Ever wondered why your home-brewed coffee occasionally tastes less than tasty and rather flat? It’s quite likely that your coffee beans or ground coffee were not stored in the right way and have gone stale.
Yes, coffee can go off, just like other food items in your cupboards. Coffee doesn’t become bad or dangerous to drink, but it loses its vibrancy and delicious scent and flavours over time.
What makes coffee go off?
Coffee doesn’t like these conditions at all:
- Moisture – beans and ground coffee absorb moisture which causes molecules to dissolve and the flavours to be lost.
- Heat – coffee ages faster at temperatures over 25 degrees.
- Sunlight – coffee beans in particular are sensitive to sunlight as it breaks down the molecules inside the beans and makes them stale.
- Oxygen – oxygen causes coffee beans to oxidise which strips back their flavours and aromas.
You can’t tell by looking at a coffee bean if it’s stale. But if you use your other senses, you will find that stale beans lose their aroma and the coffee you make will taste bland and bitter.
How long can I keep coffee?
Freshly roasted coffee beans stay freshest for four to five weeks, but they are still fine to use for up to 12 months. Once your coffee beans have been ground, they go stale quicker. If stored correctly, ground coffee is perfectly drinkable for up to four weeks.
Let’s answer the most commonly asked questions about storing coffee beans and ground coffee:
- Should I keep my coffee in the fridge?
Absolutely not! Coffee beans are porous, so they soak up the aromas from around them. Strongly scented foods in your fridge can taint your coffee and there’s nothing worse than a coffee that tastes of something else! - Can I freeze my coffee?
We don’t like freezing coffee either, it breaks down the cell structure and loses flavour and aroma. When the beans defrost, the change in temperature affects the chemical structure again, reducing the flavour profile even further. - What kind of container is best to keep coffee in?
Keeping your ground coffee and beans in an airtight container that’s not transparent protects them from excessive contact with oxygen, moisture and sunlight. Peaberry & Leaf coffee bags have a one-way valve and resealable top that help keep some oxygen and light out. But after opening, by putting your coffee beans or ground coffee in another container will keep out even more of the harmful conditions that make coffee go stale. - Where is the best place to store my coffee?
Coffee is best kept in a consistently cool, dry place away from extremes of temperature and sources of moisture – so not near the kettle or the cooker. A dry, cool cupboard is best.
Keeping your coffee beans and ground coffee fresh means you get to enjoy brewing delicious, full-bodied coffee, every day of the week.
