How To Store Coffee

Whether you are new to coffee beans or have been buying them for years, you may be wondering what the best methods of storage are to ensure freshness for as long as possible. One thing to keep in mind is that coffee beans hate air, light, heat and moisture, so the key is to keep them as far away from these elements as possible. This means no storing your coffee beans on the kitchen counter where direct sunlight can find them, at least, not if you want a fresh cup in the morning!

In this guide, we share with you our top tips on how to store coffee to maintain optimal freshness.

Airtight Containers

Do you keep your coffee in the packaging it came in? While that may be enough, if you use up your coffee within a few days, retail packaging is not ideal for long-term storage. The best way of storing coffee is to keep it in an airtight container, preferably opaque. Transparent containers allow light to pass through, which can degrade the freshness of your coffee. Do not keep this container or containers lying around on the counter, particularly if your kitchen receives a lot of direct sunlight.

The ideal environment in which to store your coffee will be a cool and dark place. This can be inside a cabinet or cupboard. However, take care that this cabinet is not positioned near a heat source, such as the oven.

Freezing Coffee

What do you do when you have a huge batch of coffee which you are unlikely to finish anytime soon? Is freezing coffee a good idea? Every coffee lover will know that coffee is the freshest immediately after roasting, and starts to lose its freshness once the packaging seal is broken. The truth is that most containers, however airtight, can still let in small amounts of oxygen. The important thing to note when freezing your coffee is to ensure the container is truly airtight. If you freeze your coffee, always make sure to return the container to the freezer before condensation has the chance to form when retrieving your weekly supply.

Buying the Right Amount of Coffee

Do you buy coffee in bulk, or just enough to get you through the next few weeks? If you buy instant coffee, storing it in bulk may not be a problem but when it comes to coffee beans and pre-ground coffee, it’s a different story altogether. If freshness is important to you, never buy more coffee than you will need for the next few weeks or month. Coffee starts to lose its freshness almost immediately after it has been roasted, and exposure to air can negatively impact the freshness of your coffee.

If necessary, you may wish to store a weekly supply in a smaller container and keep the rest of your coffee in a larger, airtight container. When grinding coffee beans, only grind the amount you need right before brewing, as ground coffee is more susceptible to oxygen exposure.