Where do I store coffee beans?

Question

In the cabinet, refrigerator or freezer? There seem to be conflicting opinions, all with seemingly logical explanations.

(elaboration on your reasoing is greatly appreciated ... cheers)

Answer 1

Cabinet. Freeze burns will take away those rich coffee flavours. Besides, everybody knows a dry room-temperatured storing place is the way to go in order to prevent mushy coffee beans. If you put in the freezer it will get a lot of moisture from the air when you get it out which will ruin the bean. The same goes for the refrigerator.

Answer 2

How fresh your coffee is when you make it depends on how long its been since the time it was roasted. Roasting brings the oils out of the bean which is why they are shiney as compared to the raw bean and it also starts to release "gas". Two factors that will affect the roasted bean are oxygen and moisture. Buy beans in nitrogen-flushed bags with one way valves. This allows the gases to be let out without letting oxygen in. If you buy the vaccum packed bags, these beans are already old since as you can imagine freshly roasted beans will "puff" up the bag with its gases. Once you open it you can store it either in its bag or in an air-tight container in a dark place at room temperature. Grind only what you will be using. Grinding speeds up the deterioration of the coffee and it will become stale quite fast. If you place it in the refrigerator you will notice that it will absorb some of the smells inside. Also condensation will form inside the bag everytime you bring it out and as I have mentioned earlier affects the freshness of your coffee. Do buy your beans in small amounts and make sure to ask when it has been roasted. Try not to keep your beans for more than a week. Your coffee is stale once all the gases have been released.

Answer 3

Roasted coffee is perishable and it must be properly stored away from light, humidity and Heat. It must be stored in an airtight container, in a cool and dry place. Your kitchen cabinet should do the job. Whole bean coffee can generally stay fresh for up to four weeks when properly stored. Ground coffee stays fresh for just a few days, and it only takes a few hours to completely lose all flavors when left exposed to air and light. Avoid refrigerating coffee, as cold coffee beans immediately attract humidity from the environment when taken out of the refrigerator. Freezing coffee is even worse. Natural oils in the bean denature as moisture in the bean freeze. This changes the flavor of your coffee dramatically.

Remember treat your beans with kindness and grind your coffee just before brewing.

Answer 4

If you go through a lot of coffe use an airtight container outside the fridge. If you use less the freezer is best. Grind the beans at the store right when you buy them or each time you make coffee in a grinder at home.

Answer 5

I've always kept my ground coffee beans in an airtight container in the fridge. I find there's not much of a difference between keeping it in the fridge or freezer.

Answer 6

Freezer!

Answer 7

The food network recommends not storing them in the freezer. They say always buy fresh and grind fresh. I don't like coffee, so I couldn't tell you from my experience.

Answer 8

I store mine in the freezer. I think it keeps the taste locked in the best.

Answer 9

They loose their oil in the freezer and don't taste as good, so cabinet for me.

Answer 10

grandma kept beans in freezer, grounds in fridge, used grounds in the garden ... no explanations just did it that way.