I have been drinking coffee since I was 10 years old. Every morning, I start my day with a hot mug of coffee. In the afternoon, near 3 pm, I again drink another cup of coffee. I drink most of the time, which is why I usually buy coffee in large quantities.
After buying coffee in large quantities, the next question is how to store coffee? Storing coffee is very important to keep it garden-fresh for as long as possible.
Many people think it is a tough task, but this is not true. Honestly, storing coffee is not as difficult as people think. In this article, we will fix this problem and will tell you how you store coffee beans to keep them fresh for as long as possible. We will share different ways of storing coffee beans.
Let’s dive into the article.
Why is the storage of Coffee important?
As we store potatoes in dark cupboards and cheese in the fridge to keep them fresh. Similarly, Coffee is also important to store. If it is not stored correctly, it will not be that good. Therefore, if you want to keep the coffee fresh, always store it properly. By doing so, the taste of the coffee will not change, and you will still enjoy it after some time.
Ways for storing coffee
There are many ways that you can use to store coffee beans. However, in this section, we will share some of the best ways of storing the beans that you can use to keep your beans fresh for a long time. Let’s start.
Keep coffee beans airtight and cool.
Air, heat, moisture, and light are the greatest enemies of Coffee beans. Keep beans in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature if you want to protect them and use them as long as possible. Coffee beans can be beautiful, but avoid clear canisters that allow light to compromise the taste of your coffee.
Keep in mind that doesn’t keep them near the oven because the place near the oven is often too hot. Always keep the beans in a cool and dark place so that you can use them for a long time. Moreover, the retail packaging of coffee is not that ideal for long-term storage, so try to invest in storage containers with airtight seals.
Freeze the beans
Freshness is the main thing of the beans. If the beans are not fresh, you will not be able to make perfect and well taste coffee. Many experts also agree with this point that coffee beans should be consumed as soon as they are roasted.
If you have a large number of coffee beans and want to store them, the other option to store coffee beans is to put them in a freezer. Many experts do not agree with this point, because they say that the coffee beans absorb moisture, and the storage containers at homes let in small amounts of oxygen.
When oxygen or air gets inside the container, food stored for a long time can burn or spoil. Therefore, if you are planning to freeze or refrigerate the coffee beans, put them in an airtight box or container so that the air or oxygen can’t go inside.
After keeping the box in the refrigerator, don’t open the box regularly. By doing this, the beans will lose their freshness. Therefore, it is recommended to take the beans for one to two weeks at the time of keeping the box in the refrigerator so that there is no need to open the box and the beans stay fresh longer.
Lastly, it is better to keep the beans in a deep freezer than in a freezer because it does not open often.
Keep It Shelved
If you don’t want to store the coffee beans in a refrigerator, there are other methods too to store ground coffee or whole beans. You can also keep them fresh by keeping them on a pantry shelf in an opaque, ventilated container away from heat, light, and moisture. This is also a good idea for storing beans, and by doing so, your beans will remain fresh for a long time.
Put Coffee in an Airtight and Light Proof Container
Obviously, you are here to know the coffee storing tips. For storing coffee beans for a long time, keep the beans in a container like repurposed bottles and mason jars because these types of containers do not permit air or oxygen to get to your coffee.
You can use any of the above containers, and be sure to put the container away from sunlight. Moreover, you can use other airtight and lightproof containers as well for storing coffee beans.
Use Retailer’s Coffee Bag
If you don’t have an airtight or lightproof container, you can keep the beans in the coffee bag as well. However, make sure that your coffee bag is well sealed. If you have taken some coffee beans from the bag for making coffee, be sure to reseal the bag tightly after use. And after sealing the bag, put it in a cool or dark place.
Buy the right amount
Coffee beans can lose their freshness very immediately after roasting. Therefore, always try to buy a small number of beans that will be enough for one to two weeks. Furthermore, if the market near you is far away and you are planning to buy beans in a large quantity, then try to divide the coffee into different boxes or containers.
After dividing, keep one near your other daily usage goods, and put other containers in a cool and dark place. Your beans will remain fresh by doing this, and you can use your stored beans for a long time.
What Affects the Freshness of the Coffee?
There are many things that affect the freshness of the beans. The things that affect the bean’s freshness are the most important for a human to live. The primary things that affect the bean’s freshness are oxygen and life.
If you want to keep the coffee fresh, you will have to:
- Decrease the amount of air.
- Avoid the exposure of the coffee to sunlight.
- Limit the fluctuations of the temperature.
How Long Does Coffee Stay fresh?
It totally depends on the packaging. Keep in mind that a papercraft bag with a thin lining of coffee will not keep it fresh for long. You can only enjoy it for a week, and after that, it will not taste the same as before. However, if you keep it in a tightly sealed bag, you can use it for a long time.
Below you will find a table from which you can easily know how long you can use your coffee.
When unopened or sealed | When opened or unsealed | |||
Freezer | Pantry | Freezer | Pantry | |
Whole Beans | 2-3 years | 6-9 months | 6 months | 6 months |
Ground Coffee | 1-2 year | 3-5 months | 3-5 months | 3-5 months |
Instant Coffee | Indefinite | 2-20 years | Indefinite | 2-20 years |
Ground Coffee vs. Whole Beans
The main difference between ground coffee and whole bean coffee is freshness, taste, and aroma. The good thing about whole bean coffee is that you can always make the freshest coffee cup every time it is properly stored. On the other hand, Ground coffee is very famous, and it is very accessible.
Lastly, if you don’t drink much coffee, you cannot easily compare the freshness of pre-ground coffee and whole-bean coffee.
Purchasing Tips for Fresh Coffee
The taste of the coffee always depends on the freshness. No matter where you buy or how well you store the coffee, if the beans are not fresh, the taste of the coffee will not be good. For buying the coffee, you must follow the following points:
- Do not buy the coffee beans from large open barrels because these beans are already exposed to oxygen and UV rays.
- Check the roast date on a coffee bag. Keep in mind that the roast date should not be longer than two weeks. However, if there’s no date, don’t buy that bag; keep that bag back on the shelf.
- Always see the information about roasting locations and farms on the bag because a well-known roaster always provides this information on the bag. If this information is on the bag, make sure the coffee is roasted near to where you live or are traveling. However, if the bag does not have such information, chances are it is not that good.
Tips for storing coffee
Below you will see some of the tips you should follow to store coffee:
- Always keep the coffee in an airtight, lightproof, or dark container.
- Keep the container away from sunlight and heat. It is recommended to keep the container in a dark or cool place.
- After roasting, the beans have reached their maximum freshness within 72 hours, so try to use them as soon as possible.
- If you cannot brew the beans in maximum time, put your remaining beans in the freezer.
- If possible, try to store beans in the deep freezer rather than in a freezer.
- Always store the coffee in its original packing. Never store them in the paper.
- If you want beans fresh, don’t store them in the freezer or refrigerator longer than two weeks from the purchase date.
- Lastly, if possible, try not to store ground coffee. It is not best to store ground coffee because it may lose its freshness after storing it.
Conclusion
Buying the fresh and best quality coffee beans lets you have a restaurant-like experience at home. If you have a habit of drinking more coffee like me, then buying coffee in bulk is also a good idea. By doing so, you will save your time as well as money. Moreover, you will make coffee anytime you want.
Lastly, try to store coffee in a dry, dark, and cool place and away from moisture so that the freshness of the coffee remains for a long time.
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