How to store coffee beans so they actually stay fresh

The four things that kill coffee

Oxygen, light, heat and moisture. In that order.

Every one of them strips the oils and aromatics that make coffee taste like anything. Control them and a bag stays good for weeks instead of days.

Where to keep the bag

An airtight container, or the original bag with the valve, rolled down tight and clipped. Keep it in a dark cupboard at room temperature — not on the bench next to the kettle, and not above the oven.

Do not decant into a clear glass jar on display. It looks great and ruins the coffee.

Fridge or freezer?

Never the fridge. It is humid, it is full of smells, and coffee absorbs both.

The freezer works only for long-term storage of unopened bags: freeze once, seal completely, and let the bag come fully back to room temperature before opening it. Repeated freezing and thawing pulls condensation into the beans.

How long beans actually last

Whole beans hit their best window roughly five days to four weeks after roasting. After that they are still drinkable, just quieter.

Ground coffee starts fading within a few days of grinding, which is why we grind to order rather than in advance.

Buy the amount you will drink in a month. A 250g bag is about eighteen cups; 1kg only makes sense if you are pouring several a day or grinding for a household.

The easiest fix

Order smaller bags more often. That is exactly what a subscription is for — small batch, roasted close to the day it ships, arriving on the schedule you drink at.