United States
We all know that strong, unmistakable aroma of just opened coffee.
And it is precisely that smell that we would like to preserve at all costs, especially in the following days, in order to get the perfect coffee.
With this aim always in mind, we have decided to give you some suggestions on how best to store your coffee, both in bean and powder form, so as to conserve as much as possible of its qualities and flavor.
Coffee’s enemies
There are many environmental elements which can threaten the quality of the coffee once the packet has been opened :
Air
Coffee is usually sold in vacuum packs, in fact the lack of air is one of the necessary conditions for storing coffee.
This is because, thanks to the vacuum packing, the risk of altering the flavor and losing the “soft texture” of the powdered blend is reduced.
Humidity
“Store in a cool dry place”, is what we always read on the packaging.
This is because coffee is hygroscopic, which means it feels the level of humidity in the air, “swelling” the coffee beans; this process has an impact on the extraction outcome.
Heat
This, like the other environmental elements, has a negative effect on the preservation of the coffee flavor.
So it is important not to leave the coffee container near sources of heat and keep the temperature between 15 and 25 degrees centigrade (59-77°F).
Light
Light also has negative effects on coffee storage.
Exposure to light sources is closely tied to temperature and thus to the deterioration of both coffee powder and beans.
5 tips for the best way to store coffee powder
ere are some precautions to take in order to protect your coffee powder from its worst “enemies” that we mentioned before.
Air-tight containers
To preserve your coffee it is a good idea to use air-tight containers.
This way it will be possible to protect both coffee powder and beans from the humidity and air that could alter their flavor and worsen the quality of the product.
Dark colors are better
The container selected should be preferably of a dark color so as not to allow light to enter and keep the temperature stable.
The size of the container
It is better to choose a container which is not too big in order to avoid “closing” too much air in with the coffee.
Cleaning
Do you always choose the same brand or do you like to change sometimes?
If you want to try out new flavors, remember to clean the container carefully.
This will allow you to avoid contamination between the various products.
How to store coffee beans correctly
For this type of coffee especially, it is always better to grind only the quantity needed for the coffee you are about to prepare and consume.
That is because about 15 minutes after the coffee has been ground, it loses about 60 % of its flavor.
False myths about coffee storage
Also in the area of coffee storage, there is plenty of “fake news” and we are here to reveal it.
There are many elements which can affect the quality and flavor of the coffee, and you need to be very careful.
The first false myth that we will talk to you about is the idea of storing your coffee in the fridge or even in the freezer.
This is a mistake, because in the same way that heat is no friend of coffee, the cold is every bit as bad. The extreme change in temperature when we take the coffee jar out of the fridge and into a room temperature environment can easily cause condensation in the jar, thus exposing it to greater humidity.
Furthermore, the freezer “dulls” the flavors and above all damages the natural oils in the coffee.
The second false myth concerns the “tricks” for maintaining the natural humidity of the coffee. Adding a cork lid or a piece of apple skin serves no purpose: these ‘foreign’ elements actually risk altering the flavor and accelerating the rancidity process of the coffee.