Coffee Storage

How to Store Coffee

Coffee stores best in whole bean form. If you have a grinder (burr grinder is best – blade / spice grinder tend to slice the beans giving you inconsistent grind with some particles too coarse and some too fine) keeping the coffee in whole bean form will help it stay fresh.
If you have been putting your coffee in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh, do both you and your coffee a flavour: STOP!
Coffee deteriorates in moist environments and freezing crystalizes and breaks down the oils and esters and that affects the flavour.
Coffee is best stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place. Glass, ceramic or porcelain are best. Plastic, metal or wood tend to trap oils and they eventually go rancid.
Coffee is at its prime between 18 hours and 12 days of being roasted. It is best to purchase coffee in quantities that you know you will drink within 2 weeks. After 3 weeks the coffee is best used to fertilize acid loving plants, or in winter something to add friction to icy sidewalks. (Some use it to freshen footwear.)