Coffee does best stored in a dry, airtight container. When stocking your favorite blend at home, avoid air, moisture, heat, and light.
The best way to keep ground coffee or whole beans fresh is to store the coffee on a pantry shelf in an opaque, airtight container. It should be away from light, heat, and moisture, says Scott McMartin, who has tasted more than half a million cups of coffee as a member of the Starbucks Green Coffee Quality group.
Store the grounds in a dry place.
Coffee drinkers should do their best to keep coffee grounds in an area as devoid of moisture as possible. Storing ground coffee at room temperature in a dry place will grant you a decent shelf life—once you add a sealed container into the mix, that length of time will extend.
Metal and ceramic containers are non-absorbent and won't absorb your coffee's aromatics. Glass containers are the next best option. Plastic containers aren't ideal for long-term storage, but they'll do as long as you use up the coffee within two weeks.
But the best way to keep your coffee is to opt for airtight containers that will protect against smells and moisture. To kill two birds with one stone, pick an opaque storage container so the light does not degrade the coffee beans or ground coffee.
Therefore, the best way to keep ground coffee or whole beans fresh is to store the coffee on a pantry shelf in an opaque airtight container away from light, heat, and moisture.
Keep it cool and dry
Moisture is coffee's worst enemy. Putting your coffee in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container will not keep all moisture out while frozen, and your coffee will suffer for it. Instead, use an airtight container and keep your coffee at room temperature.
The fridge is not the place to store coffee in any form, ground or whole bean even if in an airtight container. It isn't cold enough to keep your coffee fresh, and because coffee works as a deodorizer, it will absorb all the aromas in your fridge.
Yes, it will. However, there are a few things to consider. Be sure that there is no moisture in the mason jar and that there is an airtight lid, so that the coffee tastes fresh. Be sure if your mason jar is clear glass that your food storage container be stored in a dark place for the best coffee freshness.
Choose a cool, dark, dry place, such as in a pantry or cabinet. Do not store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer; the humidity can cause moisture to infiltrate the packaging. Avoid warm spots, such as above/next to the oven or in cabinets that get hot from exposure to sunlight or cooking equipment.
The answer is no, coffee does not actually go bad, and a “bad” cup of coffee won't make you sick. But, if coffee grounds or beans get wet, then yes, they can't be reused and need to be tossed. Coffee is a dry, packaged food and like most dry goods, there is no firm expiration date to keep in mind.
Accordingly, the right way to keep ground coffee and whole beans fresh is to store them on a pantry shelf away from light, heat and moisture, inside an opaque- airtight container, better if a vacuum-sealed one easily found in stores.
When Unopened or Sealed. Ground coffee lasts for 3-5 months when kept in a pantry at room temperature, but it can last 1-2 years in the freezer. Whole-bean coffee lasts for 6-9 months in the pantry and up to 2-3 years in the freezer. Instant coffee lasts for 2-20 years in the pantry, depending on the packaging.
No sooner have the coffee beans been ground than the oxidation process has begun – more on this in a minute. Therefore, even in a vacuum-sealed pack, expect your coffee grounds to last no longer than 3-5 months past the shelf-life. So, even unopened coffee grounds expire. It just takes a long time.
Interestingly enough you probably could use an old coffee can be it a Folgers tin or a small can from some other brand so long as the can had a tight fitting seal. The plastic seals on those cans are pretty tight and they do stop most light and moisture but they are not air tight or water tight.
Seal the grounds in an airtight container or a vacuum-sealed original packaging; Store your coffee grounds in a dry place at room temperature and avoiding moisture; Consume your coffee grounds within a month.
Hot black coffee: At normal room temperature, black coffee can last up to 24 hours before you've got to worry about it spoiling. However, that doesn't mean it won't be stale. Just thirty minutes in, plain black coffee will start to lose its flavor.
Typically, if you've got a black brewed coffee, you can keep it in the fridge for two weeks (if stored in an airtight container). Once you've added milk to the coffee, you're looking at two days in the fridge, and only if it's stored in an airtight container and you've put it in the fridge within two hours.
If it came in a paper bag, you can consider transferring to an airtight plastic container, but make sure to store in your cupboard, away from light, and at room temperature. Try not to put your coffee in the fridge or the freezer. Seriously, don't do it.
What is the best way to keep coffee fresher, longer? As it turns out, it's probably best to just leave it in the bag.
The simplest way to do this is to check the color of the coffee. If it is completely black and there is no crema on the top of the coffee, this is usually a sure indicator that the coffee beans or grounds have gone stale and rancid.
Most ground coffee stays fresh for about one week after grinding. With the short shelf life of ground coffee, you should always use it within two weeks of purchase to enjoy that fresh and flavorful coffee that you want.
Can I drink day-old coffee? We don't recommend drinking day-old coffee, especially if it has gone rancid and has accumulated an unpleasant smell and/or taste.
Your Coffee Bean and Carbon Dioxide
In essence, the carbon dioxide displacing the oxygen helps extend the freshness of coffee beans in a minor way. However, trapping the carbon dioxide in a vacuum-sealed pack is not a good thing. Upon roasting the coffee beans, they are usually stored and cooled at room temperature.