How to keep coffee fresher for longer
'How do I keep my coffee fresher for longer?' When it comes to coffee, fresher = better. We get asked about coffee freshness all the time. In this post, we share our top tips for coffee freshness.
In this post, we’ll share:
The best way to keep your coffee fresh at home.
Why NOT to keep your coffee in the fridge or freezer.
How old is too old when it comes to coffee.
What to do with old coffee instead of letting it go to waste.
WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO KEEP COFFEE FRESH AT HOME?
For maximum coffee freshness, our number one tip is to buy your coffee as whole beans and grind only what you need.
Your coffee will start to lose flavour as soon as comes into contact with the air around it, so the shorter the time between grinding and brewing, the better.
In coffee competitions and official coffee tastings (known as cupping) the Speciality Coffee Association protocols say that coffee should be ground no more than 15 minutes before brewing.
For filter brew methods, cafetiere and aeropress we recommend the
Wilfa Svart coffee grinder. These are easy to use and have different settings ranging from cold brew to mokka pot (including a dedicated Aeropress setting) which you can match to your brew method.
For home espresso machines, we think you need a grinder which can grind more finely to get the best results.
We've tested a LOT of different coffee grinders and recommend these three for home espresso:
Rocket Faustino Coffee Grinder.
If you'd like to know more about what to look for when choosing a coffee grinder, and a side by side comparison of the three grinders listed above, check out our Coffee Machine Buyers Guide for tips and advice.
SO, HOW ELSE CAN I KEEP MY COFFEE FRESHER FOR LONGER AT HOME?
Oxygen, UV (sunlight) heat and moisture will all cause coffee to degrade.
Cool, dark and airtight is best.
The less air, the better!
Our 250g coffee bags are resealable and block light so just push as much air out as possible and seal.
With our kilo bags of coffee, just roll down the top and hold in place with a coffee clip, food bag clip or a strong rubber band. Or decant into a tight-fitting airtight container.
Store in a cool cupboard.
HOULD I KEEP MY COFFEE IN THE FRIDGE?
Noooo!!
Despite what you’ve been told by friends, family or trusted sources, keeping your coffee in the fridge or freezer often leads to damp coffee as the cool air condenses.
So, avoid storing your coffee in the fridge or freezer.
Geeky coffee fact - Interestingly, there was a pretty promising experiment done a few years back. It was, however, in lab conditions with super fast deep freezing of vacuum-sealed whole beans that were roasted, cooled then packed in the same hour. (not something you can easily replicate at home)
WHAT IS THE PERECT FRESHNESS FOR COFFEE?
Our coffee is packed in lined, nitrogen-flushed bags. Nitrogen flushing removes oxygen from the bags and keeps the coffee at optimum freshness for longer.
We post coffee out 2-3 weeks after roasting and recommend that you drink it within 2-3 months of roast date.
This leaves enough time for the coffee to rest if its an espresso (more than that below) whilst still preserving that delicious fresh coffee flavour.
CAN COFFEE GO BAD?
You could open a bag of coffee that’s been in the cupboard for several years, grind it, brew it and drink it.
It won't make you sick, but it will taste pretty dull and bitter.
You won’t see much crema which is a good indicator of (lack of) freshness.
All of the volatile aromas, acids and sugars will have broken down over time and if the coffee was a particularly dark roast (darker than ours) then the oils which collect on the surface will have oxidised and taken on a stale oil taste.
WHAT ABOUT REALLY OLD COFFEE? CAN I STILL USE IT?
As coffee ages, its sugars and oils break down and this will affect how the coffee extracts.
If your coffee is more than 2 months old it’s really past its best. You’ll see less crema (the oily residue at the top of your coffee) and it will taste more bitter than usual.
By grinding coarsely, you can still use your coffee in a cafetiere. Brew at 70g per litre and whilst you may lose some of the more nuanced flavours, it’s still drinkable and a tasty brew.
In an espresso machine, fresh coffee is much more important.
As the oils and sugars break down, the water will rush through the bed of coffee faster than usual and your coffee will be under-extracted.
If you continue making your grind finer and finer to reach your usual extraction time, eventually you will jam up your grinder.
Check out our blog post on recycling coffee for ideas on how to use any old coffee you may have lying around.
CAN COFFEE BE TOO FRESH?
Now, we all know that old coffee is bad and here at Extract, we've tried to impress upon anyone who'll listen that fresh is best.
Bu did you know that espresso roasted coffee, can in fact be too fresh.
This is down to the build-up of carbon dioxide (C02) inside the bean that naturally occurs during the roasting process.
Extract and the cafes you know and love control this by 'resting' the coffee before it's used, a week or two at most.
This gives some of the C02 time to escape and the barista can make adjustments on their professional grinder to pull you a delicious shot.
Our espressos are rested here at the roastery so when your coffee is delivered it's perfectly rested and ready to brew.
ALL THAT READING LEFT YOU THIRSTY?
Kudos to you for making it to the end of our brew guide on keeping your coffee fresher for longer. If you're craving a delicious coffee, head over to our webshop to take a look at our latest coffees online.