How To Store Your Coffee Beans So You Never Get A Stale Cup Again

Your morning mug of java can make or break your day. Luckily, stale brews are entirely avoidable with a bit of effort. The secret is in the beans — store them poorly and you're going to wish you started the day with tea instead. Oxidation is your enemy here. When coffee beans become exposed to oxygen their oils begin to break down, which in turn swiftly causes a deterioration in taste and aroma. What's more, with all the effort put into turning raw coffee beans into their roasted counterpart, you don't want to lose any of that flavor. Yet with enough oxygen the beans become stale, which leads to a sad cup of joe.

Maintaining your beans in a healthy state comes down to four essentials: keep them dry, cool, dark, and airtight. Managing their moisture can be as simple as keeping them in a dry place, but adding a silica anti-humidity pack to your bag of beans is a possibility if you'd like to be extra thorough. Store the beans in a cool and dark place like the pantry to avoid the negative effects that UV rays, high temperatures, and humidity can have on coffee beans. Most importantly, in order to successfully minimize oxidation it is crucial to store coffee beans in an airtight container, like this Veken Coffee Canister. Pro-tip: Once you've got coffee bean storage down, consider investing in a good coffee grinder, since a mediocre coffee grinder can be one of the mistakes that will totally sabotage your morning coffee.

Ah, to freeze or not to freeze coffee beans. It's a highly debated topic in the coffee industry that has led to some spirited conversations (nearly as hot of a topic as which coffee gadgets are worth investing in or passing on). Similar to frozen produce, when done properly, freezing can help capture the coffee beans at maximum freshness and flavor. However, some coffee enthusiasts argue that the process is too risky and runs the risk of freezer burn and simply isn't worth the hassle.

According to coffee expert and YouTuber James Hoffmann, the answer to if you should keep your coffee beans in the freezer is ... maybe? Hoffmann points out that "very cold temperatures are great at slowing certain kinds of reactions involved in things going stale. Freezer temperatures slow down oxidation, they prevent the loss of volatile aromatic compounds." 

Hoffmann's method involves portioning out coffee beans into small freezer-safe jars and placing them in the freezer. When you're ready to use the beans, he suggests removing a jar from the freezer and allowing it to defrost overnight (while sealed, to stop condensation), then preparing your morning brew as you please. A little effort could go a long way, but this trick won't keep your beans good forever. If this is your chosen method, store beans in the freezer for no more than six months to avoid the potential for freezer burn.