How to Store Coffee Beans

Nothing tastes better than a flavorful cup of coffee brewed from fresh ground beans. However, if you aren't storing your coffee beans properly before you grind them you could be losing a lot of the flavor - or worse, contaminating the flavor with other flavors. The key to a great cup of coffee every time is to be sure that you store your beans correctly. Here are some tips on how to store coffee beans.

The Two Worst Enemies of Coffee Beans

Coffee beans have two major enemies that quickly degrade the flavor of the beans and dilute the natural oils - air and moisture. No matter what storage method you choose for your beans you need to be sure that they are kept dry and sealed to keep them as fresh as possible.

The Best Way to Store Beans

The best way to store coffee beans is to seal them in an airtight container and put them in a cool, dark, dry place far away from any heat. Many beans come in bags with a zip closure at the top so you can close the bag after you scoop out the beans that you need. If you have beans like this take advantage of the ready-made seal and just zip it and store it.

If your bag doesn't seal, transfer the beans to a Zip-lock bag or another airtight container and then put them away in the cool, dark place.

Storing Beans in the Fridge or the Freezer?

A lot of people store their unused coffee beans in their fridge or freezer. There are some things you should know before you choose to go this route with your own bean, though.

First, storing coffee beans in the refrigerator is a bad idea, the reason being that the beans can easily pick up flavors from the other food in your fridge. Unless you like the subtle aftertaste of chopped onion in your coffee you'd be better off looking for a different storage method.

The freezer is a better choice for storing coffee beans, however it too is not without its problems. First of all, you should only freeze beans once. That means that once you take them out of the freezer you should not put them back in. When the coffee beans are removed from the freezer condensation forms on them. This water can be absorbed back into the bean and degrade the flavor. Only use the freezer for long term storage and don't re-freeze beans once you take them out of the freezer.

Only Buy What You Need

If you really want to get the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee your best bet is to just buy as much coffee as you need at a time. After roasting coffee beans quickly start to lose their flavor and the longer they sit around the less tasty they will be. You're best bet is to buy just as much coffee as you will use in about a week and then buy more when you need it rather than storing beans longterm.

However, buying in bulk is often more economical and can save a lot of trips to the store. If you do decide to buy coffee in bulk be sure to follow the tips from this article and you should be able to keep your coffee tasting as fresh as possible.