You know that delicious aroma of roasted coffee? From the moment you open the packet, the countdown begins, leading inevitably to the loss of good aromas and the arrival of bad ones. But preserving it is not impossible. Here you will find tips on how to preserve coffee and maximise its freshness.
how to preserve coffee
Photo by Darina Belonogova
Away from light and heat
Like many other foods, roasted coffee should not be exposed to direct sources of light and heat. This rule applies to coffee beans and even more so to ground coffee, which will lose quality more quickly. Therefore, store it in a dry, dark place and avoid sudden changes in heat.
I recommend: a sheltered corner of the cupboard
Avoid: the cupboard above the hob and transparent containers.
storing coffee
Photo by cottonbro
Forget the fridge
Think: when you pour a little water over ground coffee, what happens? The water is easily absorbed. If you put the coffee in the fridge, even though the jar is closed, the coffee powder will act as a sponge, absorbing moisture and bad smells.
Tip: Take advantage of coffee’s ability to capture bad odours by using some old coffee as an odour absorber for the fridge.
Avoid: all glass jars with metal caps because they always leak a little if they are not brand new.
Use a vacuum
More than light, heat and humidity, air is the real enemy of roasted coffee. But if you have bought coffee beans, there is a very simple way to prolong its freshness and that is to use a vacuum. Sucking in the air and hermetically sealing the container stops the coffee from going rancid over time.
Tip: always label your vacuum-packed coffee with the name, type of coffee and date.
Avoid: keeping it for more than 6 months.
coffee shelf life
Photo by cottonbro
Coffee is a delicate product that needs to be freshly roasted to be enjoyed at its best. Our final tip is to always buy the right amount of coffee to avoid it sitting too long in the pantry, and to prefer coffee beans, because they keep longer. We will soon be going into more detail on this subject on our blog.
