Coffee connoisseurs will know that there's no better sensation than inhaling the fragrant smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee. It's hard to deny the delight of having a cup of coffee prepared for you at a cafe, however, sometimes busy schedules don't allow for this luxury. Thankfully, we offer a selection of rich, freshly roasted coffee beans and coffee pods that allow you to brew a cafe-quality coffee at home.

However, what a lot of people don't know is that the quality and taste of freshly roasted coffee beans can deteriorate quickly if they're not stored properly. As soon as coffee beans are roasted, they begin to lose their freshness, aroma, and taste. But, this deterioration can be avoided by taking a few simple steps to ensure that your beans (or ground coffee) are stored correctly.

Tips on how to store coffee beans

Pick the correct container for coffee storage

When roasted coffee beans are kept in an open, or non-airtight space their specific aroma will begin to fade quickly - something that will be evident to a refined palette. If you've made the effort to choose a coffee that's perfectly suited to your taste, it's important to do everything you can to preserve the flavour. One of the most important steps to take to achieve this is by storing coffee beans in an air-tight container.

Oxygen can have a significant impact on coffee as it causes oxidation which can result in the degradation of the aroma components. The best air-tight container to store your coffee in should be a metal or ceramic container, as these are non-absorbant, so the taste won't be affected.

Choose a cool, dry and dark place to keep the fresh coffee

While oxygen can dramatically affect the aromatic notes of coffee in a negative way, so can temperature, light and humidity. Hot spaces can cause the molecules in coffee to move, allowing for the aroma to escape the beans. So, if you store your coffee beans in a bright space receiving sunlight, the beans will heat up and the specific flavour that you elected will diminish much quicker than it would if it was kept in a dark place. The humidity of the area affects the roasted beans in the same way - humid areas are warmer and will, subsequently, also encourage the molecules to move and cause the coffee flavour to abate.

Try to buy coffee beans, rather than ground coffee

Buying ground coffee beans may be slightly more convenient, but the consequence is dramatically reduced flavour in a short amount of time. A trade-off that true coffee aficionados won't be willing to sacrifice. When whole beans are ground, their surface area is reduced. This causes them to lose their flavour rapidly as compared to whole coffee beans.

Grinding coffee beans is very simple and the flavour payoff is transcendent. Grinders can be easily obtained and it takes just a few minutes to grind your coffee beans, ensuring that you're able to enjoy the more flavoursome cup possible.

Ensure the beans you buy are freshly roasted

Thankfully, the transparency of when coffee beans are roasted has improved significantly in recent times. Every good bag of coffee beans should have a roast date on it - if it doesn't you're likely dealing with a brand or beans of sub-par quality. Because the flavour of coffee beans does deteriorate over time, it's important that when you first buy your beans, they're freshly roasted. This will ensure that the beautiful flavours aren't already partly compromised.

The Bottom Line

True coffee drinkers will know there are many factors that affect the taste and richness of the coffee they're consuming. The level of roasting can dramatically affect the aroma profile, as does the country that the beans and grown in, and the altitude they're cultivated in. Even if coffee beans are stored perfectly, if they're not high quality, the taste will always be sub-par.

So, to ensure that the coffee you're enjoying is exceptional, you must consider how the bean itself is cultivated. Glass House Mountain Coffee is collected from some of the world's most desired coffee regions in Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua and other exotic countries. We take the highest pride in the coffee we offer and import only high altitude beans that are nurtured to our standard. When consuming our coffee beans, you can be sure you'll be enjoying the most flavourable coffee possible.

FAQ's

Can you freeze coffee beans to keep them fresh?

Whether or not coffee beans can be frozen is a hotly detabed topic between baristas and coffee lovers alike. Coffee beans can be frozen to prolong their flavour and lifespan, however, there are a few factors that must be adhered to. If you are planning on freezing your coffee, it should only be done when to freshly roasted beans. Ground coffee should not be frozen. When fresh coffee beans are frozen, they must be done so in an airtight container, so that they don't receive any oxygen whatsoever. Oxygen can create oxidation which may result in freezer burn, the can cause a bitter and astringent taste.

How long will coffee beans stay fresh in the bag?

The optimal taste of coffee is when fresh beans are ground within hours of being exposed to oxygen. A bag of coffee that's left open and in a hot or bright environment will begin to slowly deteriorate that same day. This is why it's so important to store your coffee correctly.

If the container is dark and airtight, can I keep coffee beans on the counter?

When storing coffee in an effort to prolong flavour, the most important rules to abide by are that the beans aren't ground and that they're freshly roasted. The other important factors to make sure that the coffee's taste is preserved are that these beans are stored in a cool, dry, dark and airtight space. So, as long as the area you're storing isn't hot, an opaque, airtight container will help to retain the coffee's flavours.