Fresh? Frozen? Counter? Refrigerator?

Okay, so we’ve talked about the right amount of coffee needed to make the perfect cup and the cost that cup actually costs you.

Next up: where to store those beans you just purchased.

As I’ve said in the past, you have 14 days from the date of roast until your coffee is stale. While some coffees taste better the closer they get to that dead date, most coffees hit that peak of freshness within the first seven days from the roast.

In order to keep your coffees tasting the best, you should only buy what you will use up within 7 days from the roast date. No more, no less.

Then, just keep your coffee either in that snazzy red bag we sell it to you in (keep it sealed!)  or put it into an airtight jar or other canister. At that point, you can leave it out on your counter–this way you can show all of your visiting friends just how much of a coffee snob you are because your beans are freshly roasted within the week by your own personal roasterie!

So what happens when you hit day 7? Glad you asked.

What I recommend is this: put the remainder coffee you have into the freezer. Not the ‘fridge, unless you want your coffee tasting like last night’s leftovers and vice verse. The cold air in the freezer will slow the staling process. You’ll only get about another week or two out of the beans then, but at least you’re not drinking über-stale coffee.

See, this is why we have the “Week Old” basket for our coffees here. Once our coffees hit day 7, we pull them from the stash and offer it to you at a reduced price. It’s not the freshest, so why would we make you pay full price? It’s the best way to keep our 10-day guarantee rolling.

Oh, and for all of this advice: it’s for whole bean coffees. Do you get your coffees ground from us? Well, first read the post talking about why that’s not necessarily the best thing to do. If you still don’t want to invest in a grinder, just put your coffee right into the freezer when you get home. Ground coffees have a life span of 24 hours (seriously!) before being considered stale. Slow it down with the freezer.

As a side note, I will tell you that every roast master you ask this question to will give you a different answer. Fresh vs. Frozen is one of the most hotly contested debates in the Specialty Coffee Industry. Is this procedure 100% right? Probably not, but it does allow you to enjoy your pound of happy coffee for as long as you need to.

See you soon at R&R!