If you are looking for ways to keep your coffee beans fresh for long and taste perfect every time as they were when you first opened the seal of the coffee bag, then you are at the right place.
Listed below are a few tips to help you out.
- Coffee beans over coffee grounds
When buying coffee make sure to get it in the whole bean form as it tends to stay fresh for long as compared to coffee grounds and instant coffee. Coffee beans keep their unique flavors intact but when you grind the coffee beans, they start to lose those rich flavors and if stored for long they can even go stale. So it is better to grind around 2-3 tablespoons of coffee beans every time you plan to brew coffee.
Click here to explore various tricks for grinding the coffee beans without a coffee grinder!
Instant coffee might be the most convenient method for making yourself a steaming cup of Joe. However, you can never be sure about the components that are used in that packet and secondly it loses all the freshness. So, it is good to buy whole bean coffee instead of coffee grounds or instant coffee.
- Air is the biggest enemy of your coffee beans
Yes! You read that right. Oxygen in the air can oxidize the coffee beans making the beans stale and flavorless. It takes away all the freshness and good flavors from the coffee. So you should always choose an air tight container to store the coffee beans where they would be safe from the oxygen in the atmosphere.
Coffee, due to their hygroscopic nature, can absorb odors from the surrounding and when you brew this coffee it tastes like every other eatable apart from coffee itself. It is one of the many reasons to store the coffee in an air tight containers like a zip-lock bag or Mason jar.
- Protect coffee beans from light
Light can also ruin the matchless flavors of the coffee beans. So, it is advised to store the coffee beans in an opaque container. You can use containers made out of ceramic, non-reactive metals and opaque glass which do not allow the light to pass through them. However, if you have to store them in a transparent container, then store them at a place where they are safe from direct light, like in cabinet or your pantry.
- Monitor the moisture and temperature of storage area
Preserve the freshness of your coffee beans by storing them away from moisture as the coffee can absorb moisture from the surrounding and go stale.
The coffee beans should not be stored at extremely high or low temperatures as it can affect the quality of beans and the storage temperature should be constant at all times.
- Freeze it!
Even though it is not recommendable, still if you have bought yourself coffee beans that are more than your monthly requirement it is better to freeze them.
Before freezing the coffee beans, transfer them into a thick plastic bag or air tight container that does not allow oxygen from the environment to spoil the beans and also prevents the odor of the neighboring food items from entering in the beans.
Don’t not store the beans in the refrigerator as the environment in the refrigerator is very moist and it is difficult to maintain a constant temperature in it as its door is opened and closed frequently.
How to use the coffee beans that you have stored in the freezer?
Take only the required amount of beans out from the freezer, grind the beans and prepare a brew immediately. If you allow the beans to defrost, they lose all their freshness and rich flavors. It is because the carbon dioxide tends to escape from these beans much faster as compared to ones that are stored in the pantry.
Once the coffee beans are out from the freezer and have come to the room temperature it is not recommendable to refreeze those beans as the change in temperature of the coffee beans do not have a good effect on their flavor. So, it is better to store the coffee beans in smaller packets to avoid this situation.
- Bonus tip
Always buy coffee beans that come in a two or three layered bag having a one way valve with pinholes that allows the carbon dioxide to escape from the bag but, does not let the air in. In this way the beans stay fresh for long.
Don’t go for vacuum sealed coffee bags or the ones that have thin packaging as they ruin the quality of the beans and eventually the strength of the brew.
Asante coffee ships freshly roasted coffee beans packed in a triple layered bag for extra protection against moisture and a one way valve that removes all the carbon dioxide from the beans without letting any oxygen in.
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