Geymsla og ferskleiki

"We think of coffee almost like produce, it should be acquired fresh, stored properly and used within a short period of time for best results."
COFFEE FRESHNESS WHOLE BEAN STORAGE
| COFFEE FRESHNESS |

We all grew up seeing the red can in the cupboard, the comforting aroma that filled the kitchen every time its seal was lifted, and the brown crystals inside that magically changed our parents into functioning human beings. For most people, coffee is considered more akin to a canned good than a perishable item with a shelf life.

While it is true that coffee does not go "bad" in the sense of being unsafe to consume, it does have a shelf life that should be adhered to. We think of coffee almost like produce. It should be acquired fresh, stored properly and used within a short period of time for best results.

Why, you say? Simple. Coffee goes stale fairly quickly, and requires proper handling. Once it is roasted, several chemical processes occur that make it susceptible to staling. Firstly, there are gases inside, such as carbon dioxide, that are produced during roasting and will start to evaporate over time. To make matters worse, a number of aromatic compounds (tasty flavor molecules) adhered themselves to these gases during roasting and will disappear with the carbon dioxide. No matter how you store your coffee, these gases will almost completely disperse within about two weeks, and in order to brew the tastiest coffee, you should use it all within that time. Remember that exposure to heat and light will cause these gases to be released much more quickly.

Secondly, coffee needs an airtight container to protect it from the environment. If it is exposed to other flavors or weird smells, it can absorb them and ruin your coffee. If it is stored in a humid environment, condensation can form on the outside of the coffee and ruin your coffee.

And finally, coffee has oils. As we know with common household oils like butter or olive oil, they need to be stored properly so that they don't go rancid. Over time, the oils in coffee will migrate to the outside of the bean, making them more susceptible to rancidification. In order to avoid this, airtight containers are best for keeping oxygen away.

If you typically buy pre-ground coffee, think again. Whole bean coffee is like a force-field of freshness, once broken it becomes vulnerable. This is because grinding exposes exponential surface area to oxygen (remember those oils we talked about) and it breaks open the cell walls that trap carbon dioxide and aromatic compounds allowing them to escape quite rapidly. Within a few minutes, almost all of these aromatic compounds will have disappeared and the oils in the coffee becomes ever vulnerable to oxygen. Brewing coffee that is ground any more than a few minutes in advance will only produce a cup that has only a fraction of flavor.

| WHOLE BEAN STORAGE |

While the fridge and freezer may be great for keeping meat and veggies fresh, it can actually be more hurtful than helpful in preserving coffee's freshness. A coffee bean is almost as porous as a sponge, which means it will absorb any weird or off flavor lingering in your fridge. It will also be exposed to condensation as the moisture trapped inside will form on the outside of the bean and cause the staling process to accelerate.

Air, light, heat and moisture are coffee's natural enemies, and exposure to them can speed up the staling process, losing those flavors and aromas that make your coffee so tasty. We think that the kitchen cupboard is perfect for storing coffee.

Storing whole bean coffee in a dark, airtight container at room temperature can make sure your coffee stays fresh for up to two weeks.