Storing Coffee at home, the question that will try your soul
Storing Coffee at home,”Freeze or not to freeze , tis the question, on your beans”. Now that I have done my poor version of Shakespeare, lets get to the heart of this question.
If you spend any time in various coffee shops or have a wide range of coffee roasters on your list, I’m sure that you have at any given time, have joined in the discussion on what is the right way of storing your coffee beans. There is two schools of thought. one put your beans in a air tight container and store them in your cupboard away from heat and sunlight. The other is to put your bag of beans in the freezer or refrigerator. I myself prefer the first one. A air tight container, is easy, and does not allow any moisture or air to get to the beans, which is the big spoiler for your coffee beans. By keeping them in a container you do not contaminate your beans with any type of moisture, that you will get when you put them in the freezer. Allowing moisture to make contact with your beans is to activate the oils in the beans, as a result, you will get stale beans, with a bitter aftertaste. Storing them in the refrigerator is just as bad, that 5 alarm chili that you made and is sitting next to your bag of beans is now imparting its aroma and flavor on your morning cup of coffee. And if you have butter or cream, guess what, that pure taste you like, will not be there, the butter and cream will have a coffee taste to them as well. Coffee by nature has oils in the beans, the roaster, roast the beans to break down the bean, and bring the volatile oils out. These oils are aromatic, so they quickly fill up any space with their aroma, imparting their taste on soft flavor foods, and also be spoiled by stronger aroma foods, such as chili, curry, or any other hearty foods.
Keeping your beans in a airtight container is a safe bet, no leakage of coffee aroma in your food and no freezer aftertaste in your cup. If volume is your biggest problem, order smaller amounts of beans. Your shop, can set you up with what you need, quarter pound, is the most standard, small amount, you can get. Mail order roasters can get you half pound sizes, and gladly ship it out to you. Hopefully this has help you out.
