If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help?

If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help? - Unrecognizable female bartender pressuring ground coffee in portafilter with tamper for preparing tasty aromatic espresso during work in coffee house

Ok, so yes - the best way to keep your coffee fresh is to just buy fresh coffee regularly, and not use it two weeks after the roasting date.

However, some people don't drink a lot of a coffee (or don't drink coffee at all!), but want to keep some 'nice coffee' in the house for when guests arrive.

In this situation, will keeping ground coffee in the freezer help retain freshness/flavour?



Best Answer

Yes, buying fresh coffee is better and grinding right before using is optimal. I think we mostly agree on that. That said, it IS possible to freeze coffee without completely destroying it. There are a number of variables that you want to account for. Here is a short summary:

  • It should sealed very tightly, a mason jar would work well for example. Even better is to freeze the unopened bag (with the valve taped shut), but that defeats your goal I think of consuming slowly.
  • If at all possible, put into the freezer once, remove once. NO refreezing. Taking the whole batch in and out of the freezer every time you use it could cause condensation which will damage your beans.
  • Freeze the coffee whole. Grind right before use.
  • Take the coffee out of the bag, let it come to room temperature before grinding it.
  • Once it comes out of the freezer, it's back to being optimally consumed in a couple weeks.

There is a limit to how long you can freeze it. I wouldn't leave it more than a few months? Here's a good, but long read on the subject, including some taste test results. If you're really seriously interested, I'd give that a good read.

If you're not a big coffee drinker, and your guests aren't picky either, you might not care about all those variables. I'd do some testing to see what works for you (don't test with the expensive stuff of course...). If you and your guests can't taste the difference, the extra precautions are kind of for naught. I have certain family members who claim to prefer the crappy, flavourless stuff for example. :-P sigh

Last note. Never store coffee in the fridge. Why not? Quoted from here:

"The Starbucks web site says: "Think of coffee as fresh produce. The enemies of coffee are oxygen, light, heat, and moisture. To keep coffee fresh, store it in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Storing coffee in the refrigerator or freezer for daily use can damage the coffee as warm, moist air condenses to the beans whenever the container is opened."




Pictures about "If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help?"

If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help? - Crop professional barista preparing coffee at wooden counter
If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help? - High angle of crop person holding hands with ethnic boy stuck in dirty puddle in poor village
If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help? - Frustrated female driver in white t shirt and jeans sitting on ground near damaged car with hands on head during car travel in sunny summer day



Quick Answer about "If you need to keep ground coffee for a long time, will keeping it in the freezer help?"

If you absolutely have to store your coffee in the fridge, it's best to use it within two weeks to enjoy maximum freshness. So is it better to store them in the freezer? The freezer does absolutely nothing to keep coffee beans fresher longer.

How long can you keep ground coffee in the freezer?

Frozen ground coffee can last and keep its freshness for up to two years if the coffee has been vacuum-sealed, but not more than six months if it has not. And when not frozen (e.g., for in-pantry storage), vacuum-sealed coffee can keep its freshness for five to six months.

Is it okay to freeze ground coffee?

Freeze the grounds.Storing batches of grounds in your freezer can help your coffee last. Although you should be careful about freezer burn, it's probably the safest place for long-term storage. Make sure to defrost your grounds for a day or so before use, even if you're making cold brew coffee.

What is the best way to store ground coffee long-term?

The best way to keep ground coffee or whole beans fresh is to store the coffee on a pantry shelf in an opaque, airtight container. It should be away from light, heat, and moisture, says Scott McMartin, who has tasted more than half a million cups of coffee as a member of the Starbucks Green Coffee Quality group.



Should you store coffee in the fridge, freezer or shelf?




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Ketut Subiyanto, Ketut Subiyanto, Ahmed akacha, Gustavo Fring