Keep your Coffee Fresh
This prompted us to conduct a battery of tests: fridge, freezer and countertop storage; bag versus canister storage; freshness valve, no freshness valve... just to name a few!
Our conclusion? You can achieve ultimate freshness by storing coffee in a hermetic canister in the freezer. Here's how to do so correctly.
1. Protect it from odors
You love the way flavour notes unfold when you sip a great cup of coffee. Truly a sublime experience... But not so much when those notes carry a hint of fish, cheese or other stinky foods! Coffee is porous. That means it sucks in all the odours surrounding it. A high-quality hermetic canister made of stainless steel, ceramic or glass is the only way to shield your coffee from unwelcome odours. While plastic canisters are nice and cheap, they also smell and taste like... well, like plastic.
2. Keep it dry
Treat your frozen coffee like frozen bread: never defrost and then re-freeze it. This creates condensation, which adversely affects the coffee’s quality and integrity. Coffee beans thaw fast. So when you take the canister out of the freezer, quickly scoop out what you need and put the canister right back in. Letting the coffee defrost between servings defeats the purpose of hermetic storage by exposing it to its nemesis, humidity.
3. Heat it up just right
Some say you shouldn’t grind frozen coffee beans. Not true! Freezing beans preserves their delicious oils. When frozen, the bean’s exterior stays oil-free, which in turn helps it run through the grinder with ease. Do, however, consider the water temperature when you make your brew. Ground frozen beans will drop the temperature of the water upon contact, so your water should be right at 205° F (96° C) for optimum enjoyment.