Coffee ranks second in popularity among drinks around the globe, and if you prefer to make your own, then you understand that taste and flavor are crucial. People’s attraction to coffee isn’t solely based on its ability to energize and keep us awake, but it’s also due to the enjoyable tastes and smells that come with making a cup each morning.
At times, that cup of coffee does not have its usual delicious flavor. It is possible that the coffee beans you purchased a week ago have already gone bad.
Did you realize that much of the delicious flavor that coffee aficionados seek out is based on how it is stored? Coffee does, in fact, go bad!
Don’t fret though; if you’re aware of how to maintain your coffee, it can remain fresh for up to nine months. Additionally, whole beans tend to remain fresh longer than ground coffee.
This article will provide information about the length of time which coffee beans stay crisp and flavorful before becoming stale. We have provided advice on how to best store coffee besides using a coffee bag, so that it will last as long as possible.
Aside from keeping it in storage, the length of time for which coffee beans remain fresh is determined by different elements like the kind of bean and whether it is roasted, unroasted, or ground.
Do coffee beans go bad or not?
Coffee beans can spoil and lose their flavor after being held for prolonged times. Pre-packaged coffee beans can last up to two years if stored properly, but high-quality beans may lose their taste and smell within a period of a month. Consuming either type of food after its expiration date will not make you ill.
The expiration date of the coffee beans should be printed on the packaging when purchased from a grocery store or market. Typically, these beans can be utilized even after five or six months after the suggested expiration date.
The short shelf life of specialty coffee beans bought from independent stores is owed to the strength of their flavor and scent, which is where their worth lies.
It can be hypothesized that the coffee beans have gone bad once the characteristics begin to diminish over the course of a few weeks.
There is a notable distinction between the two kinds of products, as they are meant for different types of clients.
The average person who purchases coffee beans and drinks them doesn’t typically notice or cannot determine the difference between coffee that is one week old and coffee that is one year old.
By contrast, specialty beans are costly, so we can safely surmise that they are mainly purchased by people who are serious coffee aficionados and who are willing to spend the money for an enhanced flavor.
The customers who consider themselves coffee connoisseurs have the ability to discern even the tiniest drop in the caliber of the beverage, thus it is not likely that they will be able to take pleasure in the same beans for longer than a couple of weeks.
The silver lining is that the worst problem with using outdated coffee beans is their diminished taste.
The lack of moisture in this food item prevents the growth of mold and bacteria that can be dangerous.
Nonetheless, when you saturate coffee beans, they will start to go bad the same way any high-moisture food item would.
You should not keep beans or grounds once they have been mixed with water as they must be used or discarded right away.
It is essential to consider that brewed coffee has a limited shelf life and can become unfit for consumption if not consumed within a certain amount of time, to the point where it can be potentially dangerous to ingest.
Lastly, it should be noted that the longevity of coffee grounds is determined by the method of their storage.
How coffee beans go bad
You might be questioning what factor is responsible for the loss of aroma and flavor in coffee grounds, when there isn’t any humidity for bacterial growth.
Oxygen is primarily responsible for the poor quality that coffee beans experience when they are kept for long periods of time.
So long as the container is completely sealed, it should be easy to keep your coffee fresh for many months or even years without losing its flavor.
When the bag of beans has been opened, the oxygen in the air will create a process of deterioration, and the flavours of the beans will eventually become weaker.
In addition, coffee beans contain substances like carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins that can break down over time. Like any other food, the carbohydrates and fats in coffee will become stale and spoiled over time.
It is clear that the quality and intensity of the finished item will be drastically influenced by both of these procedures.
If you want the best taste from your beans, make sure to use them near the time of their roasting (which should be printed on the package).
If you want to be sensible and manage your coffee expenditure rather than seeking out the strongest taste, you should be fine getting a lot of coffee at once, particularly if you store it in sealable containers.
How to tell if coffee beans have gone bad
It can be hard to ascertain if coffee beans have passed their use-by date since they do not go bad in the usual meaning of the word.
If you can’t figure out the freshness of a batch of coffee from the visual signs, you should try a sample to see what it’s like. After all, there’s no risk of you getting sick.
No need to go straight to tasting it without trying something else first. Here are a few tips and clues to help you determine whether your coffee beans have gone bad:
- They have been stored way beyond their expected shelf life. If you’ve taken note of your coffee beans’ purchase date, you can simply track how long they’ve been sitting in the cupboard. For example, if you’ve bought them longer than two years ago (which I’d argue is the maximum shelf life you can expect out of coffee beans), it’s safe to assume that the coffee they’ll make will be subpar. Throw them out.
- They smell a bit off. Sometimes you don’t even have to make a cup of coffee to notice that the beans have surpassed their shelf life. Therefore, make sure to give your old coffee beans a whiff before using them any further. If they smell funny or rancid, it’s safe to say that the coffee they’ll make won’t be much better either.
- They look a bit off. Before using your year-old coffee beans, inspect them for any visual cues that they might’ve gone bad. For example, if you see mold growing on the surface, you’ll know that there’s excessive moisture inside the container and that the grounds should be thrown out right away. Similarly, if you notice a significant change in color or spot pantry bugs inside the container, don’t risk using these coffee grounds.
- They lack shine. Due to their considerable lipid content, most coffee beans are characterized by a signature sheen. However, as time goes by, their fats will start to dry out and go rancid, meaning the beans will become duller in appearance.
- The coffee they make tastes off. Lastly, if none of the previous steps turned out to be helpful, you might have to make some coffee out of the beans and taste it for yourself. Unfortunately, there are very few visual cues that might tip you off, and given that drinking expired coffee probably won’t cause any health-related issues, you can simply make a cup to determine whether it’s palatable or not.
How to Store Your Coffee Beans and Keep Them Fresh for Weeks
Keeping coffee in the right conditions will keep it fresh for a longer period of time. The optimal way to preserve coffee beans after buying them is to put them in sealed containers at a place that is dry, cool, or less than room temperature.
By using the right storing strategies, coffee beans can remain at optimal quality for up to 9 months, but their quality will diminish if left for a longer period.
To Freeze, or Not to Freeze Your Coffee Beans
Many coffee drinkers freeze coffee beans. Putting coffee beans in the freezer is a viable option, however it destroys the scent and taste of the beverage. The temperature of the air causes droplets of water to form inside the coffee pot and on the coffee grounds.
This has an impact on the cellular arrangement of the molecules, resulting in the loss of flavor and scent in the coffee grounds or beans.
If you store your beans in and out of the fridge on a frequent basis, the changing temperature has a negative effect on the flavor of the coffee. It is important to take into account the details mentioned before refrigerating coffee beans, as we do not advise freezing whole or ground beans.
If you’re a fan of cold coffee, make sure you have a bag or container that is hermetically sealed with nitrogen in order to keep its flavor.
Processing and Packaging of Coffee Beans
The way companies handle and package coffee beans can have a major impact on the finished product. Here are the common processes used:
Vacuum sealing
This is a widely employed packaging technique. Coffee beans are kept in a vacuum-sealed container which serves the same function as an airtight container for storage.
The contrast is that the gases inside are removed completely, with no oxygen left, unlike airtight compartments that still contain a bit of oxygen. In this procedure, the coffee beans are left exposed for 1-2 days to give off gas, avoiding the packaging container from rupturing.
Once the wrapping is taken off the package, the coffee beans start losing their freshness due to oxidation. Once you open up the package, be sure to put the beans in a sealed container to prevent similar occurrences from happening.
Nitrogen Flushing
The nitrogen flushing process requires putting recently roasted beans in a container, followed by purging the package with nitrogen gas in order to stop the coffee beans from spoiling.
After the roasting process, coffee beans off-gas carbon dioxide. The packaging features a single-direction valve so that carbon dioxide can get out of the bag, but no oxygen can get in. The process of storing coffee beans is one of the most advantageous, since they can stay fresh for six months or more before being used.
Hand Packaging
This is an adventurous technique that most businesses do not utilize. Companies that employ this technique usually have fewer items in stock and a swift packing procedure than those which utilize industrial machinery. If the coffee is sitting in shops to be wrapped, it is exposed to the air which decreases its value.
Types of Coffee Beans and their Shelf Life Compared
Light or Dark Roasted Coffee Beans
Light roast coffee beans have had a shorter roasting time than dark roast beans, which are roasted for longer. The roasting process affects the longevity of coffee.
Roasts that are darker are exposed to extreme heat and cooked for a more extended period of time which will leave small particles and natural oils on the beans. This implies that the beans will become stale faster. On the other hand, the molecules in light roasted coffee take time to break down, so the beans will maintain freshness for a longer period.
Whole Beans vs. Ground Coffee
Ground coffee is the most common in coffee shops. Although the majority of individuals favor pre-ground coffee for its ease of use, people who are deeply passionate about coffee favor freshly ground beans so as to savor a more robust flavor.
It is advised that for the best flavor and smell, the whole coffee beans should be ground right before the brewing process.
Remember that, although pre-ground coffee is practical, a bag of whole beans may stay fresh for up to 9 months. As previously stated, the freshness of your coffee beans is determined by the storage method that is chosen.
How to Make Your Coffee Beans Last Longer
It is necessary to store coffee beans in the correct way for them to last for a long period of time. Storing beans can be done effectively by using vacuum-sealed bags, coffee bags, airtight containers, and freezing them. There are also other ways to increase the beans’ longevity and maintain the beans’ flavor; these include:
Use within 2 weeks
Use coffee beans within two weeks of roasting. Once this period passes, the beans start to lose their taste, which doesn’t meet the standards of a lot of coffee fanatics.
Buy in small quantities
Acquiring coffee in limited amounts gives you enough opportunity to enjoy beans that are freshly roasted. Besides, it’s an excellent way to avoid expired beans. It is preferable to purchase coffee beans in limited amounts multiple times for the optimal flavor and smell of the beverage.
Grind the beans before brewing
Preparing the coffee beans by crushing them before making the coffee helps preserve its taste. If it had been grounded earlier, the flavor and aroma might have begun to diminish due to oxidation. This would be a beneficial thought, particularly if you make coffee on your own.