How to Store Specialty Coffee Beans? What Are the Correct Methods and Techniques for Storing Coffee Beans?

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

The Importance of Coffee Bean Freshness

To enjoy a cup of quality coffee, every step is crucial. FrontStreet Coffee often mentions the freshness of coffee beans, which is actually related to how they're stored. Chinese people emphasize freshness for anything that goes into their mouths, and coffee is no exception. Freshly ground coffee can better reduce flavor loss. Additionally, fresh roasting is another important aspect of coffee "freshness."

However, there's a saying that "extremes meet" - coffee beans that have been stored for too long don't taste good, and coffee beans that are too fresh also don't taste good. This is when we need to "rest the beans," which means quietly waiting for the coffee beans to release carbon dioxide naturally within their packaging for several days.

After selecting quality coffee beans, what's the next step for proper coffee bean storage?

Purchase Coffee Beans in Appropriate Quantities

To taste the best flavor of coffee, the best method is to buy fresh beans and store about one to two weeks' supply according to your usage habits. You might notice that if coffee beans aren't stored properly, you can taste flavor changes during brewing. However, if you store coffee beans properly, you can extend the time they maintain good flavor.

As coffee beans age, they don't necessarily show significant external changes, but the aroma of coffee beans, like their flavor, gradually fades over time. In past consumer understanding, dark-roasted coffee beans seemed to last longer because most of the flavor comes from the roasting process. This is also one of the reasons why commercial dark-roasted beans typically don't list roasting dates.

How to Properly Store Coffee Beans

1. Store in Sealed Containers

The best way to maintain coffee bean freshness and flavor is to store them in airtight containers, away from moisture, light, oxygen, and high temperatures.

2. Choose Packaging with One-Way Degassing Valves

Oxygen is the main culprit causing coffee bean deterioration, and this must be considered when selecting and evaluating various coffee bean storage products. Some people choose to poke a small hole in the coffee bean bag, which is indeed better than complete sealing, but the amount and speed of oxygen escape are limited. Additionally, the hole is a two-way channel, allowing external oxygen to enter the bag.

Reducing the air content in packaging is certainly an option, but only one-way degassing valves can reduce the oxygen content inside coffee bean packaging bags.

Additionally, it's worth noting that packaging with effective one-way degassing valves must be sealed to function properly; otherwise, oxygen can still enter the bag. Before sealing, you can gently squeeze out as much air as possible to reduce the gas space in the bag, which means less oxygen will come into contact with the coffee beans.

What Not to Do When Storing Coffee Beans

1. Don't Store Coffee Beans in the Refrigerator

You may have heard other suggestions, such as storing coffee beans in the refrigerator or freezer to extend freshness, but we don't recommend this (unless vacuum-sealing for longer-term storage). If you truly need long-term storage, it's best to portion the coffee into individual brewing amounts, then freeze them in an odor-free environment below -10°C. Each time, take out one portion to thaw, and use it only after it has completely returned to room temperature. Previously thawed coffee beans should not be refrozen, as this will damage flavor compounds.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that when coffee cools and then returns to room temperature, condensation occurs, causing small amounts of coffee substances to dissolve in the moisture. Besides the damage caused by humidity, coffee beans stored in the refrigerator or freezer will also absorb aromas and flavors from other foods in the refrigerator.

2. Grind Coffee Beans Fresh Before Brewing

Some people, for convenience, grind all their coffee beans into powder at once for easy access, but once coffee beans are ground, their aroma begins to rapidly dissipate into the air, greatly reducing the aroma of brewed coffee. The standard golden survival time for coffee grounds is only a few minutes. It's recommended to brew and extract immediately after grinding, otherwise preserve them in bean form! Grinding fresh before brewing is the best way to enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Unless you have products like nitrogen-flushed drip coffee bags that create a good nitrogen environment to exclude most oxygen, which can effectively inhibit oxidation or flavor loss.

FrontStreet Coffee's Storage Philosophy

FrontStreet Coffee has various perspectives on storing coffee, especially coffee beans. Generally speaking, the ideal way to maintain coffee bean freshness is to purchase multiple times, buying small amounts of fresh coffee beans each time, and ensuring they are consumed within a short period.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473