How to Store Your Coffee
So you just bought a bag of That Dog’ll Hunt Coffee and you know that coffee doesn’t last forever. So you want to make sure you are storing it correctly to get the best bang for your buck. You want that dog to hunt for as long as possible.
Why Do Coffee Beans Need Proper Storage?
Although coffee beans might last a long time, the flavors and aroma have a much shorter lifespan. It’s often said that whole bean coffee lasts about 30 days if stored properly (once ground, noticeable changes occur within only 15 minutes). We typically try to consume within a few weeks after the roast date. However, this time-period is reduced when coffee comes in contact with one of the four primary enemies of fresh roasted coffee: oxygen, moisture, light, and temperature.
Oxygen
When metals and organic matter come in contact with oxygen, molecular changes happen (oxidation). It’s what happens when you cut open an apple for your kid, and they decide they don’t want it, and it turns brown on the kitchen table. It’s what happens when you were a kid and you left your bike out in the rain and parts of it rusted. Although the color doesn’t change for coffee, the result of oxidation is staling. Brewing stale coffee isn’t going to hurt you, but it will taste kind of bready or cardboardy.
Moisture
Moisture (hydrolysis) is more of a frenemy, since you do need it to actually get a cup of coffee. But you don’t want your coffee starting to brew before you actually want to drink it. Since there is moisture in the air, proper storage is important.
Light
Direct sunlight can cause roasted coffee beans to stale more quickly. Direct light both increases the internal temperature of coffee beans and increases the chemical activity on the outside of coffee beans.
Temperature
This truly is a factor that is often forgotten, but it remains a fact that temperature affects the rate at which coffee stales. This happens chemically, in that higher temperatures increase the rate at which chemical reactions occur, and physically, in that temperature affects the rate at which the degassing process occurs.
How Should Coffee Be Stored?
When storing fresh roasted coffee, the four enemies we acknowledged above (oxygen, moisture, light, and temperature) must be considered.
If you plan to drink your coffee within a few weeks, the That Dog’ll Hunt Coffee bag will work just fine. It’s got a one-way valve that lets gases escape without letting oxygen inside. Its matte black laminate material keeps out moisture and light. Put it outside of direct light and away from hot surfaces and you’ve got it made. Make sure to reseal and force out air after opening each time.
If your coffee lasts you longer than a few weeks, or you just want to ensure you have the best taste possible, then we suggest storing it in an airtight container. There are a number of containers created specifically for storing whole bean coffee. One of our favorites is the Fellow Atmos Vacuum Canister. It comes in Matte Black, Matte White, or Glass in 3 different sizes. You simply twist the lid back and forth to vacuum all the air out, reducing the possibility for oxidation. If you store in a clear canister, we suggest keeping it out of direct sunlight.
What About Long-Term Storage?
Let’s say one of your relatives, who doesn’t know much about whole bean coffee, bought you an entire year’s worth of That Dog’ll Hunt Coffee. You know or now know that coffee flavors and aromas aren’t going to last that long. In this or similar scenarios, we suggest leveraging your freezer.
Freezing coffee is a much debated topic. In our experience, we definitely see a degradation in flavor and aroma when coffee is stored in a freezer, but the loss is much less significant when compared to coffee that is simple left in a bag at room temperature for months on end.
If you do decide to freeze coffee, it is important to use an airtight bag. Although it is more tedious, it’s probably best to portion the coffee out into ziplock bags (some people even wrap aluminum foil around the bag, which works as a barrier to other gases in the freezer), as freezing coffee beans more than once quickens the degradation process, bringing about quicker staling. However you do so, it is important to let the entire bag cool down to room temperature before grinding the beans–this helps keep condensation at bay.
Life is too short for crappy coffee.
Keep the four enemies of fresh roasted coffee in mind, so that you’ll be able to say “That Dog’ll Hunt” for as long as possible. If you plan to consume your coffee quickly, coffee bags that are resealable and have a one-way valve will work just fine. If you want to be extra cautious or won’t drink it as quickly, look into an airtight container that removes oxygen. If you’ve got lots of coffee and need a long-term storage option, consider using the freezer.