So many of us buy a giant tin of coffee, crack it open, stick a clear lid on the top and throw it in the freezer. What you may not know is this is possibly the worst way to store coffee.
If you're investing in premium or gourmet coffee, you certainly want it to last and continue to taste fresh. To do that, you have to store it properly. So, if you want to learn how to store coffee for best freshness results, keep reading.
Storing Standard Ground Coffee
Ideally, you should be storing your coffee in whole bean form. However, for those of us without grinders, there's still hope for pre-ground coffee.
You don't want to store ground coffee in the fridge because it will pick up other flavors and be exposed to oxygen and water - both deadly elements for coffee flavor. So, the freezer is your best, though not most ideal, bet. Too long in the freezer can break down the oils in your coffee, affecting its flavor, so try to keep freezer time to under two months.
To make sure your freezer coffee lasts, keep it tightly wrapped to prevent it from coming in contact with water. Ideally, you can put it in a ziploc bag with the air sucked out of it and tightly sealed. Then, wrap it a few more times. Remember, even though food items are frozen, your coffee can still pick up flavors from other items in the freezer.
Storing Whole Bean Coffee
Storing coffee in whole bean form is the optimal method of coffee storage. The best scenario is buying a few days' supply right after it has been roasted and grinding each pot immediately before you brew it.
If you need to keep whole bean coffee for a moderately longer period (two to three weeks maximum), store it in an airtight, dark container at room temperature. When you store your coffee at room temperature, you want to minimize its exposure to water, oxygen, heat, sunlight, and any other flavors or odors.
Storing Green Beans
Ideally, green or unroasted coffee beans should be kept in a stable environment, away from extreme temperatures which can affect the flavor of the bean. The humidity should be approximately 50 to 55 percent and the temperature a steady 22 degrees centigrade or 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Typically, green beans are stored in a paper or jute bag to allow them to "breathe." Under these conditions, green bean coffee can be kept in storage for as long as two years.
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