Storing Ground Coffee for Maximum Freshness

goldenyears · Senior Member

hand coffee grinders

Pamela G · Senior Member

We get our beens ground at home and then vacuum seal them into smaller quantities , they keep fresh for a year at a time. We always buy beans from the Coffee works Mareeba straight from the grower freshly roasted. If you have beans they suggest to keep them in the freezer. Ground coffee is ok at room temperature.

goldenyears · Senior Member

yes great idea pam thanks for that ......... much better alternative .

Santa · Guru

goldenyears wrote:
looking at buying a quality hand coffee grinder many around preferably stainless steel .. can anyone recommend any ? don't want to take an electric one away with us .
something small compact etc .

Morning GY, some info below on storing coffee from this site http://www.mycuppa.com.au/storing-coffee the fridge or freezer is not the place to store coffee, ground or whole beans, for reasons explained in the article.

Freshly roasted beans from a specialty roaster, stored properly and ground just prior to brewing will ensure good results every time.

The hand grinders listed here have a good reputation http://dibartoli.com.au/hand-coffee-grinders/?sort=priceasc there are other retailers that also stock the same brands, so, shop around for price.

Yes! I know a bit about coffee, been roasting my own beans weekly for almost 10 years.

The enemies of Fresh Coffee

Oxygen, Heat, Light and Moisture - not necessarily in any order.

Containers used for coffee storage should be preferably non-absorbant, e.g. metal and ceramic are the best, followed by glass and only just a small number of plastics - many plastics in use today absorb the aromatics and volatile compounds, but it's OK for a short time, e.g. say up to 2 weeks.

Containers should be air-tight.

Allowing CO2 to exhaust is not important. The reason that coffee bags contain 1-way pressure activated valves is to prevent the abnormal levels of CO2 from very fresh roasted coffee from expanding and exploding the bag.

Where to place the container

Away from heat, light and changing temperatures. We like the bottom of a pantry or a cupboard that kept relative constant in temperate, a cool area that stays between 15 -25 degrees is best, particularly if you live north of Sydney.

For many of our customers living in warm climates, keeping your coffee beans in an esky is ideal.

Never place coffee in the fridge - fridges have all sorts of moist vapours and aromas that are transferred into coffee. The act of taking a coffee container out of the fridge and placing it on the kitchen bench for just a few minutes will cause small microbeads of moisture to develop on coffee - more so in ground coffee (100 times worse).

What about the Freezer ?

Well, back in 2008 we ran tests over a 10-month period with 10x 250g packs of coffee. These packs were heat-sealed in the same way you receive your packs from coffee suppliers and the packs were not opened - but placed fresh in the freezer within 4 days from the Roast Date.

Each month, we removed a pack from the freezer, allowed the pack to thaw over 16 hours and then opened, poured into a grinder and made espresso shots.

Bottom line is that we did'nt enjoy the coffee - even Month 1 and Month 2 packs of coffee were not nice.

By the time we got to Month 6, it was not a task we were particularly enjoying. Yes, we could get crema from the espresso shots by setting the grinder quite fine, but the aromatics were almost gone and flavour was quite flat and generally lifeless.

Bear in mind, we are used to super-fresh premium coffee, so anything else that has aged or had it's cell structure altered by freezing is always going to be a struggle.

Our view is DO NOT freeze coffee - use it or give it away.

Zip-Lock Coffee Pouches

We often have customers asking us to pack coffee into zip-lock coffee bags.

Unfortunately, zip locks coffee bags do not provide an effective barrier protection for the roasted coffee and we believe the quality of the coffee will degrade faster in a zip-lock bag compared to an air-tight jar or tin.

First and foremost, the issue we are dealing with here is not just a method to control oxygen exposure like you would in many other food items.

Coffee is more complex and it has far more volatile compounds compared to say buscuits, crackers or fruit.

Coffee bags contain 3 layers - inner and outer poly layers with an essential metal layer in the middle that performs the critical barrier protection.

Without the metal layer, coffee would degrade very quickly.

Zip locks are made of plastic. The type of plastic that enable a chemical process called effusion to occur. The simple explanation is that compounds from coffee will "leach" through the open holes in plastic.

An example of this is........try storing fresh coffee in a plastic container. The aroma quickly disappears because it is absorbed and passes through the plastic.

Zip locks also do not provide effective oxygen seals.

So, in summary - zip locks are prone to degrade coffee and for this reason we do not use this type of coffee bag.

Zip locks are only intended for short-term convenience - a couple of days.

How Long should we keep packs of Coffee ?

A topic of furious debate amongst all coffee experts - and of course those that are not experts but have strong opinions.

We believe coffee should be used within 45 days of recieving the packs. Ideally, this should be within 30 days.

There are quite a few people out there spruiking that coffee is useless after 14 days - that bit of information is utter nonsense.

Most coffees we roast take around 7 - 14 days post-roast to properly develop. In fact, I prefer the coffee when it's about Day 16.

We keep control samples from every batch of coffee and I regularly open up coffee that is 35 days old and can pull amazing shots with the beans.

Hope this information has been useful in providing guidelines that help you enjoy your coffee.

goldenyears · Senior Member

santa big help thanks for the info .....

goldenyears · Senior Member

Other Popular Coffee Myths Exposed. found this also ?

- Grind all beans before storing
  Absolutely wrong!. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving!

Vacuum-sealed packaging equals fresh coffee.
Again, absolutely wrong. The coffee roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a gas by-product, specifically carbon dioxide. This gas release process continues for several days after roasting. In order to be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its COÂ² or it will burst the bag, which means that it must sit around for several days before it can be packaged and shipped. This sitting around begins to rob the coffee of its freshness. Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee. The best method for packaging and shipping is in valve-sealed bags. The valve allows the carbon
dioxide gasses and moisture to escape but doesnât allow oxygen or moisture in. Therefore, the fresh roasted coffee beans can be packaged and shipped immediately after roasting, ensuring the coffeeâs freshness and taste.

A quick review for storing your gourmet coffee

- Buy fresh roasted, whole bean coffee directly from a coffee roaster if possible

- Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed

- Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place

Grind your beans just before brewing

goldenyears · Senior Member

The more research the more confusing

Storing Ground Coffee for Maximum Freshness

In another article, we discussed the storage of coffee in general. In that article, we mainly focused on the storage of whole green beans and whole roasted beans, but touched only briefly on the storage of ground coffee. Because many people use pre-ground coffee either purchased in vacuum-sealed cans, or ground at the supermarket - we thought it useful to devote an article to the proper storage of ground coffee.

It is rather interesting that so many people have used so much ground coffee for so many years, and there is no universally understood (i.e., known) method for the best storage of ground coffee. Many people dont think about it at all (and they usually drink dried-out and/or stale coffee), and have merely become accustomed to the lackluster flavor of improperly stored coffee.

Ironically, many others take real pains to store their coffee in unusual ways (based on strange theories) that are also wrong, and that can damage the coffee just as much as taking no pains at all. We want to address a few fundamentals here, and then explain the best basic ways to store ground coffee.

It should come as no surprise that the main thing that damages ground coffee is prolonged exposure to air. This is why factory-ground coffee is vacuum-sealed. Air works to damage coffee via two different mechanisms.

The first is the absorbtion of moisture out of the air. The second is the loss of moisture into the air. And of course, high temperature accelerates both mechanisms. The best way to store ground coffee is to store it in ways that avoid both mechanisms (i.e., that hold coffee in equilibrium) and to avoid high temperatures. Simply freezing it is also a bad idea, if this is all that you do.

Vacuum Sealing & Freezing

By far, the best thing that you can do to keep ground coffee fresh is to vacuum-seal it. Vacuum sealing equipment is now inexpensive, and is available today in any department or appliance store. These vacuum sealers use FoodSaver bags (which are sold in rolls), and many of them also come with special canisters that you can use with them.

A good way to use these two types of containers is to vacuum pack the ground coffee in a FoodSaver bag if you are goingf to freeze it, and to use the FoodSaver canisters for pantry storage.

If you intend to freeze the coffee for longer-term storage, you may leave the coffee in its original packaging, and place multiple such packages into a FoodSaver bag. Vacuum seal it, leaving about an inch at the end of the bag to allow for opening and resealing of the bag. (Alternatively, you can pour the ground coffee out of its original packaging directly into a FoodSaver bag.) In either case, vacuum seal the bag, and then store it in the freezer.

If you do not intend to store the ground coffee for a very long time, then there is no reason to freeze it. Instead, to store the coffee in the pantry, pour it out of its original packaging into a FoodSaver Canister. Then vacuum seal the canister, it and store it in the pantry. Ideally, the pantry should be cool (at or below room temperature), and if the canister is clear, then the pantry should be dark.

As a rule of thumb, frozen ground coffee can last and keep its freshness for up to two years if the coffee has been vacuum-sealed, but not more than six months if it has not. And when not frozen (e.g., for in-pantry storage), vacuum-sealed coffee can keep its freshness for five to six months. But if the coffee has not been vacuum sealed, it will not keep fresh for more than a month.

So vacuum sealing will prolong the life of the coffee by a factor of 4-5X, and freezing it (after vacuum sealing it) will extend its lifetime by another factor of 4-5X. But it is not a good idea to freeze the coffee without vacuum sealing it first.

This is because moisture inside your freezer can permeate the coffee and crystallize, thereby imparting various freezer odors to the coffee when it is eventually used. Interestingly, when not vacuum sealing, whole roasted coffee beans will suffer from freezing more than ground coffee, because there will be more air (and hence, crystallization) in a package of whole coffee beans than in a package of tightly-packed ground coffee.

When you want to use coffee that you have vacuum-sealed and frozen, open the bag and remove only as much coffee as you will use in a week or so, then re-seal the bag, and return it to the freezer. Allow the coffee that you took out to come to room temperature before brewing it.

In general, you should not keep coffee (that is not vacuum-sealed, nor frozen) for more than 2-3 weeks. Only buy as much coffee as you are likely to use in that interval. If you buy more than that, you should really vacuum seal a portion of it for later use, and then freeze it. (Again, dont merely freeze it without vacuum sealing it first.)

And when you are keeping coffee around for use within the 2-3 week period, you should keep it in an air-tight container at room temperature. Dont refrigerate it. Again, at refrigerator temperatures, water molecules in the air within the canister will condense at these temperatures, and permeate the coffee.

The best material for an airtight container is ceramic or glass. Metal and plastic can impart strange flavors to the coffee, since they are both reactive materials. Ceramic and glass are not. And it is best to keep light away from the coffee, so a solid ceramic canister is better than a clear glass one.

...written by your friends at The Coffee Brewers

goldenyears · Senior Member

Does anyone else ground their coffee and seal in vacuum bags before starting that big trip ?

It seems like a great alternative better than grinding beans on the way then storing beans in freezer so many different opinions on the subject !!! yes confused ! after reading conflicting info on the subject.

Pamela G · Senior Member

Its obvious that different coffee growers have different ideas, the Coffee Works recommend freezing a nd vacuum sealing. This works well for us and those we meet on the road often share it and enjoy. Why not get some and try different ways of storage and see which w a y gives you the result you like

goldenyears · Senior Member

I will grind some coffee today vacuum seal and open in a week bit of a test ... and as you said lots of people you have met enjoy it !

Thanks again

Santa · Guru

GY, the information I provided in my first post is spot on, nothing confusing there.

Roasted beans are at their best approx 1 week after roasting, this allows for degassing, and, if stored well should be OK for about 1 month.

Best way to store beans is in a one way valve bag, Never in the fridge or freezer.

If you grind a batch of coffee and leave it exposed to air it will be noticeably stale within 8 hours, there is no way (at the moment) to store ground coffee or whole roasted beans without it deteriorating with the passing of time.

Coffee is always at its best when beans are freshly ground.

The information re freezing from the American site you quoted is incorrect and way off the mark.

Having said the above, there are plenty who ignore the advice and still enjoy their cuppa, it's a personal thing.

Wont say any more on the subject, if I haven't convinced you now I'm sure I never will, I'm of to make myself an espresso. smile

-- Edited by Santa on Sunday 19th of February 2017 06:45:25 PM

goldenyears · Senior Member

santa ................. YOU HAVE CONVINCED ME BOSS smile now I'm going for a cuppa too smile !

Santa · Guru

goldenyears wrote:
santa ................. YOU HAVE CONVINCED ME BOSS now I'm going for a cuppa too smile !

He He! I ain't the boss, not any more anyway, retired long ago.

As a matter of interest, what method do you use to brew your coffee? smile

-- Edited by Santa on Sunday 19th of February 2017 07:12:37 PM

KJB · Guru

As far as I am concerned ,Santa , you are right "on the money" with that advice.

Commercial interests have "clouded" many of the "key points " of the correct/proven procedures to be used between roasting and consuming coffee to the detriment of the taste. A good coffee is much nicer than a brown drink.

KB

Cruising Cruze · Guru

we got an 45 year old coffee hand grinder on the wall in the kitchen you still can get them

they work pretty good

Cheers john

Santa · Guru

KJB wrote:
A good coffee is much nicer than a brown drink.
KB

It certainly is. smile

Cupie · Guru

I stayed out of this discussion because we have very undeveloped coffee palates.

We use instant (upmarket instant that is - not 43 beans variety) but have some ground coffee beans in the freezer .. been there for a year or so. On the rare occasion that we use them they go into a plastic drip machine or my Mother's old glass pyrex stove top perculator.

Then there's the Aldi capsule machine that is stored away in a cupboard somewhere plus a couple of boxes of that terrible powdered Cappichino or whatever. Usually get a packet or two of it in those XMAS baskets from relos. Good to keep & serve when they visit.

When we were in the good ole USofA we found their coffee terrible, even by our standards. Same with Western Europe. But then we like Aussie & UK Starbucks.

I have never ground coffee in my life so can't recommend a grinder (ha ha .. back on topic).

It looks like we are 'brown drink' people & all this good info is wasted on us.

(But perhaps all is not lost with our palates as we love good(ish) red wine - never cask or <$15/bottle stuff)

goldenyears · Senior Member

At home we have one of those whizz bang machines for coffee .. but on the road I use a mini.. presso that you can use for ground coffee or pods .. at first I was a bit doubtful on using one of these but surprise surprise you actually do get a good crema !

My wife uses one of those stove coffee pots .... which also works a treat .. as mentioned before everyone has a different palate and I used to be one of those instant coffee people for many years .. until I discovered real coffee !! SINCE I RETIRED A FEW MONTHS AGO I THINK I HAVE A BAD ADDICTION TO THE STUFF... !!

THAT FIRST COFFEE IN THE MORNING ....... CANT BEAT IT EH !!!!!

Santa · Guru

goldenyears wrote:
At home we have one of those whizz bang machines for coffee .. but on the road I use a mini.. presso that you can use for ground coffee or pods .. at first I was a bit doubtful on using one of these but surprise surprise you actually do get a good crema !
My wife uses one of those stove coffee pots .... which also works a treat .. as mentioned before everyone has a different palate and I used to be one of those instant coffee people for many years .. until I discovered real coffee !! SINCE I RETIRED A FEW MONTHS AGO I THINK I HAVE A BAD ADDICTION TO THE STUFF... !!

THAT FIRST COFFEE IN THE MORNING ....... CANT BEAT IT EH !!!!!

Morning Goldenyears, have heard good reports about the Minipresso.

Pretty soon you'll be roasting your own coffee. smile