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How to store coffee to keep it fresh and tasting great.

A good cup of coffee can only come from fresh coffee. Storing coffee properly is the best way to ensure you get great tasting coffee each and every time you brew a pot of coffee in your home or office.

Many coffee purists will say that the only way to enjoy coffee is to buy whole beans and grind them right before brewing. While this will give you some incredible coffee it doesn't solve the issue of where to store ground coffee.

Also if you purchase ground coffee, which is what most people do, the shelf life can be short and the freshness begins leaving the coffee beans the second they are grounded up and packaged.

You should store unopened packages of ground coffee or whole beans in a cool, dark place. If you don't plan on using the coffee for a while you can also freeze the coffee until you want to use it.

Once opened however, most ground coffee should be used with 7-10 days of opening for the best flavor Some ground coffee comes in special containers that may allow coffee to stay relatively fresh for up to 4 weeks.

Opened ground coffee should be stored in the refrigerator if you aren't going to use it within a week. Storing the coffee in an airtight container will help preserve freshness even longer. You can use any kind of airtight container and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Avoid reusing or re-brewing coffee. Some people may just keep the grounds in the filter and brew a new pot with the same grinds. This isn't recommended as it completely kills the flavor and taste of the coffee.

You also shouldn't try to store or keep brewed coffee. Many places such as Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts have brewing policies that direct employees to throw away any coffee sitting for longer than 30 minutes and brew a fresh batch. This is because once coffee is brewed it can begin to lose it's peak flavor in a short period of time.

If you make a pot of coffee and come back a few hours later to drink it, even if it is kept hot you'll notice a taste difference. Right after brewing is the best time to drink coffee so storing a cup or pot of coffee isn't logical to do.

Basically you can freeze coffee beans or grounds until you are ready to use them. Keep opened packages in airtight containers in your fridge and try to use opened coffee packages within a week or two of opening for the best taste.

Learn more about this author, Maxwell Payne.
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