Storing coffee: Tips from the roaster


Diego Salvador

Practical tips for properly storing coffee beans or ground coffee

We are regularly asked how to store coffee once roasted and once the package of ground coffee has been opened. Here is our position.

First of all, remember that we keep advising you to grind coffee beans only a few minutes before brewing .

The aroma content of your final drink will depend in particular on the freshness of the ground coffee: the quality and taste of coffee (bean or ground) tend to deteriorate over time, through exposure to light, to oxygen, odors and humidity.

Our first sound advice : buy your coffee as you go, from a roasting house that cares about quality, such as Brûlerie du Quai . Don't build up too much stock. Buy freshly roasted coffee, in small quantities, in sealed bags with a one-way valve.

It will therefore not be useful for you to have a stock of coffee for a long time. An interesting solution for you is to visit our website www.brulerieduquai.com and subscribe to a batch of coffee directly on the web page of the product sheet of the coffee that interests you. You will receive your coffee at home at the frequency of your choice (weekly or monthly), depending on your consumption rate. The best part? You will save 10% on the final subscription cost!

There is a good way to store your ground or bean coffee , allowing it to last longer and without damaging the characteristic features of its terroir.

Protect your coffee from extreme temperatures, air, light, odors and also humidity

Here is the list of enemies of ground or green coffee. The main thing to properly store your coffee would therefore simply be to protect it from these elements.

Against extreme temperatures

The most common mistake is storing your supply of ground coffee in the refrigerator. It is quite simply the worst place imaginable to store your coffee, because it brings together almost all the elements harmful to coffee: cold, humidity and odors.

When you take the container of coffee out of the refrigerator, it warms up slightly while you open it and take the desired quantity of coffee. When you put the container back in the cold, condensation will appear, which contributes to spoiling the coffee.

Against air and light

The ideal is to buy coffee packaged in a sealed bag fitted with a freshness valve: this is a guarantee of the freshness of the ground beans. Keep your coffee in its original packaging and seal the bag tightly before putting it in a container and storing it in a cool place, such as a cupboard.

The main concern is to protect it from the air , which will degrade the active ingredients of the coffee through the principle of oxidation. Ground coffee loses its quality with each contact with air. Do not store ground coffee for more than two weeks (this is a best-before date, not an expiration date). Always choose resealable packaging.

Opt for airtight containers , which will protect against odors and humidity. To kill two birds with one stone, choose an opaque container so that the light does not degrade the coffee beans or ground coffee.

What aboutfrom the freezer?

The debate on this subject is still ongoing and no unanimity emerges from the rigorous studies that have been carried out.

Some big names in the roasting world recommend freezing roasted coffee beans. Pour the grains into a zip-lock bag, remove as much air as possible and store in the freezer . Ideally, vacuum seal packaging. Take it out when you want a good coffee and wait until the coffee is at room temperature before grinding.

The principle in action being that extreme cold would freeze ("freeze") the oxidation process, which is in any case already underway since roasting or opening the package of ground coffee.

However, avoid taking coffee in and out of the freezer. Once you take it out, don't put it back in the freezer, which will create condensation, and that moisture will freeze which will create a cold burn effect. Like all foods, freezing and thawing is not recommended, and degrades the grain (oxidation, dehydration). You can portion the coffee in small quantities in the freezer to avoid getting too much out at once, especially if you buy 2kg bags to take advantage of the volume savings that we offer on large formats.

Pay particular attention to the storage conditions of your coffee; it is important to preserve its flavors, its aromatic profile and its texture. Keep your stock in airtight containers away from light, odors, humidity and extreme temperatures.

To finish, here is a small list of our items that can help you better preserve your coffee:


4 comments


  • Nicole Comtois

    Je suis une amatrice de bon café et je vous remercie de vos conseils judicieux, que je vais mettre en pratique soyez en sur


  • Steve Brunelle

    Bonjour , j’adore le café mais je ne suis pas fin connaisseur , je sais par contre reconnaitre les bons café mais la science qui entour la torréfaction et tout ce qui s’en suit m’est encore inconnu

    J’aime le café tres tres fort , j’ai remarqué que plus le grain est foncé plus la saveur sera corsée
    Bien entendu j’ai un coffe grinder et je moue au fur et à mesure tres tres finement pour un expresso

    J’ai gouté plusieurs cafés et plusieurs m’ont déçu. , certains avaient un gout chocolaté alors que ce n’etait pas indiqué sur l’emballage
    Donc ma question Si J’aime le gout pure du café sans arômes qui modifie le gout

    Comment puis-je savoir le quel est le mieux adapté pour mon gouts
    Car pratiquement impossible à savoir sans avoir gouté. , Y a t’il des cafésqui sont reconnus comme étant tres fort et sans artifices qui modifient le gout

    Ma question est assez vague disons lol
    mais Je tante tout de meme ma chance car si jamais l’un de vous aime tout comme moi les café tres forts peut etre aurez vous une marque à me conseiller

    Apres plusieurs essais. De marques disons que J’en ai jeté et donné loll

    Je sais que le kickass est tres fort mais c’est beaucoup trop violent loll et au nombre que je bois chaque jours je ne survivrais pas loll

    Bref merci de vos conseils

    Steve


  • Brut

    Bonjour,
    La café, le chocolat, l’huile, tous ces produits sont fascinants…et il y a beaucoup de choses à savoir pour en respecter toutes les saveurs ! Merci pour cet article. Je suis bien intéressée par la page du libre sur la conservation du café, si l’offre tient toujours, je suis preneuse :)
    Bonne continuation, merci !


  • Félix Maltais

    SI votre offre d’envoyer la page de votre livre qui parle de la conservation du café au frigo, congélateur on armoire, je suis preneur !
    Merci !


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