by C. M. Erickson

Created on: February 03, 2009   Last Updated: April 11, 2009

The way you store your coffee can make or break your morning cup of joe. If you take the right steps to store your coffee properly, you can greatly extend the life of your tasty grounds - thereby saving you money while sparing your tastebuds.

The secret to storing coffee for maximal freshness is balance - your coffee hates extremes.

Your coffee, once roasted, begins to decay. You have about one week of maximal coffee tastiness before it loses its flavor and zing. There are several things you can do to ensure your coffee stays fresh as long as possible.

The air environment of your coffee has the greatest effect on its freshness over time. Oxygen makes your coffee decay, so you want to have your coffee in a container that seals out oxygen. However, your decaying coffee emits carbon dioxide, which also causes your coffee to decay even faster. That is why you see the expensive coffee bags have a one-way filter on them - they keep oxygen out, while allowing the CO2 to vent, thereby protecting helping preserve coffee freshness. Barring your posession of an industrial capacity coffee bagging machine, you will have to accept that you can really only control the oxygen access. So store your coffee in an airtight container and try to use it within a week of opening the package.

Coffee also needs its humidity to be just right. If it's too humid, your beans rot. If it's too dry, your beans dry out and lose their flavor. This is why the myth of preserving your coffee in the refridgerator or freezer is false. The refridgerator can tend to be a moist environment, especially if you buy more vegetables than can fit in your vegetable drawer. The freezer can be as dry as the Sahara, and will suck the tasty-juice out of your coffee beans. Just keep your beans in a clean, dry cabinet, and you should be fine.

Coffee needs the temperature to be within a reasonable mean. Extremely hot temperatures might cause them to bake, while extremely cold temperatures freeze the beans, make them brittle, and remove any of the tasty freshness you desire. Do not store your beans in the oven, in the clothes dryer, or on the furnace. Also, try not to put them in the refridgerator or freezer. Some place nice and cool without temperature fluctuations is best.

Sunlight is not your coffee's friend. Store your beans out of direct sunlight, as the rays will bake your beans and leave them stale.

While storing beans may seem complex, it really follows the same principles of storing any food. But like any stored food, once you break the seal on the container, the clock is ticking. Try to use your coffee up within a week of opening the package to ensure the greatest coffee freshness and taste.

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