Category Archives: Storing Coffee

Coffee Storage

Posted on February 25, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Coffee Storage

Coffee Storage: Airtight and Cool is the Ticket

Proper coffee storage is a big part to maintaining your coffee’s freshness and flavor. You must keep it away from excessive air, moisture, heat, and light. Exposure to excessive air is the major culpert when it comes to preserving fresh roast flavor as long as possible. I agree coffe beans can be decorative and beautiful to look on your counter but you will compromise the taste of your coffee if your coffee storage includes something like this way. Storing whole coffe beans in a container that is not airtight will cause coffe beans to become stale and your coffe beans will quickly lose their fresh flavor.

Coffee Storage: Daily Use Coffee

Do not to refrigerate or freeze your daily use supply of coffee because contact with moisture will cause it to deteriorate quickly. Instead, store coffee in airtight glass, hard plastic or ceramic containers and keep it in a dark and cool location. Near the oven is often too warm, as is a cabinet that receives heat from a strong afternoon or summer sun. And don’t even think about the cabinet above your stove.

I buy my freshly roasted coffee beans in a valve bag. This allows the CO2 to escape but doesn’t let air in. You can keep the fresh coffee beans in this sealed bag but once you open it, the beans need to go into a airtight containers. The commercial coffee containers or tubs that you purchased your coffee in are generally not appropriate for long-term storage. Appropriate coffee storage canisters must have an airtight seal are a worthwhile investment. I love my Coffeevac from Tightvac. The airtight coffee storage containers work like the valve bags. They let the gas out but don’t let air in. I have three different sizes and love them all.

Coffee Storage: Buy the Right Quantities

It is smart to buy whole coffee beans in amounts proportionate to how fast  you will use it. Whole coffee beans begin to lose their freshness almost immediately after roasting so it is far better to buy it in smaller quantities. Buy freshly roasted whole coffee beans frequently and buy only what you will use in the next 1 or 2 weeks. And because exposure to air is your coffee’s worst enemy, it is a good idea to divide your coffee supply into several smaller portions, keeping the larger, unused portion in an air-tight container that doesn’t get opened all the time.

Coffee Storage: Buying and Storing Larger Quantities of Coffee

If you are like me,  you like to save money. If you buy a large quantity of whole coffee beans that you will not use right away, put smaller amounts of beans, wrapped in airtight baggies then paper. These can be stored for up to a month in the freezer. I actually have a airtight plastic container I use to stick the baggies of coffee in then freeze. I then can pull out a small bag when I need it. Once you have removed coffee beans from the freezer, do not return them. Instead, move them to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.

To learn more about coffee bean storage go here

 

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Airtight Containers | Whole Coffee Bean

Posted on November 8, 2011 by | 1 Comment

airtight containers

 

Airtight Containers – Coffee Bean Storage

Whole Coffee Bean Airtight Containers

Once you open the coffee’s orginal package, the coffee starts to lose its freshness quickly.

Coffee natural enemies:

  • Air
  • Mositure
  • Light
  • Heat

Coffee Bean Storage Airtight Containers – On Counter

If you are keeping your coffee bean storage airtight containers on top of the counter you need to use a glass, ceramic or non-reactive metal or hard plastic container with airtight gaskets or seal. Your container needs to be airtight, opaque or tinted. Your goal is to keep the air, moisture and light out.

Coffee Bean Storage Airtight Containers – Below Counter

Coffee can be stored in  a clear glass or hard plastic coffee bean storage airtight containers. The storage container needs to be airtight and kept below the counter in a dark and cool place. A plastic airtight container works also if kept in cool, dark place. I have a couple hard plastic coffee bean storage airtight containers I use when I need to freeze my extra whole bean coffee. I put the whole bean coffee in a baggie which I roll to get most of the air out. I wrap the baggie in paper. I put the baggie inside of the plastic  like Tupperware storage airtight container and store in the freezer.

Coffee will begin to lose its fresheness as soon as it is done roasting. It is at its peak within the first few days. With the cost of coffee today proper coffee bean storage airtight containers are a must and pay for themself.

To keep your coffee the freshest, work on buying your coffee just after it is roasted (don’t be afraid to ask) and in the whole coffee bean style.  Buy only enough whole coffee bean to last for 2-3 weeks.  Then the trick is you have to store it properly in a coffee bean storage airtight container.

Coffeevac

The coffee bean storage airtight containers I use are called Coffeevac.  This container is great for maintaining the freshness and flavor of your whole bean coffee. As I have stated earlier freshly roasted whole coffee emits a gas known as carbon dioxide. This is why coffee companies use the one-way degassing valve bags to ship the coffee in. As pressure builds up in the bag the valve opens allowing the gas to escape. Being a one-way valve it does not let oxygen back in to make the beans stale. The Coffeevac by Tightvac are airtight containers that work on the same principle. So every time you open the coffee bean storage container it reforms a vacuum seal again with the one-way valve. This airtight containers come in different colors and sizes to match any need.

airtight containers

It is interesting that what coffee research says about Healthy Coffee.

2011 Copyright | Coffee Bean Coffee and Coffee Bean Storage Airtight Container

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The Problem With Storing Coffee Beans

Posted on July 7, 2011 by | Leave a comment

storing coffee beans

 

Welcome to Storing Coffee Beans

Proper Way of Storing Coffee Beans

Most of us grew up with grocery store coffee. Some of us still buy the commercial grade coffee in the big cans. Today we have choices.

  • Gourmet Coffee Beans – This is what I consider a special treat coffee. The type I want to smell and sip slowly.
  • Coffee Bean Coffee – This is a everyday coffee that has been properly grown and roasted for maximum flavor.
  • Commercial Grown and Blended Coffee – Coffee beans that are grown, picked and roasted for a commercial mass production blend.

We don’t have to drink gourmet coffee everyday but for true coffee enjoyment we should try to drink a coffee bean coffee style most days. Once you find your coffee bean coffee you will find yourself enjoying each cup more and actually drinking less coffee.

No matter what we drink we need to learn the proper way of storing coffee beans.  Many of us, such as myself grew up with the big cans of coffee. That can became our coffee storage container. The problem is that once the can or tub is open it does not make a good unit for storing coffee beans. Plus most of the grocery store coffee in these cans or tubs is already ground. When storing ground coffee you need a air-tight container to transfer it to. Once that is done you should only store if for at most 7 – 10 days.

If you want to be serious about your coffee you should buy whole bean coffee and grid it as you need. Okay that being said if you really prefer pre-ground coffee then buy smaller quantities and a coffee storage container.

As you drink better coffee you will find that the price of coffee has gone up with your choices. So, we never want to waste good coffee. If we are going to drink better coffee bean coffee then we need to invest in a system for storing coffee beans.

Storing coffee beans at room temperature on your counter is a simple method. This works well for storing coffee beans that you will grind up and use in a week or two.

A ceramic coffee canister that holds the desire amount of coffee you prefer and has a sealing mechanism of some sort will take care of the air and moisture getting at the coffee. When storing coffee beans on the counter make sure the coffee storage canister is opaque or colored to protect the coffee from sunlight.

I like to keep a extra canister around for my ground coffee. I am always in a rush in the morning. So I will pre-grind my whole bean coffee and put it into it’s own smaller coffee storage canister for quick use. How often you grind is up to you. Don’t grind more than you can use in a week and use coffee bean storage.

If you like buying or using pre-ground coffee you may consider getting a Vacuum Coffee Storage Jar system. This unit removes all the air from the canister so your coffee stays fresher. Fresh coffee has a better flavor and aroma.

Another great device is the Coffeevac. This is designed more for storing coffee that is freshly roasted and whole bean.

Want more information on coffee bean storage container

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