ever.