Coffee Storage 101

Customers are constantly asking us whether they should store their coffee in a fridge or freezer, or if their coffee is going to get spoilt in the summer heat. If you’re amongst the large group of coffee lovers curious about the best ways to store your coffee, we’re hoping this piece has all your queries covered (and if you have more questions after reading this article, just email us at getcoffee@bluetokaicoffee.com)!

General tips -

All coffee begins to lose freshness immediately after roasting. If you’d like to consume your coffee while it still retains its unique flavour profile and aroma, you should buy only what you’ll consume over a 3 week period, and make sure the coffee you’re getting is freshly roasted. It is the simplest solution to buying a lot of coffee and then worrying about ways of storing it past its shelf life.

To preserve the flavour of your freshly roasted coffee, store your beans or ground coffee in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. Avoid storing your coffee in places where it gets too hot (for example, the cabinet near an oven or microwave). Also, do not store your coffee in a fridge or freezer (you can find out why below). The pouches you receive your coffee in are ideal for storage, but please remember to seal them properly and keep them in a cool, dry place.

Seal your pouches to ensure no air gets in

What kind of container should you store your coffee in?

We suggest that you store your coffee in an air-tight container. A lot of people do not recommend a clear container because it allows sunlight to enter which makes the coffee stale, takes away aroma and flavour, and also minimizes the effects of other compounds. However, the key point to keep in mind is that the container should be air-tight because the oxygen from the air will degrade the coffee, causing the brewed coffee to be bland and flat.  

Clear, air tight containers should be stored away from heat and sunlight

Breaking the Fridge myth -

We all know that it gets very hot in India and the go-to solution to preserve any perishable item is to store it in the fridge. However, contrary to popular belief, storing your coffee in the fridge or freezer does not extend its shelf life. In fact, it makes your coffee go stale earlier because moisture accumulates on the beans or powder every time you take the bag out of the fridge/freezer and then place it back in. These droplets of water are coffee’s worst enemy because they deteriorate the quality of the coffee.

Condensation forms on the beans once you take them out of the fridge

Another fun fact about coffee is that it absorbs the odors and tastes from its environment -  so be warned that your coffee may end up smelling like the items in your fridge if you leave it in for too long.

If you’re absolutely set on going the freezer way, you should consider storing individual servings of coffee so that only the required amount is exposed to air and moisture and the remaining coffee is sealed to prevent any condensation from taking place.