The key to great coffee is freshness. If you have more coffee beans than you can reasonably use quickly, it can be tempting to freeze them. But, should you? Or are there better options for storing your coffee?
Oxidation and coffee bags
When you cut open a bag of coffee, you’re allowing all the important gasses to escape. When newly-roasted beans are exposed to the air, oxidation naturally begins, which can impact the taste and aroma, and in extreme cases, make your coffee undesirably bitter.
At Klatch Coffee, we roast and bag the same day in our resealable bags, which helps guarantee that our customers receive only the freshest roasted coffee possible. Roasting and bagging on the same day allows us to keep all the good gasses inside the bag, so that your coffee is perfectly de-gassed* by the time it gets to you. When you’re making coffee at home, taking some basic preventative measures to slow oxidation will help keep your coffee fresh.
*Degassing coffee is the process of letting roasted coffee beans rest so that carbon dioxide can escape. This natural process allows coffee to develop its flavors, become more aromatic and balanced, and reduces bitterness and acidity.
Drink the freshest possible coffee
For the absolute best possible flavor and aroma, you should:
- Order only the coffee you plan to consume immediately
- Buy whole bean coffee and grind it yourself
- Don’t open the coffee bag until you’re ready to use it
- Store unused coffee away from air, light, and heat
This may mean ordering smaller bags more frequently, instead of larger bags that sit around for a while. Subscribe and Save (Recurring) orders are ideal for this, since you can schedule automatic delivery of your favorite coffee to your home, skipping the last-minute trips to the store.
Help your coffee last longer:
- Don’t open the bag until you’re ready to use it
- Use all the coffee from opened bags as quickly as possible
- Tightly seal any remaining coffee in the bag and store it in a cool, dry place
- Buy whole beans when possible and grind them only when you’re ready to use
- Protect the coffee from heat, storing it away from windows and your stove
Best practices for freezing coffee
Freezing coffee can be a good short-term solution for preserving small quantities of your specialty coffee. But be aware - once you take your coffee out of the freezer, you’re actually shortening the life and freshness, because the beans start absorbing condensation as they warm back up.
That moisture can ruin all the important oils in your beans that keep the flavor of your coffee. Worse, if you leave the newly-defrosted coffee outside of the cold environment, you’re allowing the possibility of mold to build up! If you do consider freezing your coffee, be aware of the following tips:
- Once coffee is frozen, you’ll need to thaw it before use. Once thawed, you should use it all, right away.
- Larger batches can be stored by pre-portioning the beans into smaller bags before freezing, allowing you to thaw a smaller amount for immediate use.
- Don’t repeatedly re-freeze coffee. Treat the coffee like you would with frozen meat! You have to use all of it once it is thawed. The same goes for coffee beans.
How long will frozen, high-quality coffee beans last in the freezer?
If you keep beans in the freezer, they can hold well for 5 to 6 months, as long as the bags are unopened.
What about vacuum sealing?
Storing coffee in vacuum-sealed bags, free of oxygen, can also help slow the oxidation process that harms flavor and aroma. If you choose to vacuum seal, you should still store the coffee in a cool, dry place inside the vacuum bag.
Some customers may choose to vacuum seal, then freeze. As above, once you thaw and then open the sealed package, you should quickly use all of the newly-opened coffee.
Airtight storage containers
Keeping the beans dry is important. Coffee absorbs moisture from the air around it, and that includes any odors or tastes in the air. Don’t use just any container, use an airtight container. We are fans of the Airscape Coffee canisters because they’re easy to use to store your coffee in cool, dry places (like a pantry), or if you so choose, your refrigerator.
Don’t forget to put the container in a dark place, too, because just like air and heat, light can also damage coffee flavor.
