If you love coffee you may well be drinking a fine Arabica from Colombia. Afterall, if you want great coffee you need to start with great coffee beans. However, there are some additional issues to consider besides the source of your coffee. Coffee flavor and aroma are also dependent on how fresh your coffee is at the moment that you brew it. Making certain than your coffee did not sit in a warehouse for years before it was sold is important. For that issue we suggest that you contact us at BuyOrganicCoffee.org so that we can help you source your coffee from the most recent harvest on a Colombian coffee farm in the coffee growing axis, the Eje Cafetero
When Was Your Coffee Roasted?
Green coffee retains its freshness much longer then roasted coffee. If you buy roasted coffee you can expect to retain maximum freshness for ten to fourteen days. Think of that when are deciding how much coffee to buy so that you are not automatically sentencing yourself to stale coffee because you buy an “economy size” purchase. Getting coffee that was roasted in the USA versus in the country of origin helps and it helps more if you learn how to roast your own coffee and only brew what which you just roasted. Remember that properly stored green coffee retains its freshness for a couple of years. Thus, you will ideally want to learn how to roast your own coffee if maximum freshness to a level of perfection is your goal.
Preserving Flavor and Aroma of Coffee
Starting with the coffee that you purchased here are some times on retaining maximum freshness. You want to keep oxidation to a minimum with your coffee. To do this buy only whole bean coffee which has a lot less surface area exposed to the air than the same amount of ground coffee. Than store your beans away from heat and humidity. (Do not put the container in the cupboard next to or right above your stove!) In regard to whole bean versus ground coffee, do not grind your beans until right before you plan to make coffee.
Do Not Refrigerate Coffee Beans or Ground Coffee
Ideally, you want you coffee stored at lower temperature to keep freshness longer. The problem is that when you take cool or cold beans out of the freezer or frig moisture in the air will condense on them. Repeated temperature changes and excess moisture can also reduce flavor and aroma and even add other unwelcome odors. Ideally you want your coffee stored in a pantry away from heat and humidity where humidity and heat are low and stable. No matter what, use an air tight container for storage. And go with a container that does not let any light shine on the coffee beans.
Practical Tips for Storing Coffee
If you purchase your coffee in larger quantities it is a good idea to purchase several opaque, air tight containers as well. That way you are not constantly opening and closing a container and letting air and moisture mix with your beans. Putting dates on the containers to let you know which ones you should use first is also a good idea. Think in terms of one or two week quantities for your storage. Remember that the two year figure depend on a closed bag and ideal storage. The time of retained freshness goes down to something like six to twelve months providing that storage is ideal. With less than ideal storage the time gets shorter.
Should Maximum Coffee Freshness Be a Big Hassle?
None of us should be getting an ulcer trying to maximize coffee freshness and aroma. Take what you can from our advice. Start with a good Colombian Arabica and enjoy!