Keepin' It Fresh

So you just bought some really good beans, now what? 

     When you buy a freshly roasted bag of coffee, you want it to stay fresh. That flavor you love can quickly turn sour (literally) if you don't properly store them. When it comes to coffee storage, keep in mind the three main enemies of your coffee; air, light, and moisture. Your coffee storage solutions should prevent those enemies from getting at your coffee beans.

   

     Avoid buying ground coffee. Buy your coffee as whole beans, and grind it right before you brew. If you do buy ground coffee, store it at room temperature (not the fridge or freezer!) in an airtight container after. 

    A ceramic canister with a vacuum seal is a great option, but avoid clear glass. Sunlight is not good for your coffee. You can use those pretty ceramic canisters, but they’re really not necessary. Any canister that you can seal with an airtight seal is fine, including the can that you bought it in.

    Try to store about a one week supply of whole coffee beans. If you do find yourself with more coffee than you’ll use in one week, you can store up to another week’s supply in the freezer. If you do need to freeze beans you should take some precautions. 

    Here’s how to store coffee safely in your freezer: Put the beans in an airtight canister or put the beans in a zip-top plastic storage bag. Try to purge out all of the extra air, or use a straw to suck it out. Then I like to wrap the bag in one or two layers of plastic wrap and finish up with a layer of aluminum foil just for good measure! Once you take the canister or package out of the freezer, Leave it out. Refreezing your coffee will dehydrate it and speed up flavor loss.

    If you take the time to store your beans right, you'll enjoy delicious coffee every morning!