There is nothing quite like freshly roasted coffee beans, as true coffee connoisseurs know. The flavor notes, scent, and whole experience are just different!
We’re passionate about brewing outstanding coffee and, as roasters of premium specialty coffee, that starts with using freshly roasted beans in our brews.
How long will beans stay fresh in your cabinet if you bring them home?
Fresh whole coffee beans can remain fresh for up to a year when packaged in a sealed container and for one week to a month after being opened. Contrarily, ground coffee beans have a shorter shelf life and will remain fresh for a few months if they are not opened, but they should be consumed within a few days if they are.
We still advise consuming freshly roasted coffee whenever it is possible. This approach can assist you in determining whether your beans are still fresh enough to drink, though, as that isn’t always a choice.
Factors That Affect How Fresh Coffee Remains
Whole coffee beans have a fairly lengthy shelf life when packaged and stored properly, but a few things affect how long your beans will remain fresh. Let’s look at a few of the factors that affect how fresh your coffee is.
Beans, whole or ground
Compared to already-ground coffee beans, whole beans will remain fresh longer. More surface area is exposed to air when the beans are ground. The bean deteriorates when exposed to oxygen in the air because soluble components start to oxidize.
If you’ve ever ground your own coffee and observed that the aroma is much stronger after grinding, you’ve actually experienced this oxygen exposure. Yes, that smell is amazing, but it’s also fleeting, and it will soon disappear.
If at all possible, we advise buying whole beans, especially if you intend to store them for a long time.
Packaging Technique
Sadly, you have little influence over how the coffee company seals and packages the beans. However, you do have a choice in who you buy from, so let’s examine the various strategies.
Commercial packaging Between roasting and packaging, industrially processed beans can spend a lot of time in big storage containers. Before you take them home, they frequently sit on the shelves of grocery stores and warehouses for weeks or even months.
Although nitrogen flushing and vacuum sealing are effective industrial packing techniques, they are only required because of how long it takes for beans to get from the roaster to you.
Roasters of specialty and small-batch coffee use the hand-packing technique. The beans are bagged and wrapped as soon as they are finished roasting to keep them protected from the elements. Although each roaster may adhere to slightly different procedures, the newly roasted coffee is always put into the bag as soon as is practical.
Hand packaging is an indication we normally look for as coffee consumers. This isn’t because hand-packaged coffees last longer; rather, it’s because they are frequently packaged and dispatched to customers just a few days after being roasted.
With this coffee container as storage, coffee beans last longer.
The fundamentals of storing coffee beans are:
1) Maintain airtight sealing to keep oxygen out.
2) Keep it in a cool, dark location.
Since the only factor you can control is how the coffee is stored, we advise reading our article on the Best Ways To Store Coffee At Home for a thorough explanation of how to extend the shelf life of your fresh beans.
Does the quality of coffee beans ever deteriorate?
Everybody has experienced a cup of coffee that didn’t taste or smell well. This can occur for a variety of reasons, including flavor, roasting technique, and even the date of expiration. It is usually because of the bean quality. There is no reason why your coffee beans should go bad if you treat them properly. However, if coffee beans are not stored properly, their freshness may be severely harmed.
Stale coffee beans can be identified by their scent, appearance, or both. It’s better to toss them in the garbage and acquire a new bag if they begin to have a faintly moldy or rancid smell. When coffee beans are roasted, gases like carbon dioxide build inside of them, and a few days after roasting is complete, these gases begin to escape from the beans. Beans may lose their flavor and get stale if carbon dioxide leaves them too rapidly.
Avoid using them if your coffee only has a mild aroma rather than a particularly offensive one. Coffee’s scent and flavor are intertwined, so if your beans have lost their alluring aroma, it’s safe to assume that they may have peaked.
Don’t freak out if you unintentionally consume coffee that you suspect may have been brewed with old beans. You won’t get sick by drinking coffee produced with old beans, although the flavor could be a little disappointing.
Can coffee beans be frozen?
Make sure to store your beans effectively to keep their rich flavor if you want to experience the flavor of freshly roasted coffee beans to the fullest. Most people prefer to place them in airtight containers or other packing. However, a lot of coffee aficionados decided to experiment with various preservation methods. Coffee beans can be frozen in sealable bags as one method.
Coffee beans can be frozen to increase their shelf life by several months. This is due to the fact that it lowers their exposure to oxygen. Your entire beans will last longer and stay fresh if you store them in little, sealed freezer bags. When taking them out of storage if you are freezing them, you must take care to prevent prolonged exposure to air or light.
