How do we store coffee correctly and efficiently?

Like most natural products, coffee can only be kept for a certain time. If you do it right, you can store wonderfully tasting coffee for quite more time rather if you don’t store it properly. Because coffee quickly loses its aroma and therefore its taste. To prevent this from happening to you, we have put together the most important points to consider when storing coffee.

There are several factors that negatively affect the taste and aroma of coffee. In general, oxygen, light, heat and other foods with strong odors should be kept away from the coffee beans. The aroma of the coffee comes from the oils of the beans, which oxidize at room temperature and can lead to a negative aftertaste. In addition, the coffee should be kept away from other foods, as it quickly absorbs other odorous substances. The refrigerator is just as taboo as the small pantry. However, you can of course use the coffee grounds to neutralize unpleasant odors. 

Whole Bean or Ground?

We generally recommend a storage temperature between 14 and 22 degrees Celsius for coffee and espresso beans. In addition, you should always make sure to purchase the coffee as a whole bean, as the fine aromas and ingredients remain bound in the bean. Ground coffee quickly loses its most important aromas and you only have half the taste experience in your cup. Not that great, is it?

The fresh coffee beans should only be ground shortly before consumption and, if anything remains, be stored in an odorless, opaque packaging. The countless aromas unfold during the grinding process, among other things, and the shorter the distance between this and the brewing of the coffee, the more intense the subsequent enjoyment will be.

An opaque ceramic jar with a rubber cover is the best option. This is the best way to keep moisture, light and heat out. If you follow these points, you can store the opened coffee for up to 8 weeks without any major loss of aroma. When the packaging is closed, the aroma remains for a long time. 

Storing coffee: this is how it works

Where do you put the open packaging and how do you actually store coffee properly? We got to the bottom of this question because after all, your “coffee choice” is important to us. Read here what you should know about the Go's and No-Go's when it comes to storing coffee beans and coffee powder.

Storing coffee correctly - a quick overview

• Store coffee as a whole bean to preserve the aroma
• Do not keep coffee in the refrigerator as it absorbs the smells of other foods
• Shield coffee from light, heat and moisture. Too much oxygen can also make coffee rancid
• Store in a cool, dark and dry place: It is best to use a special coffee storage jar

Learn how to store coffee

First of all, it is important to know the enemies of coffee. When it comes to storing coffee beans, that's half the battle. Contrary to expectations, it is not simply enough to put the torn coffee packaging in the corner next to the fully automatic coffee machine. Storing coffee is not that easy. Heat, oxygen, moisture, odorous and light are among the “natural enemies” of coffee. You should definitely keep this in mind when storing coffee. Especially if the roaster you trust is not right around the corner and you have therefore bought a large supply of coffee.

Never store coffee in the refrigerator

Lots of food is safe in the fridge, but coffee is definitely not one of them. In whatever form, coffee is known to absorb and store the aromas and smells of the environment. So if you want to remove unpleasant odors from the refrigerator, coffee or coffee grounds are ideal for this. However, if you still want to prepare the precious powder or beans, you should choose a different storage location. After all, who would want their coffee to taste like cheese?

Shield your coffee

Roasted coffee as a whole bean or as a powder is a fresh product and it should be treated that way. It is ideal if you shield it from external influences such as oxygen, moisture, heat and light. 

Less is more

Less is more with coffee too! If you buy less coffee but more regularly, you will definitely enjoy every single cup more. Therefore, our recommendation is to use the opened coffee within 4 to 6 weeks. 

But how do you store coffee properly?

First and foremost, coffee, in whatever form, should always be stored tightly closed in a dark, dry and cool place so as not to expose it to the natural enemies already mentioned. Special coffee storage jars are suitable for this, which in turn can be stored on the kitchen shelf, in a cupboard or in the pantry if the above criteria are met. Suitable accessories are essential when storing coffee!

Buy and store coffee beans

If you have a choice of whether to buy coffee powder or coffee beans, you definitely choose the coffee beans. There are two reasons for this: First, coffee beans stay fresh longer, because ground coffee quickly loses its taste. First of all, after two weeks the powder no longer gives off its full-bodied aroma. Second, it is definitely beneficial for freshness and taste to freshly ground coffee beans for each cup in a fully automatic coffee machine. Because the countless different aromas are only released during the grinding process. Therefore, no coffee is fresher than that from a fully automatic coffee machine that freshly grinds whole beans just before they are consumed. The ground coffee powder loses its aroma many times faster than whole coffee beans. The smell of fresh coffee that flows towards you when you open it for the first time will quickly evaporate.

Grind your coffee powder in portions

If you have a fully automatic coffee machine or portafilter, it is best to always grind your coffee fresh. And only as much as you need at that particular moment.

Transfer the coffee if necessary

Of course, it can still make sense to refill the fresh coffee, for example, if the original packaging cannot be closed airtight again. Tupperware is well suited for this, and if you want something more elegant, you can use ceramics.

But maybe you can freeze coffee?

Coffee lovers have been arguing about this for a long time. In fact, freezing can make the coffee last longer and result in less loss of flavour. But it's not the fine type of coffee.

Dry, dark and cool

This is how and where coffee is stored the best, a pantry, for example, is usually suitable for this. But it can also be a simple cupboard that is neither near a heater nor exposed to solar radiation.

Shelf life: how long can you store coffee beans?

When buying your coffee, pay attention to the packaging. If you want to store coffee after roasting, it must be able to outgas. The background: The CO2 produced in the roasting process escapes from the roasted coffee beans for up to 10-14 days (depending on the degree of roasting and type of coffee). The coffee practically "gasses".

As a fresh product, roasted coffee automatically loses its aroma over time. With ideal storage, the coffee can also be drunk after a period of 12 months. However, if you are looking for quality, you should consider that a freshly roasted coffee develops its best aroma around 5 days after roasting, which lasts for a maximum of 6-8 weeks.

How long does ground coffee stay fresh?

It depends on how you define this. Is the coffee freshly roasted or freshly ground? When the coffee beans come out of the roast, they are full of aromas. However, they taste best only after 4-5 days. Then they are outgassed and their aromas have fully developed.

If stored in a suitable coffee can, this aroma will last for up to six weeks. We, therefore, do not recommend ordering large supplies. Freshly ground coffee, on the other hand, loses its aromas relatively quickly, even in a suitable can. Since the surface of the powder particles is much larger than that of whole coffee beans, the oxidation of the oils and fats contained in the coffee powder is faster. You can clearly taste the loss after 2-3 weeks.