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How long does coffee stay fresh and how should I store it? |
Roasted coffee’s worst enemy is air. When coffee is exposed to it, oxidation rapidly breaks down the aromatics into dull, unpleasantly woody flavors. With dark roasts it gets worse, since the oils, bleeding to the surface, become rancid. Staling accelerates with each day of exposure. Fresh coffee should be consumed within 5 to 7 days from exposure to the air. Quality goes rapidly downhill from there. Ground coffee will lose the vast majority of its aromatics within 24 hours. If you must store your coffee longer, keep it in an airtight container in the freezer. This will slow, but not entirely eliminate, the aging process. Our tests have shown refrigeration to be less effective.
Terroir™ coffee is packaged in one-way valve foil bags within hours of roasting. Fresh coffee exudes a lot of carbon dioxide and the bag would burst if the one-way valve did not permit its escape – without allowing any oxygen in! Coffee packaged in such bags retains freshness for at least 30 days. Once the bag is opened, keep the coffee as protectively packaged as possible, keep it away from heat and try to consume it within 5 to 7 days.
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