In general ground coffee can last for 3-5 months before it changes task in a pantry at room temperature, You can increase its life to 1-2 years by keeping it in a freezer. Whole bean coffee can last 6-9 months in the pantry and 2-3 years in freezer depending upon a few more factors like moister, heat, and oxygen.
As you all know coffee is the most popular beverage all over the world and about 70-80% of people can’t imagine starting their day without consuming coffee. 2-2.5 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the entire world every day.
The roasted coffee beans help to prepare the coffee. Coffee beans are the seeds of berries that come from species of Coffea.
Most people drink coffee to relax their minds and get rid of mental or physical fatigue which helps mental alertness. Therefore, there is no scientific evidence that it prevents diseases but there are lots of benefits of drinking it.
According to recent research, coffee is also used to treat cancer and used as an enema which is considered part of Gerson Therapy (in this therapy patients are treated with caffeinated coffee on a daily basis).
What is meant by Fresh Coffee?
The main query is how you’ll know if the coffee is fresh or not. When you’ll consider it fresh? Most people are confused about the question “What is fresh coffee”? And they thought freshly brewed coffee means fresh coffee.
Yes, no doubt it’s true, freshly brewed coffee is considered fresh coffee and it is better than the coffee that has been sitting for a long and which is not fresh.
While most people think that grinding coffee is considered fresh coffee and whenever you grind it at home it is fresh coffee.
Yes, it’s true that freshly grind coffee (break down the roasted beans coffee to get the right amount of flavor and oil) is better than pre-ground coffee, but it’s not really the fresh coffee that you want.
The actual explanation for fresh coffee is, that carbon dioxide gas amount exists in the cells of coffee beans because when the coffee is roasted, it contains a high amount of carbon dioxide that is technically considered FRESH.
Then after a few weeks, beans lose the amount of carbon dioxide, and then they will be considered old.
According to coffee experts, there is no trick or science to measure the coffee freshness and give you an answer about if the coffee is fresh or becomes stale. But the coffee becomes stale when you don’t smell the fragrance of coffee. The time frame of freshness is when the coffee is at its peak flavor.
If once, the coffee is far-off from its time frame, it is considered old or stale. If you want to buy fresh coffee, then you should buy it from coffee roasters where it is found in fresh quantities. For keeping it fresh, you should keep it in an airtight container
Why is it important to store coffee?
Coffee is the morning beverage, which keeps you fresh and present mind. If you do not store it properly then it won’t give you freshness and act as best. It’s true if the coffee is out of date it does not give you benefits but it doesn’t mean out-of-date coffee makes you sick.
Coffee is a beverage whenever it reacts with oxygen it becomes old or stale and it starts to lose its freshness or aroma over a period of time.
These are the two main components that make your coffee tasty or delicious. Exposure to oxygen makes coffee old and suddenly it may lose its power to give you energy and keep your mind relaxed. If you want to keep its taste delicious and protect its freshness for longer, you should store the coffee correctly and appropriately.
How long does coffee last in different Forms?
The coffee comes in different types of forms and every type differs from the other when it comes to shelf life.
1. Ground Coffee
Ground coffee is the most popular as it is easily attainable from whole coffee beans. The ground coffee is generally grounded and packed. Ground coffee is easily available in markets or coffee shops but when you use the ground coffee at your home, it is necessary that you grind the coffee in the right amount you need.
If you are using the ground coffee at your home, then it is necessary that you grind the coffee in the right amount for brewing.
The query about how long the ground coffee lasts? So you can consume or take this ground coffee within two weeks after opening it. Otherwise, it becomes stale.
2. Whole Beans
Using the whole bean is the best idea to maximize the shelf life of your coffee beans. You should have to keep it as a whole if it is possible to keep it fresh. Whole beans help to stay for a long duration.
If you desire to make your coffee fresh or healthier then you keep it as a whole. Whenever you want to brew a cup of coffee you can grind it, rather than keep it whole to keep the utmost freshness of your coffee beans.
The duration of whole beans lasts for at least 3-4 weeks. After that, it loses its flavor or freshness.
3. Brewed Coffee
Brewed coffee is made by pouring the ground coffee beans into hot water. For making brewed coffee there are several methods used. Such as filter, French pers, or percolator.
You look different or there is a different kind of happiness that appears on your face when you get the opportunity to feel the aroma of coffee. No beverage can beat the taste of a fresh cup of coffee.
You can drink your brewed coffee on the same day or within 10-12 hours after brewing. If you think to store your brewed coffee then you can preserve it inside the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
3. Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is also known as soluble coffee, coffee powder, or coffee crystal. This coffee is popular with those people who are always in a hurry. Instant coffee is easy to prepare and it’s not time-consuming.
You are thinking that instant coffee does not last, but if you have instant coffee at your home, you can use it within one to two weeks after opening it.
How can you store Coffee beans properly?
Oxygen and moisturizer are the two enemies that harm the coffee beans. For storing the coffee, you should store the beans in dry or cool places. Even though sun exposure also harms the coffee beans and before the brewing process, their aroma or flavor is almost gone.
There are numerous ways to store the coffee bean correctly and after following them you are truly sure that you stored your coffee in the right manner? Or you are confused after following all storage methods for stored coffee beans.
Now your all questions regarding the right method of storing coffee are solved. There are a few methods or tips that easily debunked the myths about storing coffee.
1. Seal Your Coffee properly
For stored coffee, you should use air containers for storing the roasted beans of coffee and keep them in dry places. The best airtight container is in an opaque shape in which no light can pass through easily.
Then after putting roasted coffee beans in an airtight container, you should place them in any dark cabinet or cool place and seal it properly so you can easily solve this query about how you can store the coffee.
2. Lessen Contact with Oxygen
When you avoid the contact of coffee with oxygen then you may resolve the problem of how you can store the problem. To store the coffee properly, you should reduce oxygen contact.
Oxygen makes the coffee bean stale or older earlier. But the question is how you can do this trick at home to store coffee.
Usually, an airtight container is used for this purpose but the original package of coffee also prevents them from oxygen which is known as a zip lock. Keep coffee in a zip lock bag it helps to prevent air that doesn’t react with oxygen.
You can also use a vacuum pack machine that helps to prevent oxygen that completely removes the air from the jar and stores the coffee properly.
3. Use it in the Right Amount
Sealing the coffee and preventing it from the air is not enough to store the coffee beans. You should use the amount of coffee or coffee beans within a few days to weeks. Large stays of coffee also make them stale or old.
Coffee lasts for 3-5 weeks, you should keep this in your mind before buying more in amount. You should avoid the excess buying of coffee or a long stay of coffee in your home.
4. Maintain Humidity level and low heat
Are you looking for the best place to keep your airtight container or jar? So, the cabinet is the best place to keep the coffee container or zip lock bag because it maintains the temperature and keeps the environment cool as compared to another place or kitchen.
Choosing the low heat place played an important role to keep your coffee tasting delicious with aroma.
By maintaining the humidity level you can solve the problem of how to store coffee beans.
Myths about storing coffee
Yes, there are also several myths about storing coffee that misguide or mislead you and make your coffee stale. So it’s time to debunk all myths about storing coffee. Remember that not all the tips or methods are true, now the debunked myths of stored coffee are:
Keep your coffee in Fridge
This is the most popular myth about storing coffee in fridges because as you know the fridge is mostly full of different food items with varying smells that are probably stored inside the fridge.
Whenever you have stored the coffee in the fridge, it makes the coffee just like baking powder.
This happens because it absorbs all smells that are present in their surroundings, while moisture is also present in the fridges, which also harms the coffee and stales it quickly.
Keep Your Coffee In Freezer
Keeping coffee in the freezer mostly harms the coffee because of moisture present in the surroundings with different types of odors or smells. Because your coffee is at high risk of absorbing potential smells. But if you put your coffee in an airtight jar or the bag with less air then freeze it.
Is the old Coffee Safe to Drink?
If your coffee is sealed, unopened, kept in an airtight jar, or at dry and cool places so it’s safe to drink old coffee. In fact, all grocery stores, marts, and coffee shops keep the coffee for several months in dry or cool places.
While if you have opened the seal, then it’s not recommended to brew old coffee. It’s strictly forbidden when its taste or smell changes.
If you want to enjoy the real taste and smell of coffee, you should drink it within two hours. If you get any old coffee, then you should think before drinking it and examine it properly. You will avoid drinking old coffee if it is:
- Wet
- Placed in a moist place
- Stored without seal
- The color, smell, and taste of coffee are not good
What factors degrade the coffee bean?
There are various types of factors that degrade your coffee beans and reduce their shelf life. Whenever we are talking about the best friends of coffee, the first thing you will think of is darkness and cold temperature that protect the coffee and last longer. The factors that degrade the coffee beans are included as:
Light
Light is considered the enemy of coffee protected it for a long. Whenever you store the coffee in a glass jar it may protect your coffee beans but not for the long term. If you want to keep your coffee beans’ quality good for longer then you should place them its dark places.
Glass jars are transparent and the light is somehow passed through it and whenever you put the glass jar in that place where light comes directly or indirectly. It may spoil your coffee beans. By avoiding light exposure you can maximize the freshness of coffee for a long duration.
Oxygen
If you want to keep your coffee beans fresh for longer then you should avoid the exposure to oxygen because it can spoil your coffee beans. By avoiding the air exposure, you can keep your coffee beans safe, and fresh, and keep their taste good.
Heat
Yes, heat also becomes an enemy of your coffee, spoiling its quality, flavor, and smell. You should keep your coffee beans in a cool place.
Heat can minimize the shelf life of coffee, by destroying its flavor, and smell. Before placing your beans, you should inspect whether they are free from heat.
Preventing the coffee from heat can maximize the freshness of coffee for a long duration.
Moisture
Moisturized environment is proven bad for coffee beans If you will not maintain humidity level, then your coffee beans are at risk of degrading. The ideal place for your coffee beans is a dry and cool place that maximizes freshness for a long duration.
How can you avoid your worries about stale coffee beans?
If you place it in the correct place in the proper manner or in the right direction then you can avoid all your worries about stale coffee beans and you can easily enjoy the real flavor, smell, or taste for a long.
- What you can do to avoid your worries is to purchase the best quality coffee beans in a limited amount or you will purchase it for weeks.
- For getting a specific or special brand of coffee beans, you will try two to three brands to find the best quality because whenever you are trying different qualities of coffee beans it helps to determine the best one.
- The last but not least thing that helps you to avoid the worries about stale coffee is to keep it in the correct place in your kitchen or cabinet because it is the most important thing that you know about how long the coffee lasts.
Before you leave!
Coffee is the most important and popular beverage for brewing. It helps to relax your mind and keep your mental or physical condition fresh. Exposure to air makes your coffee stale and degrades its flavor or smell.
Generally, coffee comes in different types and every type differs from the other because of its shell life. It’s important to know how long the coffee lasts and how fresh it is.
For maximizing the freshness of coffee you should store the coffee in a cool or dry place because oxygen and moisturizing place are the two enemies that degrade your coffee.
To store your coffee properly you should seal it and keep it in an airtight container, maintain the humidity level, avoid the heat places, and use it in the right amount.
Keep in mind there are lots of myths that confuse you and make your coffee harmful to you. Such as keeping the coffee beans in the fridge is a myth that harms the coffee because moist places degrade your coffee and make their quality bad.
The light, moisture, heat, and oxygen are the factors that degrade your coffee beans. To keep your mind fresh and enjoy the real quality of the coffee with real taste and aroma you should store it in the correct manner and use good quality brands.