If you’ve gone to the effort of buying freshly roasted, high-quality coffee, it only makes sense to store it properly. The sad truth is, most people don’t realise how quickly coffee can lose its flavour and just how much that impacts your brew. Here’s how to keep your coffee tasting its absolute best, from the day it arrives to the last spoonful in the bag.
Why Freshness Matters
Coffee is a natural product. Once it’s roasted, it starts to release carbon dioxide and, unfortunately, lose some of its vibrant aromas and oils. Exposure to air, light, moisture and heat speeds that process up. You might not notice it straight away, but over a couple of weeks, your cup can taste dull, flat, or even a little stale.
Keeping your coffee fresh isn’t just about taste, it’s about protecting the care and craft that went into growing and roasting those beans in the first place.
The Enemies of Fresh Coffee
There are four main things that ruin coffee freshness:
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Oxygen: Once exposed to air, coffee oxidises, losing flavour fast.
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Light: UV rays can degrade coffee, especially in clear containers.
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Heat: Warm storage speeds up the breakdown of oils and aromatics.
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Moisture: Damp environments encourage mould and spoilage, and coffee loves to absorb smells.
So, How Should You Store It?
1. Keep it airtight
Always store your coffee in a container that’s properly sealed. If your coffee came in a resealable bag with a one-way valve, you can keep it in that. Otherwise, decant into an opaque, airtight container. A vacuum-sealed canister is even better if you’ve got one.
2. Choose a cool, dark place
Keep your coffee somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight. A cupboard or pantry is perfect, not above your stove, kettle or beside a window where temperatures fluctuate.
3. Don’t store it in the fridge
The fridge is full of moisture and smells, and coffee absorbs both like a sponge. If you don’t fancy a cup of onion-scented espresso, keep your beans out of there.
4. Freezer? Only if you must.
Freezing coffee can help preserve it if you absolutely won’t be using it for weeks. But if you go this route, divide your beans into small, airtight portions and only take out what you need. Never refreeze, and always let them come back to room temperature before opening the bag, otherwise, condensation can ruin them.
Ground Coffee vs Whole Bean
Whole beans stay fresher much longer than ground coffee. If you can, invest in a burr grinder and grind your beans just before brewing. But if you're using our omni-ground coffee, store it exactly the same way, airtight, cool, dry, and out of sunlight.
Use It While It’s Fresh
For best flavour, try to use your coffee within four weeks of opening. That’s the sweet spot for aroma, body, and flavour clarity. If you’re not drinking it that fast, consider buying smaller bags more often rather than stocking up.
Fresh beans = a better brew.
Looking after your coffee properly is a small act with a big payoff, especially when you're enjoying thoughtfully sourced, speciality-grade beans like ours. Treat them well, and they’ll reward you with every cup.
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