How to Store Coffee

Stale coffee doesn't do anybody any good

Once you have chosen the coffee beans you want to roast or buy for your next few days or weeks of coffee, you’ll want to make sure you are prepared to store them properly to retain peak flavor for the longest amount of time possible. The biggest threats to the flavor of your coffee beans long term are oxygen, temperature, light and time. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate these risk factors.

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Oxygen

Oxygen is the number one reason why coffee (and nearly all food products) goes stale so quickly. The more O2 that makes contact with the coffee beans, the faster your coffee will go stale. Not to go down a dark line of thinking, but scientifically, oxygen, while it is essential for life, is also the underlying factor behind the aging process and the inevitabilities therein.

It is for precisely this reason that all coffee industry workers and coffee enthusiasts will recommend that you purchase whole coffee beans and grind them at home right before brewing, instead of buying coffee grounds. The second a coffee bean goes through the grinding process, the surface area that is exposed to oxygen becomes significantly larger.

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Temperature

“Store in a cool, dry place.” On thousands of labels, in various languages, the world over, this one simple phrase is ubiquitous for a very good reason. Moisture can contaminate so many products and high temperatures facilitate the growth of undesirable elements as well. It applies to coffee too.

While some swear by freezing coffee beans because it can be more evenly ground when frozen, freezing coffee has its own drawbacks. For one, it can expose the beans to dampness, and secondly, once thawed out, it reduces the freshness period from 1-2 weeks down to 5-6 days. That in itself negates the point of freezing in the first place.

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Light

There’s a reason that very few beers and wines are served in clear bottles and most end up in dark green/brown/black bottles or impenetrable aluminum cans. And that reason is because light (especially UV light) can be just as damaging as air and heat. For that exact same reason, it’s best to keep coffee, whether in bean or ground form, within a dark container that keeps light out.

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Time

While time passes relentlessly and we have zero ability to slow or control it, we can make smart decisions when it comes to the effects that time has on coffee. Number one being consuming coffee in a timely manner after it has been roasted. While well-stored green beans can still be roasted and considered excellent up to a year after harvest, once coffee has been roasted, the peak of freshness is one to two weeks, with exponential dropoff in flavor, quality and stability after that. To get ahead of this, it is always wise to take a look at the roast date for any coffee you buy that you did not roast yourself.

While most coffee shops sell beans and grounds in resealable pouches that do a decent job of keeping out as much oygen, light and heat as possible, if you’re really looking to protect your beans and lock in optimal freshness for as long as possible, there are better alternatives out there. Time is something you can’t control of course, but by reducing these effects, you can extend the window.

Maximize Freshness, Avoid Stale Coffee Beans

Don’t forget: freshness is key (so important that it’s on this page twice!). If possible, buy coffee beans whole and grind them just before brewing to preserve peak freshness even more and take your coffee to the next level. Here are some good online starter options, if you’re looking to roast the beans yourself or just want roasted beans to go straight to brewing.

Buy 7" AirScape Storage Container from Sweet Maria's

Buy 4" AirScape from Amazon

Now that you’ve selected and properly stored your coffee beans, you’re ready to brew them. That’s where the real fun starts. Take a look at one of our coffee brew guides or coffee drink recipes below to decide how to prepare your cup of coffee.