We want you to enjoy our freshly roasted coffees for more than the first several cups. Storing roasted coffee, therefore, is essential to ensure the fresh taste will continue well beyond the first few cups.
The big three things that accelerate the staling process for coffee are heat, moisture and light. Knowing this will help understanding the following information:
Storing Coffee: The Bottom Line...
A) Long-term storage:
- Store in the freezer, sealed in the airtight bag it was purchased in.
B) Short-term storage (i.e. for daily use)
- Keep in the freezer.
- When you make coffee, use only the amount you require, then expel all of the air out of the bag, reseal the bag as soon as possible (to prevent any condensation forming on the beans), and return bag to the freezer.
In Greater Detail: the Debate...
A raging debate exists in the coffee world today over the best way to store roasted coffee.
One camp recommends storing coffee at room temperature in a dark environment (such as a cupboard). The thinking behind this method centres around the concern that storing coffee in the fridge of freezer will cause some of the other odours to be absorbed by the beans. Additionally there is a concern that after the bag is opened, condensation will form on the beans thus accelerating the staling process.
The other camp recommends storing roasted coffee in the freezer. Freezing food preserves the items over long-periods locking in the flavours. In addition, if the beans are stored in an airtight bag or container, there shouldn't be any absorption of other odours in the freezer.
While many people have their opinions on the debate, the one to listen to is the expert on the subject...
The Expert...
Michael Sivetz, a bio-chemical engineer, studied the storage of roasted coffee and he determined that the best way to store coffee is to flash freeze it with liquid nitrogen (dry ice). While most of us don't have this method, the next best thing is to store whole bean coffee in the freezer in an air-tight container with the air expelled from its bag or container.
My Testing...
I recently tested the storage of roasted coffee with our Santander coffee. Two samples were taken from the same roast and then stored, one in a cupboard at room temperature and the other in the freezer. I let them sit in each of their environments for 19 days. When I tested them, my method of brewing was pulling a shot of espresso for each of the samples. Here were my observations:
- Fragrance (smell of coffee after grinding): the freezer coffee smelled fresher than the cupboard coffee.
- Aroma (smell of coffee after brewing): the freezer coffee smelled just slightly fresher than the cupboard coffee.
- Flavour: the freezer coffee definitely tasted fresher than the cupboard coffee. The cupboard coffee was bland and flat in comparison to the freezer coffee which had more vibrant flavours. This trend remained consistent as I allowed the coffee to cool down.
- Crema: the crema of the freezer coffee was better than that of the cupboard coffee.