How to store your coffee beans in the best way for optimum taste and flavour

With the recent warm weather we have been experiencing, here we provide information on the best way to store your coffee beans so that they are preserved in the best condition possible for the longest time, with no deterioration in quality or flavour.

There are many schools of thought on storing roasted coffee beans, but for the best tasting cup of coffee, you need to start with quality beans and store them properly to maximise the freshness and flavour.

Coffee beans’ greatest enemies are; moisture, air, heat and light.  To keep them in the best condition for as long as possible they need to be stored in an opaque, tight container at room temperature.  Coffee beans can be beautiful and make an artistic statement in any location, but clear ornamental canisters that allow light in must be avoided at all costs.   Keeping your beans in a dark cool location is the best you can do for them.  Using a cabinet or cupboard though is often too warm, as is somewhere in direct sunlight.  Usually the packaging that you buy your beans in is also not ideal for the long-term, so if you can, invest in a set of airtight storage canisters.

Coffee beans start to lose their freshness and some flavour immediately after roasting, so if you can, buy regularly in small amounts which will see you through one or two weeks use.  The more you open the container and the more your coffee beans are exposed to air then the worse it is for your beans.  One option if you want to keep your beans on display is to divide into smaller portions and keep the rest hidden away.  This is particularly important if you purchase pre-ground coffee because of the increased exposure to oxygen.  When buying whole beans, just grind the amount you need to use immediately before brewing.

The big freeze debate

Freshness is critical to quality, and as we have explained, using as quickly as possible after the beans are roasted is the general consensus amongst the experts.  There are many different views on whether coffee should be put in the fridge or even frozen, as coffee absorbs moisture, tastes and odours from its surroundings.  But, if you choose to freeze your coffee it is recommended that you quickly remove as much as you need for no more than a week at a time and put the rest back in the freezer before condensation forms.