How to Store Coffee Beans So They Actually Stay Fresh
Coffee doesn't spoil, it fades. Aromatic compounds escape and oils oxidize, and within a month an exciting bag becomes a merely acceptable one.
Four simple rules
Keep beans whole until the moment you brew. Ground coffee stales in hours, not weeks.
Store in an opaque, airtight container at stable room temperature, away from the stove and out of sunlight.
Buy in quantities you'll finish within three to four weeks of the roast date.
Never store your working bag in the fridge — the temperature swings pull moisture into the beans.
The freezer exception
Freezing works, but only if you do it properly: divide beans into single-dose airtight portions on the day they arrive, and grind straight from frozen without thawing.
Never refreeze a portion once it's been opened at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Maya Okonkwo
Head of Brewing
Former specialty café lead barista who now spends her mornings testing recipes on a very crowded kitchen counter.
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