Coffee culture

How Long Should Ground Coffee Be Stored? How to Tell if Coffee Is Fresh or Not

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee discusses that many friends who are new to coffee, don't understand coffee, or are just starting to experience pure coffee, will directly buy ground coffee when purchasing coffee. This may seem much more convenient, but it's important to know that buying large amounts of ground coffee but not being able to finish it will damage the coffee's flavor.

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

FrontStreet Coffee would like to talk about many friends who are new to coffee, don't understand coffee, or have just started drinking original flavor coffee. When buying coffee, they directly purchase pre-ground coffee powder.

This may seem convenient, but you should know that buying large amounts of coffee powder that you can't finish is extremely detrimental to the coffee's flavor.

First, after coffee beans are ground into powder, their surface area in contact with air increases dramatically, leading to very rapid oxidation.

Then the coffee's freshness quickly disappears completely, and the original rich flavor of the coffee gradually fades away.

You should know that freshly roasted coffee beans ground into powder will have completely changed flavor within two to three days.

If you're not just drinking a caffeinated beverage, but want to taste the rich coffee that represents the true spirit of coffee, then we suggest not buying pre-ground coffee directly. Unless you can consume it quickly within one or two days, otherwise, buy coffee beans and a grinder, and grind the beans right before brewing.

How to distinguish between fresh and stale coffee?

Before opening the package, first smell the degassing valve of the coffee bag. Good coffee has a fresh coffee aroma, while bad coffee may have various unpleasant odors, mostly that burnt smell. However, those who sell such coffee will generally deceive consumers, elegantly calling it: "that's just how coffee is supposed to taste."

After opening the package, observe the color and particles of the coffee powder. Generally, good coffee powder has uniformly sized particles and consistent color; bad coffee powder either has uneven particle sizes or inconsistent colors, some black, some yellow, etc.

Good coffee tastes smooth, not astringent, with an easily acceptable fruity acidity, and the aroma rushes straight to your brain after drinking. Bad coffee is difficult to drink - some is astringent, some too sour, and some are simply indescribably hard to swallow. None of these are good coffee.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473

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