One of the most important aspects of a good cup of coffee is the freshness of your coffee beans.
Think of coffee like an apple: Once you slice it (grind it), you don’t want to leave it out very long because oxygen will start to strip away the flavors and make it less fresh over time until it eventually expires.
Here are our answers to common coffee freshness questions.
Because we seal our beans within two hours of roasting, our whole bean coffee lasts unopened in our airtight bags for 34 weeks. Once opened, grind the coffee, store it in an airtight container and brew it within a week for maximum freshness.
Although some believe keeping coffee grounds in a freezer can help maintain the freshness, the opposite is true. When you store it in the freezer or refrigerator, moisture condenses on the coffee and can extract the flavor.
As briefly mentioned above, coffee should be stored in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Ideally, it should be kept away from sun exposure and any appliance that gives off heat like your oven.
Coffee will always taste fresh immediately after brewing. However, the vessel you put it in can help you prolong the fresh taste of your brewed coffee.
For instance, brewed coffee kept in an open container, like a glass carafe or even a coffee cup, could taste fresh for around 30 minutes. Since the coffee is exposed to air, it will oxidize quicker, losing its fresh taste over time. Instead, keep brewed coffee in a thermal carafe or in an airtight thermos. This will allow your coffee to taste fresh for a few hours.
Any unused coffee can be made into coffee ice cubes by pouring into an ice tray and storing in the freezer. Just add a few cubes to a freshly brewed cup for a simply delicious iced coffee.
