How to Properly Store Coffee

How to properly store your coffee is a subject that comes up often. Since there are many approaches to storing coffee, we decided to give our point of view on this famous question.

Can you keep coffee in the refrigerator?

This is a question that many ask themselves. Ultimately, the answer is no. The refrigerator is an appliance that is closed and where you keep goods, however, it also keeps the odour of these goods. This is why we always hear that we should keep baking soda in the fridge, since it helps eliminate the odours. If not, the odours will be absorbed by sensitive goods, such as coffee. Coffee grounds can also be used for the same reason! Coffee grounds can be an alternative to baking soda, to absorb these odours in the fridge.

Does temperature have an impact on storing coffee? Is coffee sensitive?

Yes, coffee doesn't like humidity, nor the cold. It is like a sponge. If we leave it in the fridge, it won't only pick up on odours, but also humidity. This is not a good thing for coffee, what is even worse is to keep your coffee in a container and continuously take it out of the cold fridge, reaching room temperature while you’re preparing your coffee, then putting it back in the fridge. These back and forth temperature changes are horrible for conserving coffee. It can create condensation. Just like the majority of us, coffee doesn't like changes in temperature!

Can you store coffee in the freezer?

Although it is an option if you’d like to purchase coffee in large quantities, or would like to keep your coffee last longer. Ex: you will not be home for a few weeks, and you don't want your coffee to spoil. However, we do not recommend it.

Essentially, coffee is not perishable; it will eventually oxidize and lose its flavours and aromas. Freezing coffee will reduce the oxidization, however this will only happen if the temperature is low enough. This is rarely the case with standard residential freezers.

Coffee is sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. Once the bag is taken out of the freezer, the positive effects of freezing are clashed with what temperature change does to coffee, as stated above. High condensation crystallized in the grains if you put it back in the freezer.

The freezer is not the ideal place to be storing your coffee. Although it is possible to freeze coffee in very small amounts to reduce the negative impacts of freezing, it is much better to purchase coffee in smaller quantities and keep it consistently at room temperature, away from light.

Is the container important when storing coffee?

Yes, many underestimate the container effects on coffee. This has a big impact on the life of your coffee. You can find many very cute coffee storing, but beyond the look, what's really influential is their hermeticism. The container should not have any space for air or light. With contact to air, coffee loses its quality.

How does light and air impact the taste of coffee?

Once again, coffee is a sensitive good. Its chemistry is composed of volatile substances and when it comes into contact with air, it oxidizes. Like iron, when exposed to oxygen for too long, it rusts. Coffee loses its characteristics in exposure to air and light.

Is there a difference between bean and ground coffee? Is there one that keeps better than the other?

Coffee grains have a longer shelf life than grounded due to oxidation, regardless of the size of the bag. As for grounded coffee, once the bag is open, it will have direct contact with air. As for the beans, they are larger, this makes it, so the air has less of an effect on them. While sealed, a bag of ground coffee will last for about a month, once opened, it'll last between a week or two. This is because every time it is opened, it comes into contact with air. As for coffee beans, they can stay fresh for a few months unopened, compared to a month or two once opened. It is therefore important to choose your bag carefully according to your consumption, and it is better to buy smaller quantities of coffee more often!

Good storage allows your coffee to last for a longer period of time!