Coffee 101: How to store coffee

September 30, 11:09 PMCoffee ExaminerMary Ann Lien

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     Valerie Sibrikov

How do you store coffee properly? You don’t.

Unfortunately, the coffee bean that is essential to making this nectar of the gods is fragile. It is the aromatic oils in the beans that are released by grinding and then steeping them in hot water that gives coffee its flavor, and aromatic oils are susceptible to environmental degradation. Fast degradation.

Within as little as 48 hours of grinding, the aromatic oils of the beans can begin to break down and dissipate, resulting in the lack luster brew some of us may remember from those days of buying canned coffee that sat on grocery shelves for who knows how long, and then camped in our cupboards for an additional month or more.

In the world of the gods, beans are ground within 24 hours of roasting, and immediately brewed into that magical stuff we love. If you live in such a world—you are envied. The rest of us must find a practical way to get the most from what we have.

How To Properly Store Coffee

Air, heat, light, and moisture are the enemies of the coffee bean’s aromatic oils. Those are factors that must be controlled from the moment the coffee is roasted—not just from when you buy it. If possible, purchase premium whole coffee beans in vacuum packed containers marked with the date of roasting—the most recent the better, and grind the amount needed at the time of brewing. If that is not practical for you—it’s okay. The following tips will ensure that you get the most from what you have.

Where should coffee be stored—the cupboard, the counter, the refrigerator, the freezer? Since heat is one of the enemies of coffee, the refrigerator or the freezer seems the logical choice. Unfortunately, coffee has a lot in common with the sponge. Coffee is as good as baking soda for absorbing moisture and odors from a refrigerator or freezer. Cold stale is no better than room temperature stale, and worse if it has undertones of broccoli and fish. The moisture level of a refrigerator disqualifies it from an ideal storage environment for coffee. The freezer works if necessary for long-term storage, but only if the coffee is carefully packaged. If you have a quantity you cannot use within 1-2 weeks, seal the original package in a ziplock plastic bag, removing as much air as possible, and wrap the bag in an opaque wrapping like aluminum foil. If the original packaging has been opened, seal the beans or ground coffee in a zip-lock bag with as much air removed as possible. Place that bag in another, remove as much air as possible before sealing and wrap it in foil.

The coffee you expect to use within a week’s time can be better stored at room temperature so long as it is protected from excess exposure to air, heat, and light. The original packaging for premium coffee is effective until it is opened. Once opened, the coffee must be protected from air, so placing it within another airtight container is best. A zip-lock bag will work if excess air is sucked out each time before resealing and it is placed inside a cupboard to protect it from light. Another popular choice is an airtight canister. Ceramic, metal, and plastic canisters are available and all will do the job so long as they are airtight, and the contents are protected from light.

Average beans that have been treated with care can render a more enjoyable cup of coffee than the best beans that have been carelessly handled. Better yet—buy good beans and protect them—you are worth it!
 

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