Coffee: that great sensitive soul

I've been working in the coffee industry for a long time, and at the top of my list of questions that come up most often is the following: how should coffee be stored? What is THE best storage method?

Well, you should know that coffee is extremely sensitive. It doesn't like cold, humidity, or fluctuations in these conditions. Ideally, I would tell you right away that it's best to keep it as whole beans and only grind what you need just before using your preferred brewing method. This way, the oils contained in the coffee bean are better preserved, and the coffee is undeniably tastier when freshly ground (and what about the olfactory pleasure of grinding your coffee?). The oils are volatile and escape once ground, in addition to leaving the door wide open to the oxidation process we want to avoid. The coffee doesn't spoil, but it's definitely compromised.

A perfectly airtight container is also essential! So, store it in a completely airtight container to properly protect your beans from temperature fluctuations and light. An amber Mason jar will do the trick perfectly! Coffee tends to oxidize more when exposed to heat or humidity, so it needs protection! Furthermore, coffee is somewhat weakened and easily tainted by surrounding odors… which forces me to confront the myth of refrigerating it at all costs.

The fridge . Perfect for most foods, but definitely the enemy of coffee. It not only preserves our favorite foods, but also their aromas… you see where I'm going with this? Coffee can consequently become flavored, and that's not always desirable ("How do you like your coffee? – with hints of spaghetti sauce and onion"; I don't think so!)! Furthermore, the hot-cold/hot-cold effect of coffee being refrigerated and then taken out to brew will accelerate its degradation in terms of both its aroma and flavor. Nah. We don't want that.

But what about the freezer? Not ideal either, for similar reasons to those that make me avoid the fridge. But… I agree that if you have to leave your house for a few weeks, it's best to put your coffee in there, well sealed, and then take it out only ONCE, upon your return, to avoid the back-and-forth between heat and cold.

In short, store your coffee in a perfectly airtight container, in whole beans (as much as possible), away from temperature fluctuations, light, and sources of humidity and strong odors. It's not so complicated to store your coffee properly!

Valérie Verhoef