How to store coffee beans so they actually stay fresh
4 min read
Fresh coffee is not a marketing line, it is a countdown. Roasted beans start losing aroma the day they leave the roaster. Storage will not stop that, but it slows it down a lot.
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
Use an airtight container, or keep the original bag rolled down tight and clipped. Store it in a dark cupboard at room temperature, away from the kettle and 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 for each 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: coffee roasted in Melbourne and delivered on your schedule.
Daily Ritual, ground your way
Pick your grind at checkout and we match it to your machine. Australian Roasted Coffee. Australian owned small business.