How to Store Your Coffee Beans

Storing your coffee beans is probably the most important aspect to ensure you get to enjoy delicious cup of coffee everyday. A proper beans storage will best preserve the beautiful aromatics of coffee for a long long time. Let's get started. 

The aromatics of coffee beans are highly volatile and can easily fade without proper storage, making good storage practices essential to preserve the coffee’s rich flavour.

There are two main culprits behind the loss of coffee aromatics, heat and oxygen.

Much like vegetables, meat, or fresh produce, exposure to high temperatures speeds up deterioration and reduces shelf life.

While roasted beans contain very little moisture and won’t rot quickly, their delicate aromatics can evaporate, leaving your coffee tasting flat and unexciting.

If you leave your coffee beans in a hot car, you can kiss those delicious aromatics goodbye.

Oxygen is another major threat. Oxidation breaks down the coffee’s vibrant aromatics if the beans are exposed for too long.

Once your coffee beans are subjected to too much heat and oxygen, their aromatics are gone for good.

The simplest way to store your coffee beans is to keep them in their original bag. There’s no need to transfer them to a separate container! Just remember to squeeze all the air out of the bag before sealing it to minimize oxygen exposure.

The ideal storage spot for your coffee beans is a cool, dry kitchen cupboard, away from direct sunlight.

By storing your coffee properly, you can enjoy aromatic, flavorful coffee for up to two months—especially with light filter roast single-origin beans.

So, make sure to store your coffee beans well and savour the delicious aromas!

As we’ve discussed in previous coffee storage tips, it’s important to minimise air exposure and keep beans away from heat and light.

When you buy a large 1kg pack of coffee beans, opening and closing the bag repeatedly introduces fresh air, which speeds up oxidation and diminishes the flavour of your beans.

This is why the last few cups from a big bag often don’t taste as good as the first—the aromatic compounds in the coffee deteriorate with continuous exposure to oxygen.

While you can try squeezing out air each time you seal the bag, a 1kg pack is simply too large to manage effectively. You don’t want to risk ruining the whole bag!

The solution? As soon as you open the 1kg pack, divide the beans into smaller jars or bags. This reduces oxygen exposure, so the beans only come into contact with air once, when you first open the pack, until you brew them.

Here are some key tips for this method :

1. Use Small Jars: We recommend small jars that hold up to 100g of beans or less. The smaller the jar, the quicker you’ll finish the beans, which reduces exposure to air. Aim to finish a jar in 2-3 days to keep your coffee fresh

2. Odor-Free Storage: Always use dedicated, odourless jars for coffee storage. Coffee beans easily absorb surrounding odours, so if your jar smells like blueberry jam, your coffee might too—unfortunately, not in a good way. Mason jars work well as long as they’re airtight and clean.

3. Maximise Jar Fullness: Fill the jars as much as possible to minimise the amount of air inside. The more beans in the jar, the slower the oxidation process.

4. Store in a Cool, Dark Place: Keep your jars in a kitchen cupboard, away from heat and light. Open each jar only when you’ve finished the previous one.

By following these steps, you’ll ensure that every cup of coffee is as flavourful and aromatic as the first. Say goodbye to disappointing last cups!

Check out our 1kg coffee bean packs here

To Freeze or Not to Freeze?

Freezing coffee beans is an excellent way to preserve their freshness and aroma for an extended period, keeping them flavorful for up to 6 months. Many roasters and cafes freeze beans, similar to how meat and seafood are preserved in the freezer.

If you’re thinking of freezing your coffee beans, here are some key tips:

1. Freeze only when necessary: If you have more beans than you can finish in a few weeks, freezing is a great option. It’s ideal for storing beans for several months.

2. Pre-portion and store in small batches: Always divide the beans into smaller, pre-weighed portions. Don’t freeze a whole 1kg bag, as opening it frequently introduces fresh air, which can degrade the remaining beans. Fill each container to the brim to minimize air exposure.

3. Avoid opening the container: Once your beans are in the freezer, keep the container airtight. Don’t open it until you’re ready to brew, and store the container in the back of the freezer for optimal preservation.

4. Dedicated freezer: If possible, store your coffee beans in a separate freezer to avoid any contamination from strong-smelling items like fish or meat.

5. Best for special coffee: Freezing is particularly useful for storing premium or rare coffee beans, like Gesha, allowing you to enjoy them over time. Use small, single-serve portions, ideally vacuum-sealed, to reduce plastic use and help the environment.

To brew frozen beans, just take the beans out and grind right away. Make sure the brewing temperature is 1-2ºc higher than usual will do.

If freezing sounds like too much trouble, simply enjoy your beans within 4-5 weeks for peak freshness.

Hope these tips help & you get to enjoy delicious coffee at all time!