How to Store Bagged Coffee Beans? Never Expose Coffee Beans to Direct Sunlight in Transparent Airtight Containers!

The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Storing Coffee Beans

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"Buying a grinder is better than buying a package of premium coffee powder." suggests Lin Zhehao, a certified appraiser from the International Coffee Quality Institute. He recommends that coffee enthusiasts buy roasted coffee beans to store at home and grind them fresh for brewing - it's best to keep the storage period as short as possible.

Three factors affect coffee bean storage: temperature, humidity, and oxidation rate. Lin Zhehao suggests that to enjoy good coffee, it's best to buy freshly roasted coffee beans. The period from one week to two weeks after roasting will be the optimal tasting time for coffee. At most, store them for one month - the longer they are stored, the more likely they will oxidize and lose flavor, or even develop a rancid taste, making the flavor relatively less enjoyable.

NG Practice 1: Storing coffee beans in transparent sealed containers exposed to light

Freshly roasted beans must be stored in a cool place. The aromatic molecules in ground coffee easily evaporate, and the storage length of coffee depends on packaging technology. Currently common packaging includes sealed bags or bags with one-way degassing valves. One-way degassing bags can better slow down oxidation. Similarly, some people are accustomed to storing coffee beans in sealed containers - opaque containers are better than transparent ones, as they can avoid light exposure and slow down the volatilization of aromatic compounds and oxidation rate.

NG Practice 2: Storing coffee beans in the refrigerator to prevent mold

Additionally, coffee beans should never be stored in the refrigerator, whether refrigerated or frozen. The reason is that when you take coffee beans out of the relatively low-temperature refrigerator, there's a temperature difference between the room temperature and the bag's interior, causing moisture to condense on the bag's surface. When opened, this moisture will enter again, and putting it back in the refrigerator will actually cause it to become damp. If you must store in the refrigerator, it's best to divide into portions, with each package containing only the amount for one use.

NG Practice 3: Buying beans that smell rancid

To determine if coffee beans stored in a coffee shop are fresh, you can check if there's a layer of oil attached to the appearance of transparent containers. Deep-roasted coffee beans will have an oily sheen, which will dry out over time, while light-roasted coffee is the opposite - oil will emerge over time. Coffee with a rancid smell also indicates it has been stored for too long.

Additionally, the freshness of coffee beans can be observed during pour-over brewing: relatively stale coffee will have fewer bubbles during brewing, and the coffee grounds will sink downward. This is because the carbon dioxide in the beans evaporates faster after grinding, oxidation rate increases, and the structure changes, resulting in relatively few bubbles when water is added. This collapse is more easily visible in ground filter bag coffee.

From post-processing to transportation and storage, high-temperature and humid environments are breeding grounds for Ochratoxin A. This also occurs during the import transportation of corn and soybeans. Han Huaizong, author of "Coffee Science," emphasizes: "You can't see Ochratoxin A on coffee, but the toxin is what mold growth metabolizes. Eating mold won't be lethal." Most commercial coffee green beans are transported from Central America to Japan for storage and shipping, then to Taiwan, taking about two to three months. If stored near motors at the bottom of ship cabins where temperatures are higher, Ochratoxin A is more likely to develop. Even if transportation is problem-free, stacking in warehouses during summer can easily lead to moisture absorption.

To purchase reliable coffee beans, you can find shops within your living area and communicate with owners of home-roasting businesses. Taiwan's density of home-roasting cafes is among the highest in the world, making it relatively convenient to choose freshly roasted coffee beans. "Compared to foreign mass-roasting manufacturers importing packaged coffee beans, small-scale roasters provide beans with higher turnover rates, making them fresher," says Lin Zhehao.

Tips for Storing Coffee Beans:

1. Choose small packages when purchasing - don't stockpile beans. Drink as much as you buy, and try to accelerate turnover.
2. The storage period for roasted coffee beans should not exceed one month.
3. Storing in bags with one-way degassing valves is better than in compressed containers. You can choose opaque containers and place them in a cool place.
4. If you must store in the refrigerator, please divide into separate small bags, with each containing only the amount for one serving.

Glossary

Ochratoxin A

It is a secondary metabolite secreted by Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi, possessing nephrotoxicity, immunosuppressive properties, and carcinogenicity, classified as a Group 2B carcinogen. The Food and Drug Administration, under Order No. 1021350146, amended the limit standards for mycotoxins in food, setting the limit standard for Ochratoxin A in roasted coffee beans and coffee powder at 5 ppb or below, consistent with the Codex Alimentarius Commission, European Union, and China. To safeguard public food safety, the FDA tested 87 samples of roasted coffee beans and coffee powder from January to July 2015, finding no Ochratoxin A exceeding standards, all meeting regulations.

Recommended Bagged Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's freshly roasted single-origin bagged coffee beans offer full assurance in both brand and quality, suitable for brewing with various equipment. More importantly, they offer extremely high value-for-money. A half-pound (227g) bag costs only around 80-90 RMB. Calculating based on 200ml per cup of single-origin coffee with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, one package can produce 15 cups of specialty coffee, with each cup costing only 5-6 RMB. Compared to coffee shops selling cups for dozens of RMB, this represents excellent value-for-money.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473