If you’re new to coffee, you might not have ever considered the best way to store your beans. At Cooper’s Cask Coffee, we believe that there’s magic in the simplest parts of life.
Too many people treat coffee as an afterthought, like it’s just a throw-away part of their daily routine. But we depend on our coffee every day, so why not make it great?
Whether you’re brewing a cup early in the morning before work or during a late-night cram session, coffee provides a much-needed boost. So don’t neglect something as important as your coffee; give it the care it deserves. And that starts with coffee bean storage.
Coffee bean storage is much more important than you may think. If done poorly, it can negatively affect the quality of your beans and leave you dreading your daily cup of joe. We don’t want you to buy some of our single-origin wholesale coffee beans only to throw them away a couple of weeks later.
No bean should go to waste, so we’re going to explain some of the misconceptions about coffee bean storage. We’ll tell you why you need to store your beans correctly, and how you can ensure the beans stay as fresh as possible.
A Deep Dive Into Our Coffee
Before we break down the ins and outs of coffee bean storage, let’s take a deep dive into our coffee (unfortunately, not a literal dive, as tasty as that might be). Cooper’s Cask Coffee is built on bourbon infusion.
That might sound complicated, but it couldn’t be simpler! We’ve partnered with some excellent distilleries, and when they’re all finished with their process, they hand over their used whiskey barrels.
The barrels are still chock-full of bourbon residue, so we store our beans inside for a little over a month. This lets them soak up that delicious bourbon flavor. You’ve never had coffee like this before.
The Whole Bean Advantage
We sell our beans ground, but we think you should grind the beans yourself. If you’ve never ground your own beans before, you might assume it would be a hassle, but the process is straightforward and totally worth it.
Grinding your own beans unlocks a genuine, natural flavor that you won’t taste anywhere else. It’s the freshest option, which means the quality of the beans will show through. If you begin grinding your own beans, we don’t think you’ll regret it, even for a second. But keeping whole beans means that you need to understand coffee bean storage.
Why do we store coffee?
So why is coffee bean storage important? Well, it’s all about taste. A number of things can compromise the integrity of your storage, but regardless of the cause, you’ll notice a decrease in the quality of the taste.
As we said before, one of the biggest advantages of grinding your own beans is the distinct natural flavor. Well, if you don’t store your beans correctly, you risk spoiling that flavor and undoing the fruits of all your hard work!
Location, Location, Location
Normally, “location, location, location” is a real estate adage, but it’s also the key to optimal coffee bean storage! If you want to keep your coffee fresh, you need to keep it in the right place. The right place, as it turns out, is somewhere sitting at room temperature.
But there’s more to coffee bean storage than simply throwing your beans in the closet! Moisture is the enemy of coffee beans. The only time you want to add water to your coffee beans is when they’re ground and ready to be brewed. So be sure that wherever you store your coffee, it’s dry!
Another outside factor that may affect your coffee beans is light. That’s right, even excessive light may affect the taste of your beans. Luckily, the remedy for this is quite simple: just keep them in the dark. A dark location devoid of any excessive light is the perfect place to keep your high quality coffee beans.
So, if you were keeping your coffee beans in your pantry or cabinet, you’re off to a great start—assuming your pantry or cabinet is room temperature, dark, and dry. But there’s another unseen enemy that can spoil your coffee: the air!
Keeping Things Airtight
You’re probably wondering how the air can spoil your coffee. Well, coffee beans are absorbent, like a sponge, and the air is full of things to absorb! Your coffee may take in the taste of strange moisture and odors from the surrounding air, and those tastes may appear in your morning cup of joe.
We want your coffee to taste as advertised on the bag—hints of bourbon, chocolate, tobacco, and more. Those things are delicious! Strange smells lingering in the air are not. So buy an airtight container for your beans. You’ll thank us later. Your coffee will, too.
Stay In Your Bag
It’s important to note that you don’t have to dump your coffee beans into a different container if you don’t want to.
When it comes to coffee bean storage, some people like to put their beans in jars or stainless steel containers for aesthetic purposes, which is fine. But depending on the container, you might be risking contamination.
Sometimes, it’s easier to keep things simple. You can leave your beans in the bag itself. This lowers the risk of exposure to outside elements like light and moisture, and it’s a more convenient option, too! No need to wash out a new container or buy a whole new one!
To freeze, or not to freeze?
Should you freeze your beans? This is a very common question among coffee aficionados, but the answer changes based on who you ask!
Some people believe that freezing your coffee beans exposes them to troublesome moisture, ruining your beans. But others argue that if the process is done correctly, a frozen coffee bean doesn’t necessarily have to be a wet bean, and freezing the beans can better preserve their freshness until you’re ready to use them.
Just ensure that your beans are frozen in a sealed container. When you remove the beans from the freezer, give them time to thaw completely. This way, you don’t risk damaging the quality of your beans with condensation.
A Coffee Resource
Now you’re in the know about coffee bean storage. Like most things, coffee is a little more complicated than it may initially appear.
Most people haven’t been exposed to the wide, wonderful world of high quality coffee, but now that you have, you may want to learn more. Luckily, we have a resource available just for you!
We started our own coffee blog to give you the scoop (pun very much intended) on what makes great coffee. We love coffee, and for us, it’s about more than selling beans. Everyone should see how great coffee can truly be.
Looking for the right bean?
We want to set you on the path to finding your perfect cup of coffee, and as you probably know by now, that all starts with the bean. But how do you know which bean is right for you?
We suggest taking a look at our coffee finder tool. It can be completed in a matter of minutes from the comfort of your own home. And the best part? It’s free! Just answer some questions, and we’ll offer a personal coffee recommendation. Try it now!
