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It’s sad really, the amount of stale, bitter coffee sitting on retailer’s shelves. Most people just don’t realize the difference in the taste of fresh roasted coffee.

It is important to note that the freshness of coffee has to do with when it was roasted not when it was harvested.

After roasted coffee has been exposed to air, the flavor will begin to deteriorate extremely fast. In fact, a huge portion of the flavor is lost in just 7 to 10 days!

Foil valve packaging will slow down the deterioration process due to the one way valve allowing coffee gases to escape but not allowing air to get back in to the coffee.

In most supermarkets and grocery stores it is almost impossible to buy fresh coffee. They just don’t do enough volume to keep the fresh inventory flowing.

Freshness Tip
Buy directly from the roaster’s website. Many places will roast the beans and ship directly to you within 1 or 2 days after roasting. This is the only way you can enjoy your coffee with the maximum freshness.

Roasted coffee beans get their best flavor and aromatic properties from the oils in the beans. After roasting, these oils will come to the surface and evaporate taking the flavor and aroma with it. The less surface area exposed to air, the longer it takes for the flavor to deteriorate.

Freshness Tip
Buy whole bean coffee and only grind as much coffee as you plan on using that day.

Heat, light, humidity, and oxygen are accelerants to deterioration of flavor and aroma by damaging these delicate coffee oils.

Freshness Tip
Store your coffee in a cool, dark, air tight container. Don’t store in the refrigerator because it will absorb odors which will affect the taste. If you don’t plan on drinking your coffee within a couple of weeks, you could try storing in the freezer, but condensation will affect the beans once they warm so don’t take them in and out very often. Although I have not fully tested for myself, some believe the extreme temperatures of a freezer will damage the oils and produce less crema. My advice, drink what you buy and you wont have to worry about extended storage.

Keep popping back to my Blogging page as I plan to update with more information on a regular basis.