Why Freshness Is So Important to Coffee Quality

Nothing is better than a fresh cup of coffee. But how fresh IS your “fresh” coffee?  Does it matter?

Yes, say many of the experts in the coffee profession.  Freshness, in fact, is the number one consideration for a superior brewed cup-a-joe than where the beans are from or even brewing method.  And do you want to take advantage of the health benefits of coffee?  Then read on…

The Truth About Coffee Freshness

Once roasted, the coffee beans immediately begin degenerating from fresh to stale.  Whole beans are best to purchase, since whole beans (stored properly) will stay relatively “fresh” and continue to yield an optimal brewed result for up to 3-4 weeks.  After that, the coffee is officially stale.

Never buy ground coffee.  Coffee beans, once ground, start oxidizing and lose aroma, taste, AND health benefits within 24 hours.  Stored properly, you can continue to coax out a good result for up to one week. 

Also, never EVER grind your coffee in a shared public grinder, like those found in your supermarket.  This will mix your new beans with other, older, oxidized beans from who-knows-when and it will taint your coffee’s quality.

So, if staleness is the enemy of coffee quality, then what constitutes “fresh?”

The measure of freshness for coffee relies on four factors: 

1. Time from roaster to retail shelves;
2. How long it sits on the shelves once it’s there;
3. How you store it once you get it home; and
4. How long you store it for.

Roaster to Shelf Timing

It is standard practice in larger coffee companies that after the coffee is roasted, it sits in a warehouse for roughly two weeks.  Once it is loaded onto trucks, the coffee is transported from the distribution center to the packaging company and then (once it is ordered) it is placed onto the supermarket or retail chain store shelves.  That takes another two days to one week.  There it will sits until you buy it.  If the coffee is lucky enough to be a top seller coffee, it may only last for about a week.  But if it’s an uncommon brand name, it will sit there for up to six months until purchased!

Total time from roaster to your hands?  UP TO 7 MONTHS!

Folgers publishes a lot of documentation online regarding (see Folgers website FAQ section "Shelf life of Whole Bean Coffee" ) their code of freshness standards that they follow.  Here are some (horrifying) examples we’ve found in our research about coffee-roaster-to-cup timing at Folgers:

• Folgers has added “best by” dates on all Folgers packages for their consumers to follow.  Coffee beyond this date is said to have “some of the flavor might be lost.”
• Folgers claims that “Whole bean coffee can be kept frozen in an airtight container for six to 12 months.”
• Folgers recommends storing ground coffee in the refrigerator with the lid tightly closed for up to 12 months AFTER you get it home (AFTER it’s been stored in the retail stores up to 7 months from roast to retail – see above).

How to Store Coffee Once You Get It Home

Here are some tips to ensure the best possible storage for your coffee beans:

• Keep sealed in a dry, cool place.
• Do NOT store beans or ground coffee in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Do not open all of the ground coffee at once. Only have on hand what you will be able to use within a week.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, a world-renowned expert on on how to improve your health with foods adds, “Also be careful about the container you use. You will want to avoid plastic cups as the BPA from the plastic will migrate into your blood. You also want to avoid the use of Styrofoam cups as that will leach polystyrene molecules. Your best bets include glass and ceramic [containers].”

Staleness’ Effect on Healthful Qualities of Coffee

According to Lance Armstrong’s website LiveStrong.com, “The FDA states that the shelf-life for coffee in unopened containers is up to one year, and once opened can last two to three months at room temperature. If you refrigerate your coffee, you shorten the shelf-life, and it will last only two or three weeks.”

The biggest culprit in staleness of coffee:  oxygen.  Just as iron is oxidized into rust, stale coffee is the result of roasted beans (or grounds) that have been oxidized from exposure to oxygen.  Other factors such as heat and moisture can also make oxidation occur.

Remember, once you’ve brewed your stale grind you’re left with damaged, rancid, bitter coffee that no brewing technique on earth can undo.

So, What Can Be Done to Improve Coffee Freshness?

Aside from the storage tips discussed in this article, here are some other tips to follow when striving for the best possible fresh cup of coffee:

Don’t stock up.  Bulking up on grocery items at a wholesale club store is one way to make your food budget stretch, but coffee should not be one of those items.

1. Buy smaller amounts more often.  Buy the amount of coffee you will drink in 2-4 weeks, maximum.  The shorter time the better for keeping shelf life once you get home to a minimum.
2. Find a micro-roaster (like Wise Coffee!).  Micro-roasters roast coffee in small batches and deliver them to their customers immediately.  The whole point is to not roast huge batches that sit on shelves or are stockpiled in any way. 
3. Buy single origin coffee beans (like Wise Coffee!).  Coffee that is blended is often a combination of old and new coffee that is potentially past its prime.  Single origin coffee beans are fresher as they nearly always supplied from individual crops from single source growers directly to the roaster.
4. Buy organic (like Wise Coffee!).  Organic coffee has a shorter shelf life and is processed from the fields to your cup in the shortest time possible.