Storing your coffee beans…THE RIGHT WAY!

If you think it doesn’t really matter about how you store your coffee, THINK AGAIN! The way you store your coffee will have a huge impact both on the flavour and the longevity of your beans.

Coffee’s major enemies are air, moisture, heat and light, all of which can cause it to lose flavour or go bad, and fast! Here are some tips to help keep your coffee fresh and tasting great for longer.

1. Keep your coffee in an airtight environment

Coffee oxidises. The more exposed to air and oxygen it is, the more likely the flavour will be besmirched. The best way to keep your coffee fresh is to keep them in a small airtight Tupperware container or zip lock bag to keep it optimal.

2. Make sure you keep your coffee in a dark space

A clear Tupperware container may look pretty on your kitchen counter  BUT it will let it a lot of light which will affect the taste of your beans. You need to keep your beans in a cool, dark location such as the pantry or even better the fridge, where they won’t be effected by light or heat. Heat can cause coffee to sweat out the oils (which is where most of the flavour is) and evaporate leaving you with tasteless, bland coffee. Uh… no thanks! So next time you want to put your coffee on the kitchen bench near you oven or stove, think again!

3. Buy your beans as you need them

Coffee beans begin to lose their freshness almost immediately after they have been roasted, so it is best that you purchase in smaller amounts. This factor is particularly important if you are buying pre-ground coffee as it is more easily exposed to oxygen.

4. To freeze or not to freeze…

Freezing coffee allows us to stop the cellular activity in coffee particles completely, meaning that we can lock in a peak flavour window and prevent it from ageing and going stale. However, coffee absorbs moisture quickly so if you do decide to freeze your coffee, either freeze it in small single serves or only take out of the freezer what you need at the time. Otherwise, you risk losing a lot of flavour as the unused coffee melts or condensation forms on the beans. Best to freeze in small zip lock bags in small batches to keep it at its best. 

Follow the above instructions and keep your coffee fresh and delicious for longer. Enjoy!

References:

National Coffee Association USA, ‘How to Store Coffee’, About Coffee, viewed 4^th June 2019, <http://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Store-Coffee>

Bicknell, B 2008, ‘Storing your Coffee Beans’, Five Senses Blog, viewed 4^th June 2019, <https://www.fivesenses.com.au/blog/storing-coffee-beans/>

Beans Scene Magazine 2018, ‘The big freeze: why there’s no longer a barrier to coffee freshness’, Features Industry Profiles, viewed 5^th June 2019, <https://www.beanscenemag.com.au/big-freeze-theres-no-longer-barrier-coffee-freshness/>