What’s the Best Way to Store Coffee Beans?

09 Jun What’s the Best Way to Store Coffee Beans?

Coffee is an agricultural product, which means it should be stored carefully to preserve maximum freshness. When determining the best method for storing coffee, it’s important to consider the various stages coffee goes through. The four main phases – green coffee beans, roasted coffee beans, ground coffee, and brewed coffee – each have their own storage requirements.

Let’s take a closer look at how to store coffee, so you can enhance your brewing experience.

How to Store Coffee Beans That Are Green

Before they are roasted, coffee beans have a greenish hue and are referred to as “green coffee beans.” While most consumers purchase beans that have already been roasted, some prefer to buy green coffee beans and prepare them at home.

Green coffee beans are essentially unadulterated pits from the coffee cherry. They are quite hearty, making them easy to store as is. Simply place the beans in a sack or bag until you are ready to roast them. The container doesn’t need to be kept airtight once they’re opened, so you won’t have to worry about the beans going bad if you can’t use them all at once.

Green coffee beans can be stored for months or even years without experiencing significant deterioration. Even after 12 months of storage, they may only have a subtle dulling of their more nuanced flavors – and most coffee drinkers won’t be able to detect the change.

How to Store Roasted Coffee Beans

Roasted coffee beans are what consumers typically purchase from coffee roasters, cafés, and grocery stores. They don’t last nearly as long as green coffee beans but can still be kept fresh for quite a while with the right storage technique.

First and foremost, you should ensure your roasted coffee beans are stored in an airtight and vacuum-sealed bag or container. Then, place them on the counter or in the freezer or refrigerator (although the freezer is more effective for maintaining freshness). At room temperature, coffee beans will last several weeks to a few months. Alternatively, coffee beans can be kept in the freezer for up to six months, with no discernible change in quality. The key, however, is to ensure that air does not get into the bag.

Roasted coffee beans that aren’t in an airtight, vacuum-sealed bag should never be kept in the freezer or refrigerator. Instead, they should be stored at room temperature either in the bag or a coffee storage container. If you put a non-airtight bag in the freezer or refrigerator, the air inside will cool and create condensation. This, in turn, will cause the coffee beans to deteriorate more rapidly. While they won’t become unsafe to use, they will lose their flavor and affect the overall quality of your brew.

Compared to bags, coffee storage containers offer better protection against air. This is because they have an airtight seal that keeps oxygen from getting in and causing the beans to deteriorate. Plus, they look nicer on your kitchen counter, and are available in a wide variety of sizes, styles, and colors!

When stored in a coffee container, beans will typically last for several weeks or months, depending on the quality of the coffee and how recently it was roasted.

How to Store Ground Coffee

Much like roasted coffee beans, ground coffee should be kept in the freezer in an airtight bag or on the counter in a container. With any storage method, however, ground coffee won’t last quite as long as roasted coffee beans. Because the beans are broken down, there is more surface area for oxygen to interact with, which can expedite how quickly the grounds lose their flavor.

How to Keep Brewed Coffee Fresh

Depending on your brewing method, you may have leftover coffee that you can’t use right away. If you’d like to keep it warm, it’s best to store it in a thermal carafe. A high-quality thermal carafe can maintain your beverage’s temperature for hours without altering its flavor profile or over-extracting the grounds.

Brewed coffee should never be left in a glass coffee pot, as the heat source under it can cause unwanted acids to build up in the beverage. It shouldn’t be kept in a French press or pour over brewing system either, as this can lead to over-extraction and cooling.

Make Your Morning Magnificent with Café Brew

Café Brew is your number one source for brewing and storage supplies that will help you create delicious cups of coffee. Our catalog includes a variety of essential products, such as stovetop coffee percolators, coffee canisters, coffee bean containers, glass coffee makers, and more. We also have a wide selection of replacement coffee parts, including reusable coffee filters and replacement coffee pots. The best part? Our products are designed to work with a variety of coffee machine brands. So, if you need Mr. Coffee replacement parts, you’ll find them at Café Brew.

For more information about our line of brewing and storage essentials, contact Café Brew today!