Should Coffee Beans Be Aged? What Is the Resting Period? How Long Should It Last?

When purchasing coffee beans, you've likely heard baristas suggest that beans that are too fresh (right after roasting) should be rested before brewing for better flavor. So do coffee beans really need resting? If so, for how long? And how long can fresh coffee beans be stored? Today, FrontStreet Coffee will briefly discuss the art of bean resting.

Should Fresh Coffee Beans Be Rested?

The answer is: Yes.

Freshly roasted coffee beans actually carry aromas from the Maillard reaction, similar to popcorn, along with slight smoky notes. If ground and brewed immediately, these "unpleasant" flavors will transfer to the coffee. Additionally, freshly roasted beans contain large amounts of carbon dioxide, which acts as a barrier, hindering water from extracting flavor compounds from the coffee, resulting in insufficient or uneven extraction and poor flavor expression.

At the same time, we also recommend enjoying coffee beans immediately after receiving them. Why is this?

The aroma of freshly roasted coffee can be maintained for two to three weeks, with the best aroma expression and most intense flavor characteristics occurring between 8 to 25 days.

The purpose of resting beans is to allow the slow release of carbon dioxide, carrying away unpleasant odors produced during roasting. Meanwhile, the specific flavors of the coffee gradually develop. This timeframe is not fixed, making the resting duration somewhat variable. Starting to enjoy the beans shortly after receiving them allows you to experience the subtle daily flavor changes, truly understanding the difference between properly rested and insufficiently rested beans.

How to Determine if Beans Are Properly Rested

Since we can't taste the beans before brewing to determine if they're properly rested, what can we rely on to know the resting state?

During this time, we can use the bloom state during brewing to roughly determine if beans are properly rested. The purpose of blooming is to release carbon dioxide from the coffee grounds and saturate them for better extraction. When coffee grounds show a "hamburger-shaped" dome during blooming, it indicates higher carbon dioxide content and freshness. If the coffee bed doesn't change much during blooming without significant dome formation, it suggests the beans may not be very fresh.

Bloom of fresh beans (Roasted: 7.6)

Bloom of rested beans (Roasted: 6.18)

(Both coffees are 90+ Eleta, brewed on July 9th)

Of course, the bloom can only roughly help us observe the bean's state. Ultimately, only by tasting the specific flavors can we truly determine if the beans are properly rested.

Currently, nitrogen technology is also used to extend freshness time, which can maintain the release of coffee flavor compounds to some extent. This technology was initially developed to address bean freshness issues during ocean transport. Now, with the rise of specialty fresh-roasted coffee, rather than emphasizing preservation methods, wouldn't it be better to purchase fresh beans in small quantities and consume them quickly to better appreciate the coffee's flavors?

FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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