Coffee is on nearly every American’s grocery cart. Because, nothing beats that freshly brewed cup of joe in the morning, afternoon, at night, anytime!
But just like all other items in our pantries, coffee has a lifespan beyond which, you’ll no longer enjoy those peak flavors. That’s why we need to learn how to store coffee and keep it fresh for the longest time!
Here’s all you need to know. First things first.
Originally by Lilian.
Updated in December 2022 by Jozo, a barista with 15 years of experience.
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How Long Can Roasted Coffee Beans Stay Fresh?
How long roasted coffee beans stay fresh depends on two main factors.
Roasting Date And Storage
In terms of the roasting date, the sooner, the better.
Jozo: But not too soon. Freshly roasted beans still need some time after roasting to balance the flavor. The rule of thumb is that most coffee beans are best 7-21 days after the roast date.
Lizzie Streit, a registered dietitian nutritionist, suggests that, after opening, roasted coffee beans can remain fresh for 1-3 weeks.
To enjoy the freshest brewed coffee, buy beans roasted seven days before. Fresh beans need to degas – let go of extra CO2.
That’s why roasteries pack freshly roasted beans in packages with degassing valves.
In terms of storage, Lizzie mentions that with good storage, roasted coffee beans will remain fresh for months, sometimes years!
Otherwise, if they’re stored in a paper bag, they’ll taste stale even a week after roasting.
If it’s in the typical coffee packaging – opaque, resealable bags – they can go for about 3 weeks.
The trick is, you have to remove all the air from the bag after every use.
If you store in a vacuum-sealed coffee canister, roasted coffee beans should remain fresh for 2 months.
Let’s go into greater detail on coffee storage.
How to Store Coffee Beans and Keep Them Fresh?
For a start, it’s important to know that there are four main elements that coffee doesn’t like.
Foodly, a popular food magazine, calls them the enemies of coffee.
They are:
- Air
- Heat
- Light
- Moisture
To ensure your coffee stays fresh, by all means avoid these things.
Luckily, the original packaging that most coffee comes in has an airtight closure (like a zip-top seal).
It’s fine to keep the coffee fresh for about 2 weeks.
As long as it’s kept in a cool, dark and dry space.
But how do we keep coffee fresh beyond 2 weeks? Say, for several months.
Read on!
6 Tips on How to Keep Coffee Beans Fresh for Months
Keep the Beans in an Opaque, Airtight Canister
This is the most important tip on this list. You’re probably wondering, “why should the canister be airtight?”
Well, it’s all about oxygen and carbon dioxide and their effects on coffee freshness.
Oxygen and Coffee Freshness
Julia Calderone, a science reporter at Tech Insider, tells us about the relationship between coffee and oxygen.
She says that the science of how iron becomes rusty when exposed to oxygen for too long is the same concept with coffee.
When coffee comes into contact with oxygen, it starts degrading as the process of oxidation progresses. It’ll have a bitter, rancid, sour taste.
Storing the coffee in an airtight container keeps oxygen away, thus preventing oxidation.
Carbon Dioxide and Coffee Freshness
Carbon dioxide is a natural food preservative.
It forms a ‘blanket’ around the coffee beans/grounds, keeping them fresh for a longer time.
So, an airtight canister not only keeps oxygen away, but also retains as much carbon dioxide as possible inside.
Why Should the Canister Be Opaque?
Opaque airtight/vacuum-sealed canisters ensure no light or moisture comes into contact with the beans.
As mentioned previously, light and moisture are coffee’s greatest enemies.
For coffee lovers without a canister, a rubber band tied around the top of the package bag will serve the purpose. Put the package bag in another re-sealable bag and you’re good to go!
Shelve at the Darkest Point
Once you’ve stored the coffee in the opaque, airtight canister, place it in a cool, dark and dry place.
Ideally, it should be on a shelf in the darkest cabinet of your pantry.
Avoid Transparent Glass Jars
Most glass jars are clear, so they’ll let light inside the coffee. In return, the coffee will go stale faster.
However, if you can get an opaque glass jar with a metal clasp to ensure it’s airtight, they’re alright!
If you insist on using a transparent airtight glass jar, make sure you store it in an extremely dark area.
Jozo: I like my airtight glass jars for coffee. They are affordable, available, and easy to wash.
I keep them in my cupboard and use stickers to tag the beans inside.
Use Non-absorbent Canisters
The ideal coffee containers are ceramic, glass or non-reactive metals such as tin and stainless steel.
These ones have no effect on coffee’s taste.
Jozo: However, make sure you buy them only from renowned sellers.
Stainless steel containers with poor finishes can have a chemical reaction with coffee.
It will also happen if the stainless steel isn’t clean.
It’d be best to steer away from any plastic coffee jars.
Over time, even the ones made of the sturdiest plastic will absorb the aromas.
Keep Coffee Beans Away from the Window
I get that it’s convenient to keep the coffee beans on the countertop next to the grinder. But don’t fall for this trap.
When the kitchen window is opened, heat and light come in. The result? Your coffee’s flavor and freshness flies out!
Freeze in Small Portions
Are you storing coffee beans for use a month or two after purchase?
The best option is to deep freeze them.
Freeze the roasted coffee beans and pack them up in your deep freezer. As we’ll mention in the next section, your fridge freezer is not a good place to store frozen coffee.
Ensure you freeze in small batches so that you don’t have to keep dividing portions and refreezing what’s left. They’ll lose freshness faster!
Ziploc – A Budget Solution
Jozo: I used to relocate a lot, and I couldn’t always use jars or containers for storing my beans.
But I would never compromise about the fresh beans. So I used Ziploc bags.
I would buy a batch of beans and divide it into several Ziploc bags. I would put the beans inside, squeeze all the air out, close the bag, and put them somewhere safe from light or temperature.
It wasn’t the fanciest solution ever – but hey, it worked!
Should You Keep Ground Coffee in the Fridge?
No.
Inside the fridge is almost certainly the dampest area in your kitchen.
Coffee dislikes moisture; it will go stale faster in the fridge.
Always use a freezer. Mostly a deep freezer, not the fridge’s freezer.
The latter gets opened often, so it’ll let in a lot of moisture.
2 Bonus Tips for All My Readers
Buy Coffee Locally
If DIY roasting is not for you, then do your best to buy coffee locally.
Local coffee roasters/shops mostly have fresher coffee grounds than those at the grocery store or supermarket where products can stay on the shelf for months.
Jozo: The best thing about buying coffee at your local roaster is that you never have to buy a large batch.
Also, if you don’t have a grinder at home, you can always ask them to grind your beans.
Buy Just Enough
No matter how well roasted the specialty coffee beans are, or how tightly sealed the coffee jar, the beans will still go stale after a few months.
The unwritten rule is to buy just enough whole coffee beans to last you a month. Ideally, if you prefer ground coffee, only get a week’s supply.
Let’s delve deeper on how to store ground coffee.
4 Ground Coffee Storage Ideas
Coffee grounds go stale faster than whole coffee beans. Why?
Because grinding speeds up the process of oxidation.
Jozo: Besides that, grinding the coffee makes its surface bigger.
When coffee is in bean form, the inner parts are protected, more or less.
But when you grind the coffee, it becomes more susceptible to damage from external factors.
So, for maximum freshness, grind your coffee right before brewing.
Now, if this is not possible, how can we keep ground coffee fresh?
Like Whole Coffee Beans, Use a Vacuum-Sealed Canister
Most typical coffee containers come as vacuum-sealed.
A vacuum seal is the gold-standard of coffee storage, whether you’re dealing with whole coffee beans or coffee grounds.
These canisters ensure that no air, light or moisture comes into contact with the grounds.
Store in a Cool, Dark and Dry Place
Coffee grounds stored at room temperature in a dark and dry place will stay fresh for longer.
But still, as much we need a cool place:
Avoid the Fridge
The refrigerator has a high moisture level.
As we mentioned earlier, moisture is among the 4 things that coffee doesn’t like. Instead of the refrigerator, use the freezer.
Freeze the Grounds
If you’re looking to store coffee grounds for the longest times, pack them up in batches and store in your deep freezer.
To avoid freezer burn, put each batch in its own re-sealable freezer-quality bag/container/jar or any other airtight container.
Jozo: If you plan to use jars, make sure they are made from borosilicate or tempered glass, so they won’t crack in low temperatures.
Frozen ground coffee can remain fresh for two months, but the shorter the duration, the better.
Remember to defrost the grounds 24 hours before use.
All the same, never put back thawed ground to the freezer.
Photos by Pexels and eliasfalla
