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Coffee Bean Selection and Storage: How to Read Coffee Packaging and Find Affordable, Great-Tasting Coffee Beans

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). Before brewing coffee, you must go through at least these 2 steps: selection and storage. When you purchase coffee beans from professional sources, you'll enjoy many additional benefits that come with quality beans. With proper storage, you'll experience all the flavors that these coffee beans have to offer. ● Are you sure you want to

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, for more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Before brewing coffee, you need to go through at least these two steps: selection and storage.

When you purchase coffee beans from professional establishments, you'll receive numerous additional benefits that come with the beans. Proper storage of coffee beans allows you to experience all the flavors that these beans have to offer.

Are You Sure About Buying Coffee Beans at the Supermarket?

Coffee is becoming increasingly integrated into people's daily lives, and many retail venues, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, have begun selling coffee beans. If you're just starting to explore coffee, these channels are good places to begin your coffee journey.

However, if you want to delve deeper into the richer world of coffee, professional coffee shops are the places you should go.

Coffee shops have knowledgeable baristas who understand coffee beans and can help you select beans based on your preferences.

Some shops even offer free tastings, allowing you to try before you buy and avoid purchasing beans you might not like.

Can You Read Coffee Packaging?

Product information and coffee bean packaging tell the complete story that a bag of coffee beans wants to convey. In recent years, the coffee industry has reached a consensus on "transparency and traceability" in coffee production.

On the packaging of some single-origin coffee beans, you'll "see" the efforts made by establishments: the specific country and estate where the beans were grown, the processing methods used, the final grading, and other details are clearly written on the packaging to help consumers understand.

Therefore, when selecting coffee beans, it's worth studying the information on the packaging, as it helps you better understand the beans.

In addition to origin information, the production date is also very important. Freshly roasted coffee beans undergo a "resting" process, so knowing the production date clearly helps you understand how to store them properly. It's best not to purchase too much at once - consuming the beans before their flavors dissipate is ideal.

On the other hand, the packaging bag you touch also has specific considerations. Coffee bean packaging bags need to provide both degassing and prevent aging. Currently, establishments typically use these two types of packaging to achieve this purpose.

Sealed Aluminum Foil Packaging

The packaging bag has three layers. After the coffee beans are placed inside, it's sealed, preventing air from entering. The packaging also features a one-way degassing valve used to expel carbon dioxide.

When unopened, the coffee beans inside the packaging don't age easily; after opening, the aging process of the beans accelerates.

This type of packaging cannot be recycled, but it performs well in maintaining freshness and reducing environmental impact, making it a choice for many coffee establishments.

Gas-Flushed Sealed Aluminum Foil Packaging

Another more advanced packaging option is gas-flushed sealed aluminum foil packaging bags. To eliminate oxygen from the packaging bag, coffee establishments fill nitrogen gas during the sealing process.

This practice slows down the aging process of coffee beans. However, due to the high cost of nitrogen equipment and the time required for gas flushing, fewer establishments currently use this method.

How to Store Coffee Beans

Roasted coffee beans face two problems: degassing and aging.

Freshly roasted coffee beans release large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), which weakens or masks the flavor of the beans.

Therefore, freshly roasted coffee beans are generally not ground and brewed immediately but undergo "resting." Resting means placing the coffee beans in a cool, open area for about four to seven days, waiting for all carbon dioxide to be released.

Meanwhile, coffee beans face the problem of "aging."

Opened coffee beans gradually age due to contact with moisture and oxygen, and aged coffee beans easily lose their flavor.

Therefore, pay attention to the production date and enjoy the beans at their optimal flavor time.

If you want to avoid the trouble of resting, you can try purchasing coffee beans that are about a week past their production date. At this time, the carbon dioxide has been completely released, and the flavor development is just right.

After opening, store coffee beans in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. Knowing how to select and store coffee beans is a form of respect for the beans themselves.

END FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee): A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse variety of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com