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Why Should Coffee Beans Be Cured? How Long Should Espresso and Pour-Over Coffee Beans Be Cured?

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, In earlier days, coffee culture had not yet become as widespread as it is today in China, with only a few scattered coffee shops operating domestically, let alone coffee bean roasters. Therefore, during that time, people who wanted to make coffee at home could only go to supermarkets to purchase nitrogen-filled or vacuum-packaged coffee beans.

The Evolution of Coffee Culture and Bean Freshness

Earlier times, when coffee culture had not yet become widespread as it is today, coffee shops established domestically were only sporadic, not to mention coffee bean roasters. Therefore, if people wanted to make coffee at home back then, they could only go to supermarkets to purchase nitrogen-filled or vacuum-packaged coffee beans. The production date of these beans often exceeded more than two months. Although they hadn't expired, we can imagine what kind of flavor beans that have been sitting for two months would have.

Fast forward to today's era of explosive growth in the coffee industry, where on bustling streets, specialty coffee shops seem to occupy every storefront, and small private coffee roasting establishments are increasingly numerous. This inevitably makes us feel that people have been deeply influenced by coffee culture. Consequently, everyone began to pay attention to the freshness of coffee beans, no longer purchasing beans with production dates that are too long ago.

The reason is simple: freshly roasted coffee beans possess richer, more layered flavors. But a problem arises: while people pursue fresh coffee beans, they also demand that they aren't too fresh???

"What! These are freshly roasted beans? No! Let them rest for a few days, I'll drink them in a few days~" What negative factors do overly fresh coffee beans have? Poor flavor: Freshly roasted coffee beans contain large amounts of carbon dioxide, which hinders hot water from extracting the aromatic substances within the beans. When fewer aromatic compounds are extracted, the cup of coffee won't offer much layered experience! Harsh sensation: The "harsh sensation" mentioned here refers to the drinking experience. After finishing your coffee, there might be an uncomfortable residue in your mouth and throat, similar to a choked, dry negative feeling. This is caused by the residual roasting aroma in the beans mixing with the coffee.

The Solution: Bean Resting

So how should we handle this? "Bean resting" is the best choice for addressing these two problems! When we receive purchased beans, the first thing to do is check their roasting date (which is also the production date). If they were roasted very recently, it's best not to open the packaging immediately. Instead, let them rest for several days for bean resting—5-7 days from the roasting date is ideal (suitable for both pour-over and espresso).

This is because coffee beans release large amounts of gas in the period immediately after roasting. When most of the gas has been released, we can then proceed with brewing. This not only eliminates the harsh sensation but also makes it easier to extract the aromatic compounds from the coffee, resulting in coffee with fuller, richer flavors!

When You Can't Wait: Brewing Fresh Beans

If you're impatient and want to immediately brew a pot of fresh coffee, what should you do? If you're a beginner, FrontStreet Coffee also recommends brewing a cup using regular methods when the beans are freshly roasted, to have a small taste of the "flavor" of fresh beans. If you simply want to satisfy your cravings, you might want to try this~ "Pre-grinding": The reason why the flavor of drip bag coffee isn't prominent is because after grinding, coffee particles release gas extensively. By the time you complete all your steps, most of the aroma has already disappeared! Therefore, when you want to use fresh coffee beans to make coffee, consider letting the grounds sit for 30-60 seconds after grinding. This can effectively reduce the harsh sensation caused by fresh roasting!

Extend the bloom time: The main purpose of blooming is to release carbon dioxide from the coffee beans, paving the way for better extraction during subsequent brewing. Therefore, we only need to extend the bloom time by a few seconds to release more gas, which can reduce the extraction impact caused by the gases.