Improper storage of coffee beans can lead to a loss of coffee aroma. Coffee is one of the classic natural food products: After preparation, it develops its full quality best when enjoyed immediately. Always grind only as many beans fresh as are needed. For storage, it is important to know what "natural enemies" coffee has. These are: heat, moisture, odors, oxygen and light. Opinions differ as to whether the refrigerator, freezer or deep freezer are suitable places to store coffee.
Storing coffee: Avoid oxidation
Coffee is a sensitive natural product that requires sensitivity in production, preparation and storage. Only then will the much appreciated coffee aroma be preserved. If oxygen gets to the beans, it starts an oxidation process that reaches the oils, fats and sugars contained in the coffee. This leads to a rancid taste and should therefore be avoided when storing your coffee.
Contact with air has another disadvantage: the aroma is lost. As a fresh product, coffee is generally always at risk of losing flavor. Therefore, the packaging is already very important when selling to the end consumer.
The first and solution for this is the valve packing with aroma valve. Perfect way to store fresh beans for a week
This has the following background: In the first days after roasting, the coffee releases carbon dioxide (CO2). It escapes through the aroma valve - without air penetrating inside. If this does not happen, the beans must "degas" after roasting, otherwise the package will burst without an aroma valve. If the coffee is vacuum-sealed as a briquette pack on the supermarket shelf, it may have already experienced a loss of flavor. And that's before it even reaches the end consumer.
So, Where to Store Coffee? In a Dark, Dry and Cool Place
The black, hot enjoyable drink keeps the longest if it is stored in the form of the beans. Therefore, the recommendation is to always grind only as much as is needed for immediate consumption. For ground coffee should be enjoyed within a maximum of two weeks.
It is important to carefully reseal the package after use and store it in an airtight container. The best containers for this are made of porcelain or ceramic, but there are excellent metal and plastic options out there. Airtight or vacuum container is the bulletproof solution here. Coffee stored outside of container quickly takes on the smell of other foods. The classic storage is dark, cool and dry.
Keep Ground Coffee in One Container
A common mistake that deprives coffee of its flavor is this: the powder is transferred to another container. In the process, however, it comes into contact with oxygen, which triggers the oxidation processes. This effect is particularly pronounced in coffee packaged in cans, where the oil settles at the edges and becomes rancid.
Unopened in its original packaging, coffee can be kept for up to two years - often even beyond the best-before date. You can store coffee in containers made of stainless steel, as a canning jar, made of enamel, as a coffee pod can or as a coffee capsule dispenser.
Store Coffee Correctly: Refrigerator Rather not - Freezer is a Viable Option
Hardly any other topic is as controversial among coffee connoisseurs as the question of whether the refrigerator, freezer or deep freezer are the right places to store coffee. The refrigerator is not totally discouraged, but it has several disadvantages. There is a humid atmosphere, which the beverage does not like - and: The coffee absorbs the smell of the other food in the refrigerator. The coffee aroma is thus adulterated.
If you use your freezer to store coffee, this does have its advantages. The humidity here is very low. Therefore, freezing the coffee beans - not the already ground powder! - is an alternative. The correct procedure is to freeze the beans airtight and in the correct portion. If a larger quantity of the frozen product is removed and the rest is kept frozen, the beans are exposed to temperature fluctuations: This is detrimental to the taste and aroma of the coffee. For preparation, the removed beans either thaw in a sealed container at room temperature and are then ground. Or: Since there is almost no moisture in frozen goods, the beans can also be ground directly after removal. Here are the recommendations from National Coffee Association (USA).
What does the minimum shelf life mean?
The best-before date is generally only a recommendation. It defines the day up to which a product will remain at full quality when properly stored. This also makes it clear that some foods may continue to be consumed after the best-before date expires - if they are not obviously inedible by appearance or smell.
As a rule, a minimum shelf life of one to two years applies to shrink-wrapped coffee. Roasting companies that sell high-quality varieties recommend a period of only half a year. Of course, their roasts can also be stored for one to two years - but lose considerable flavor during this time. Quality roasters fear for their reputation and set a much shorter minimum shelf life.
What is the Shelf Life of Aroma Coffee?
In the case of an aroma coffee, the focus in terms of minimum shelf life is not only on the beans, but also on the additional ingredients. These high-quality blends from good growing regions usually go through a gentle long-term drum roasting process.
Then they get their special touch with additions of butter truffles, cool mint, Irish cream or other ingredients. The shelf life of the blend depends on them as much as on the beans. It is clear that an aroma coffee with Jamaica rum lasts longer than a variant with butter truffle: the alcohol also has a preservative effect, while butter truffles certainly "spoil" earlier. It is difficult to state a binding minimum shelf life for these coffee variants.
Conclusion
Coffee will keep for about two years in the original sealed packaging. After opening, it is recommended that the beans be consumed within four to six weeks, and the already ground powder within a maximum of two weeks.
Ideal storage containers are made of steel, ceramic or porcelain and also glass, the sealed container is always stored in a dry, cool and dark place. The refrigerator is not suitable for storing coffee, but the freezer is.