store coffee

A lot of factors go into making a delicious cup of coffee, but without a doubt, the quality of your coffee beans will matter the most.


“Quality” refers to more than how aromatic or expensive your beans are when you buy them, too. Each time you scoop beans into your grinder, they should have almost the same level of quality as when you first bought them. That means that, in addition to buying high-quality beans, you must learn how to store your beans properly to preserve that quality.


Here are some tips for how to store coffee beans so that they stay fresh and make a rich, memorable cup of coffee every time.


Beware the Big Four: Air, Moisture, Light and Heat


Everything in the world decomposes, just at different rates. Living things like our skin cells work against this process by replacing damaged cells and attacking decomposing invaders with our immune systems. Non-living things don’t have this luxury. Even well-preserved organic materials like roasted coffee beans have a shelf life, and they will eventually decompose and “go bad.”


You can delay this process by keeping your coffee beans away from things that break them down. The biggest culprits for decomposition are:


● Air: Oxygen tends to damage substances and gradually make them more acidic


● Moisture: Bacteria, mold and fungus has a much more difficult time growing on dry surfaces


● Heat: Heat speeds up the breakdown process, especially if air and moisture are around


● Light: The sun’s rays ca


use decomposition and “bleach” out compounds we like in our beans, making them less flavorful

So, to work against decomposition, you are going to have to keep them away from air, moisture, heat and light. Find an airtight, non-see-through container to store your beans in. Put them in as cool and as dry of a place as possible.


Don’t Buy Too Many Gourmet Coffee Beans at a Time


Keeping your beans away from the big four decomposers will only delay their breakdown, not prevent it entirely. The best solution is to buy a reasonable number of beans and to avoid opening them from their sealed packaging until you are completely out of the old beans.


Not only will this practice prevent your beans from going stale, but it also ensures that the beans you get have been roasted more recently, creating bigger and bolder flavors.


To Freeze or Not to Freeze?


Freezing your beans can delay the breakdown process, but your beans can also slightly change their chemical makeup as the small amounts of water inside of them crystallize and freeze. Even more worrisome is the fact that pulling out frozen beans into a warmer room will cause condensation to form on them.


With all this in mind, only freeze beans if you think you bought too much to use within the next 10-14 days. When you remove the beans from the freezer, quickly take out the exact amount you need and grind them before condensation can form, placing the remainder back in the freezer.


Now That You Know How to Store Coffee Beans, Make Sure to Buy the Best Beans


Storing your coffee beans the right way won’t suddenly make that supermarket coffee delicious. You need quality-sourced gourmet beans to have a truly amazing cup of coffee. You can order gourmet coffee beans for yourself, for the office or as a gift by placing an order with Martinez Fine Coffees today!