Do Coffee Beans Go Bad – How to Store Coffee Beans

One common question that every coffee drinkers cares about is – “Do coffee beans go bad?” The answer is yes, of course. Okay, let’s dig in.

You bought a solid bag of coffee beans some sunny day, preparing to brew coffee at home. But for some reasons, you just left the coffee beans in the corner for several weeks only to know it is stale. You may wonder why coffee beans go stale. Actually, just as iron is oxidized from rust, expired or stale coffee is what you get when roasted beans or grounds have been oxidized from exposure to oxygen. Besides, heat and moisture also accelerate the oxidization. The following table show the expiration date of different coffee beans or grounds. 

So, knowing how to store coffee beans or grounds to prevent them from going stale is a necessary for coffee drinkers.

How to Store Coffee Beans

1. Buy whole beans: You may know that coffee degrades faster with larger surface area. This means that coffee whole beans will keep longer than ground coffee. So, it is best for you to buy whole beans instead of coffee grounds. Get a manual grinder and grind whole beans as needed for maximum freshness and coffee flavor.

2. Keep coffee beans airtight: The best way to preserve the coffee beans’ fresh as long as possible is to store it on a pantry shelf in an airtight container. Also, remember to leave it away from light, heat and moisture. Coffee’s retail packaging is generally not ideal for long term storage. It is best for you to store it in canisters with an airtight seal.

3. To freeze or not, is a question: There is much debate among storing coffee beans in freezer or not. If you freeze, please make sure it is in a fully airtight container. Once you have open the package and use it, then just leave it in room temperature and still store in sealed containers.

In short, coffee beans do go bad. However, you can find some ways to prevent it from going stale quickly. And if you have any question, write it down below.