To freeze or not to freeze, a question that has long plagued coffee drinkers, from those who enjoy a good cup at home or at the office, to aficionados alike. This article will discuss why it’s not a good idea to freeze your coffee and also some good storage techniques.
The biggest problem is that people don’t realize that coffee is a perishable item. Is has a shelf life, similar to that of wine, so buying your favorite coffee in large quantities and putting it in your freezer for 6 months, one year, two years…the longer you have it, the more it loses its quality and flavor.
The most important thing to remember is that coffee is very sensitive to oxygen, water, excessive heat and direct sunlight. It is best to keep it in a stable, cool environment. It is definitely not recommended to freeze your coffee if you can help it at all, especially for long periods of time, but if you purchase more coffee than you can consume in a two week period, separate it into two week portions. Keep one in a dry, sealed container for consumption and put each additional portion into freeze proof containers and eliminate as much air as possible. When you need more coffee, pull another two week portion out of the freezer and transfer the coffee into the original short-term container. We’ll get into storage containers in a moment, but remember once you pull coffee from the freezer, do not under any circumstance put it back into the freezer!
Refrigerators are a major no-no for coffee. The temperature of a fridge is generally around 37 degrees; the water that is inside doesn’t freeze. There is a cold mist that will linger on the coffee. Also, there are scents and flavor molecules floating around in the refrigerator that coffee can absorb. Under no circumstance should you use the refrigerator for storing coffee!
So, really, the best thing to do if you have a type of coffee you absolutely love…drink it!
That brings us to how to store that delicious bag of coffee you just brought home from Maui Coffee Roasters, so that you have an optimal cup each time you drink it.
It’s very simple, really. All you have to do is keep it in an air tight container, at room temperature, and away from light. You can really use any container that is airtight. You can even use Tupperware, but be sure to line it with paper to keep the light out, and make sure it is sealed.
You can use any form of ceramic, metal, or class container as long as it has a seal on the lid which makes it air tight. Or if you really want 100% air tightness, you can purchase a container with a vacuum sealer (such as vacu vin) on it.
Following these easy steps will allow your cup of coffee to be consistently delicious every time! Enjoy!
