That majestic coffee flavor and aroma which we cherish as coffee lovers, can be spoiled by simply not packaging and storing your coffee like you’re supposed to.
Our main goal is to preserve our coffee’s taste and aromatic characteristics, to ensure we brew the perfect cuppa. The type of packaging and storing methods plays a huge role in preserving our coffee to ensure that we are drinking highest quality of coffee. Store it or package it incorrectly, DISASTER!
What’s the ideal packaging for coffee?
When packaging beans, we want to enclose the roasted coffee from sunlight, moisture and oxygen. These three elements plays a major role in the decrease of the quality of coffee, when it’s not properly packaged.
Coffee will be packaged right after the roasting process, as the coffee flavors will degrade if left open and unpackaged, due to the above mentioned elements.
Coffee typically will be packaged in valve-sealed bags. For several days after the roasting process, coffee beans will emit carbon dioxide and other gasses, otherwise known as degassing. The valve-sealed bags contains a one way valve, which allows gasses emitted from the coffee beans to escape and prevents oxygen to enter. This is a preferred method for shipping and retailing, as well as ensuring higher quality coffee for longer.
Coffee beans can be packaged into paper bags. This method will usually be used by coffee shops upon purchased when scooping fresh beans.
Coffee may come in various sorts of packaging, but most of them will require you to transfer it to a more airtight container upon purchase of your favorite bag of beans. Therefor, it’s important to check the packaging date when you are purchasing your coffee.
How to store coffee at home?
Excessive air, moisture, heat and light are the greatest enemies of coffee when it comes to the freshness of our coffee.
When we store our coffee, we want to minimize the exposure to these factors, as these factors leads to the deterioration of coffee and affects the flavor negatively.
When properly stored, coffee beans can stay good for about a month after roasting. Only grind the amount you’ll need right before you want to brew your perfect cup of coffee and store the rest of the beans. When storing ground coffee, it’ll stay good for one to two weeks after roasting.
Purchasing coffee can be so overwhelming at times, especially when there’s so many flavors on the shelf, or your favorite coffee shop have their beans on special offer. To ensure freshness, it’s important to only buy the amount you need. In other words, buy less but more often. When buying beans, take the amount that will last you a month and when buying ground, buy the amount you’ll need for a week or two at most.
Keep air out, by moving over to airtight container.
Once you’ve opened the packaging of your coffee beans, transfer your beans to a more airtight container. The flavor of the beans in packaging will decrease much more rapidly once opened, and chances of air making their way in is so much greater.
Store your beans in a dark place.
We love the look of beans in glass containers and displaying it on our counter tops, but this will expose the beans to light. Light is one of the enemies, so therefore if storing it in glass containers, store the container in a dark place. The best option will be to store the coffee in an opaque container. It’ll make it easier and can then store it somewhere on the counter which makes it more handy.
Avoid heat till you brew it!
Refrain from storing your coffee in locations near the oven, counter tops exposed to the sun or microwave; as it’s often to warm. Too much heat will cause the acceleration of the break down of coffee, so we want to keep our coffee cool.
Dry locations are your coffee’s friend.
Store you coffee in a dry location to avoid your coffee from coming into contact with moisture which could affect your coffee. If your coffee is exposed to too much moisture, the coffee will develop an sour or “off” taste. We want to avoid this, as we want to brew the perfect cuppa each time. It’s advisable to avoid storing coffee in the fridge, because condensation develops with the opening and closing of the door.
Coffee beans rather than coffee grounds.
The quality of coffee beans will last longer than that of coffee grounds. Coffee oxidizes rapidly, and with coffee grounds there’s an increased surface exposure and will deteriorate more rapidly than that of coffee beans. You want to grind your coffee right before brewing your cup of coffee. So why not get handy, and rather buy coffee beans and start grinding your own beans to ensuring a fresh cup. Remember to only grind as much as you need.
I hope that those of you that are new to “at home” coffee brewing have found this resourceful. Do share it with your fellow “at home” coffee brewers.
Till the next cup of coffee.
We enjoy our coffee, too. But we don’t grind our own. When we lived in the West Indies we often saw next door grandma roasting their beans in wire cage above a bed of charcoal. She only roasted once each week. That and Brazilian coffee knocked my socks off.
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Oh wow that’s wonderful. Check out my article regarding roasting. You might find it interesting.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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After breakfast I’ll read your article. In 1964 a Brazilian Air Force C-54 landed at my California base with VHF radio problems. My Spanish was limited, but I got the radio working. Then he offered me a one-pound bag of Brazilian Coffee. Through sign language I ask how to make it. He put a measure of coffee in a “sock” and then got two pans of water boiling. He poured the water back and forth until he liked the color then offered me a cup. It was loaded with caffeine.
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I’m definitely a coffee connoisseur so I’m really enjoying your page, keep it up. Definitely learned something from this post.
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This is awesome! Thank you so much for the positive feedback. So happy to know that you could take something away from it.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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So many important things when brewing a cup of coffee. Thanks for the tips and now I know what that valve is for too!
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Most definitely. Ah that’s awesome that you could learn something new. Happy that you enjoyed it.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Great post, wine is similar in that it is very hard to store properly. Do you have any preground coffee you recommend or would you always grind your own before brewing it?
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That’s so true. I actually live in the part of South Africa where wine is made.
If you want to buy ground coffee, I would recommend that you go to your preferred coffee shop, buy fresh roasted coffee from them and before they package it for you, ask them to grind it as well. This will then stay fresh up to 2 weeks.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Ooooh even though I recently gave up coffee, I really enjoyed this post! You sound very knowledgeable, it was a great read 🙂
xx
https://colourpotblog.wordpress.com/
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This is wonderful, glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully my blog will inspire you to start drinking coffee again 😀
Till the next cup of coffee.
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I wouldn’t say I am coffee-obsessed but I do have a cup, or two, a day. I have never thought about coffee storage. I would put the can of coffee in the freezer after scooping out the needed amount. Who knew that storing your coffee in the freezer was a no-no. I now keep my coffee in the kitchen cabinet.
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This is wonderful that you could take something away from this. Glad you could correct an error. 🙂
Till the next cup of coffee.
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I’ve known many people who stored coffee in the freezer. I always thought it gave it an “off” taste–almost like I could taste the freezer burn. I’ve never froze it–I drink it too quickly!
I’m glad your coffee has been put in its rightful place. 🙂
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Just got anxiety! Moving my coffee ASAP! Thank you 🙂
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Only a pleasure – glad you could learn something new in ensuring the best cup of coffee.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Very informative. While I am a tea person myself, I can appreciate the care you take with your coffee. I will say that I definitely don’t adhere to the only buying as much tea as I’ll need for a few weeks or a month (my tea stocks overflowith and don’t get used up as fast as they accumulate), I wonder if it is as imperative to the freshness as it is for coffee in that the processing is very different.
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Happy to hear that you enjoyed it and found it interesting. It’s definitely worth doing your research on, as it can influence the end product.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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I love coffee like there is no tomorrow. I am in love with your blog and I learnt a lot from this page. I will surely be waiting for more in the future. Keep it up.
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Ah wonderful. So happy to know that you are enjoying the read. I’ll be posting every week. So stay tuned.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Wow great post! I’m a newbie in your blog and I already love your writing style. I’ve tried commenting on the other blog posts but I found that the comments were closed. I’m actually just getting started on coffee – I avoided it for a long time because I had trouble falling asleep as a little child so I didn’t want coffee to take an effect. However, I’ve found that because I’ve started drinking coffee so late, I don’t know anything about coffee! Will definitely be using your blog as a reference. Thanks for sharing! Happy Monday! xoxo Steph
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Oh wow this is wonderful. You have to start somewhere right? So happy to know that my blog aids you in learning more about what coffee is. Stay tuned, as more Coffee 101’s will follow.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Haha yes! Definitely have to start somewhere even if I may sound dumb amongst my friends as we’re ordering at Starbucks lol. Can’t wait for more Coffee 101’s!!!! If you don’t mind, how did you get started on getting so interested in coffee? Was it a family member who was liked coffee that inspired you? A personal experience? xoxo Steph
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Don’t just stick to Starbucks, explore and try out new things.
Read my article about the barista – Justin Groep. He gave some advice to those that are new to coffee 😉 super helpful.
My “about me” page will be able to answer the question regarding my interest in coffee.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Ah okay! Will definitely check it out! TGIF xoxo stpeh
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Great page. I consider myself quite the coffee fanatic/addict and love your post. I’m new to at-home coffee brewing but since working remotely something I’m hoping to fall in love with. I’m tired of k-cups.
Keep up the posts, I’d love to see more about coffee and cafes in Cape Town. I’ve been dreaming of visiting Cape Town for years after a vacation where I met a few locals. I can’t wait to visit.
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Thank you so much Matthew. I’m so pleased to hear that you are enjoying it and is able to take something from it. You are going to have the best time brewing your own coffee, it’s such an adventure on its own, You will never want to go back
Cape Town on the other hand is such a gem. I moved down from a small town a almost 2 years ago, and couldn’t imagine myself living else where. You would have a blast when here.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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Great tips for a great cuppa. Thanks for sharing!
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Pleased to know you love it and is able to take something away from it.
Till the next cup of coffee.
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