Storing coffee in the fridge/freezer

admin · March 2015

bit of a perennial favourite - whether you should [or shouldn't] store your beans in the fridge or freezer: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/drinks/why-coffee-should-not-be-stored-in-the-freezer-despite-the-advice-that-abounds-20150325-1m725c.html

this little guy has written this with typically no research - i.e. has 'interviewed' a couple of guys with 'grandmother' research, but without talking to anyone who actually knows

:pan

cosmic_couple22 · March 2015

Very dodgy article, why didn't they just tell people to buy well roasted coffee on a regular basis and drink it before there is any chance of it going stale. C.

Brett H · March 2015

on 1427446921:

Very dodgy article, why didn't they just tell people to buy well roasted coffee on a regular basis and drink it before there is any chance of it going stale. C.

Now hold on there mate... Steady on... Fair shake of the hoisin sauce bottle... That would be too easy and too sensible. Selling newspapers is not for the moderately inclined, intelligent and enlightened! How hard would it be to ask around the office for a coffee afficionado and get them to do 2-3 minutes worth of research? Clearly this article gives a firm answer to a question I would have thought previously rhetorical! Bollocks!

admin · March 2015

actually seems to be a perennial favourite for junior journalists … "hey Johnny, about time you learned to write a 'lifestyle'-type story - how about doing one about how to store your coffee beans" :rofl: Actually we covered this off in several threads [last one: http://coffeeforum.org.au/have-your-say/fridgefreezing-your-coffee/]. from my point of view, there's nothing at all wrong with storing beans in the fridge - the main point being that the beans need to be stored in an airtight container, otherwise obviously moisture will get in... Usually the process for these junior journo's is that they go and interview a 70 or 80-year old italian roaster who says 'you absolutely mustn't store beans in fridge…' but the weakness in that logic is that [with all due respect to the 70 or 80-year old italian roaster] his grandmother in Naples probably didn't have a fridge then, or more importantly didn't have an airtight container in which to store beans in the fridge [that didn't exist then]! I guess there may be an issue with condensation when you take the beans out of the airtight container on a hot day, but in our days of tupperware and other, more sophisticated containers, there's nothing wrong with it otherwise 8)

Dry_bean. · March 2015

I see nothing wrong with the article, The author may not be a guru, however he makes some good points. I'm not a fan of keeping beans in the fridge or freezer, try cooling beans in the fridge for a few days, take them out, open them and let them stand exposed at room temp for a while, the resulting condensation may surprise, the affect is even more of a problem in humid area's. As for freezing, the condensation is even more dramatic.

Moon · March 2015

I read an article written by a Coffee Guru .. can't remember who, but anyway, he decided to do a taste test .. and stored some beans in the freezer. He and his coffee mate compared those with beans that hadn't bean in the freezer. Neither of them could taste any difference. Personally, i don't like the idea of freezing beans or putting them in the fridge .. so I only get enough to last a few weeks .. and willing to go a a bit longer if I need to.. to finish them off. I seem to know when they're past it ... I feel a bit nauseous after drinking a cup. - stale beans lose their vibe and smell flat & lifeless. If living in a hottish climate.. I'm guessing you'd need something to prevent the beans warming up. I was thinking of a cellar .. but that's too inconvenient. What is the ideal range for storing beans if you're not a fridge fan - around 14-16 deg? Gurus/mycuppa?

DoubleRistretto · March 2015

on 1427512393:

Of course, the caveat being that if you are planning to purchase roasted coffee beans and store them for 3 months, then do whatever you like because you obviously don't appreciate or understand the basic first principles of "coffee is a fresh food".

Post deleted by moderator: tone of post discourages open, honest discussion!"

mycuppa · March 2015

I have removed my post because it seems there is no reason to post advice on forums these days.

Brett H · March 2015

on 1427527647:

I have removed my post because it seems there is no reason to post advice on forums these days.

cosmic_couple22 · March 2015

on 1427527647:

I have removed my post because it seems there is no reason to post advice on forums these days.

???

:'(

Dry_bean. · March 2015

on 1427522922:

If living in a hottish climate.. I'm guessing you'd need something to prevent the beans warming up. I was thinking of a cellar .. but that's too inconvenient. What is the ideal range for storing beans if you're not a fridge fan - around 14-16 deg? Gurus/mycuppa?

Morning Moon, Werribee is quite mild compared to the North and mid North of SA. I have no trouble keeping roasted beans fresh by storing them in a valved bag in a kitchen cupboard.

Brett H · March 2015

A linen cupboard in the middle of the house is my advice. Like wine I'm thinking themes stability is more important than peek temperature below 25degC. I've tried various methods over the year and found the best advice is that I gleened from Alan Frew's and Jeff/My Cuppa's newsletters. P.s nicely moderated good sir!!

Dry_bean. · March 2015

on 1427585436:

A linen cupboard in the middle of the house is my advice. Like wine I'm thinking themes stability is more important than peek temperature below 25degC.

Pets are a pretty good indicator, take note of where Rover or Tiddles like to be when the temp rises, it's usually the coolest place in the house.

samuellaw178 · March 2015

on 1427527647:

I have removed my post because it seems there is no reason to post advice on forums these days.

Hi Jeff, please don't feel discouraged. You don't know how many people your nuggets have benefited (including me) in the past. I truly appreciate your insights that you shared (and on a side note thanks for the Variety pack

). On the topic: I've read the article a few times and find that it is a very good piece. The author has clearly done his homework, and is in line with my experience(most of them). I have talked to a lot of people in the past about the topic, and there're definitely more than one opinion and each are firm believer of their opinion. It is surely more convenient to buy fresh roasted every week, but not everyone has the luxury, and sometimes cost/usage is an issue. I assume this article is catered towards this group of people. If you do it correctly, my palate tells me the beans are alright even after 2-3 months, whereas those kept in the bag outside(in one-way-valve bag in dark,cool cabinet) will be stale beyond salvation. I am not sure about fridge, but freezing coffee is definitely okay in my experience. But there're a few strict conditions you have to follow, otherwise it won't work. You can't simply throw a sealed bag into the freezer and taste them weeks later, then claim freezing doesn't work. Of course they'll be no good. :P It has to be i) 100% airtight, a one hundred percent, no negotiation (taped/sealed one way valve bag is definitely not airtight, use a mason jar). ii) minimum temp fluctuation in the freezer (insulate the container or whatever , don't open the freezer for too long/often, have a dedicated freezer if possible, avoid frost-free freezer that has auto-defrost feature) iii) separate into small jar worth 3 days usage and defreeze one jar at a time iv) let it come up to room temp for a few hours before opening Yes, it is a lot of works. But you don't freeze beans for convenience, buying fresh if you can is no brainer. And there's no need to freeze if you can finish the beans in less than 2 weeks. I'd almost challenge anyone to do the above and discover any difference from when they're fresh. ;D I'm not encouraging everyone to freeze their bean, fresh roasted beans are almost always better. But if you can't help it, why not? But I am aware and open to that there will be different opinion from this.

Brett H · April 2015

This is great advice Samuel! I roasted some coffee for a friend who is now suddenly traveling OS! I've told her to take half (there's a plugger/grinder) where she's going and freeze the other half in an airtight container. Time will tell how she goes!

samuellaw178 · September 2015

For a moment I thought I'm in a photography forum :P

By the way, does anyone follow Matt Perger's blog? He did a Q&A podcast last week. Interestingly, Matt is in the 'for freezing' camp (which is in-line with the topic here). What's more, he 'advocates' grinding frozen beans. Now now, that's another level. :D p/s: I did try grinding frozen beans in the past immediately out of the freezer. And.....it doesn't harm the grinder in any way that I can see. But it's quite something to hear it coming out from a coffee pro like Matt. Here's the link and the freezing part is into 14:14. http://www.baristahustle.com/10-questions-answers-with-matt/

Brett H · September 2015

Did you take a picture of the grinds with your Nikon camera? No!? Then how is this relevant to our foru..Oh...

Interesting Sam! I gave up on freezer ground here on the sub-tropical South east because of the condensation and clumping. My grounds wrre bring pre-infused before getting into the PF basket. Having said that I've the luxury of being a home roaster so availability of fresh Browns is never an issue. I imagine were this to change, or if I had a large amount of browns land I'd be in the freeze camp with a 20 minute thaw on paper towel phase before grinding. When I was in Townsville I glutted up a whirly grinder with freezer beans... Luckily it was only a whirly and not a better quality victim

GeekKopi · September 2015

Freezing grinds. That's interesting. Has anyone here tried it?

Brett H · September 2015

Yep! In the early days I did but the issue was getting good shot consistency as opposed to one of taste. With dose the only real method of variance for optimal extraction success was left less to technique and more to higher powers!

FreshCoffee2 · September 2015

yes Brett...condensation and clumping.... I ran my own personal tests on fridge and freezer storage some years ago and decided purely on the basis of what I found in my own tests for my own locality and environment, that it wasnt good for the coffee. My best advice would be to try for yourself, and see what you think.

GeekKopi · September 2015

Before I got into real coffee I had a breville and my wife used to buy pre ground beans from a roaster for it. She also stored them in the fridge (not freezer). It was terrible imo but the first couple shots from the pack were decent. That system didn't last very long and for a while now she's banned from the coffee machines.

samuellaw178 · September 2015

Yes Brett, it's certainly nice being able to home roast - it's like having fresh roast on demand! The only downside is it takes about 1 hour each week to feed our addiction. :P I was worried about condensation on frozen beans (not ground coffee) after removal from the freezer. But turns out it's not an issue - at least here in Melbourne. In regards to freezing preground, not sure it's a good idea at all as the surface area of ground coffee is significantly way more than whole beans. It's much easier to screw up than freezing whole beans, that's for sure (ground beans are great ordor absorber btw)!

cosmicfluff · September 2015

This is an interesting read. One of the myths tackled was on storing beans in the freezer. http://sprudge.com/5-incredible-myths-of-coffee-freshness-revealed-86011.html e

askthecoffeeguy · September 2015

im of the store whole beans in an airtight container in a dark space and grind while still fresh or else discard camp!

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