How to Keep Your Coffee Beans Fresh As with a banana left on the counter coffee beans can go bad. This is due oxidation and loss of volatile flavor compounds. The good news is that you can preserve fresh roasted flavors for up to a week with a few simple tips. The beans' biggest enemies are moisture, air, and heat! How to store coffee beans It's not a secret that coffee beans degrade rapidly. In order to get the best flavor of your beans, you need to properly store them. Many people aren't sure the best way to do this, though. Some people think that they can just put their beans in the refrigerator. https://www.coffeee.uk/categories/coffee-beans isn't the best method. Store your beans at room temperature in an opaque, airtight container. This will protect the beans from their most formidable enemies: air, moisture, and heat. Air can rob the beans of their fresh roasted flavor, and moisture can dilute them too. The heat can also ruin the flavor and aroma of the beans. Light (especially sunlight) can also diminish their natural shine. In fact, storing coffee beans in the refrigerator can be more harmful than helpful. They can absorb the flavors of other foods like onions and cheese in the fridge which can affect the taste of your coffee. They could also be exposed to the cool air of the refrigerator to moisture and condensation. Consider storing your beans either in the container that you originally used or in a resealable plastic bag. Be sure to eliminate all air from the bag before resealing it, and store it in a cool, dark area. This can also make the beans last longer, but the best time to use them is 72 hours after roasting. Storing Coffee Beans in the Fridge Many people keep their coffee beans in their refrigerators but this isn't necessarily a great idea. Coffee beans stored in refrigerators absorb food smells and moisture which can adversely affect their flavor. The best place to keep your coffee is in a dark cabinet with an airtight, transparent container. A coffee bag with one-way valves will work just fine in the fridge however if the beans weren't packaged in this sort of packaging you'll need to move them into a tightly sealed and opaque container such as a glass jar or the Coffee Gator canister mentioned above. The fridge may also be too cold for the coffee, which can affect its taste. The most common enemies of coffee beans are air, heat and moisture. To keep their freshness and roast, you should keep your beans in an airtight and opaque (not transparent) container at temperatures of room temperature. A dark, cool, dark pantry is the ideal location to store them, but a closet or cupboard is also acceptable. It is not recommended to keep coffee in the refrigerator. It will prolong the shelf-life of your coffee, but you may want to test it. It can alter the taste of your beverage and cause them to deteriorate faster due to its cold temperature. In addition the food and beverage smells from the fridge can cause damage to your beans. Storing Coffee Beans in the Pantry When the seal on the packaging of your beans is broken, it is best to keep the beans in a dark, dry place at temperatures of room temperature and in an airtight container. This will preserve the flavor, aroma, and freshness of your coffee for a prolonged period (depending on the amount of oxygen, heat, or moisture is in contact with the beans). Storing your coffee beans in an oven or kitchen counter space that is exposed to direct sunlight might be an undesirable idea. These areas can become extremely hot and accelerate the process of the process of oxidation. Moisture can be a major factor in the bean's flavor, since it can absorb moisture from the air. This can dilute the natural flavors. The heat can also accelerate the process of oxidation because the bean can destroy the molecular structure, which gives them their aromas. The heat also strips the bean of its natural oils and causes them to lose their flavor. If you store your beans in a resealable one-way valve bag that they came in, or in an airtight container that is equivalent, they will stay fresh for approximately one week. You can keep them longer in the fridge but be careful as they could be prone to freezer burn or absorb any odors of food in the fridge. Storing coffee beans in the freezer If you're spending 20 dollars or more for a bag of gourmet coffee beans, it is important to understand the best method of storing them. Coffee is like sponges and can absorb aromas, moisture and flavors. Therefore, keeping it in a cool dark place in an airtight opaque container can help keep the taste and aromas safe. You can also freeze the beans, but it is best to put them in a Ziploc bag first to avoid burning in the freezer. While freezing isn't a good idea, it can be useful when you're running out of time or are traveling and would like to take some of your favorite coffee with you. Coffee beans frozen in the freezer aren't as fresh and have a less distinct flavor than beans stored in the refrigerator or pantry. It's best to use the beans as quickly as you can, but we don't always have that luxury. The proper storage of your coffee beans can prolong their shelf-life by up to three times if you keep them in a cold dark place in an airtight opaque container. If you decide to give the idea a go (be sure to follow the instructions above carefully) you may be amazed by how much better your coffee will taste compared to the dull, lifeless beans that rotted in the fridge or freezer.