Many of you know that part of the reason Carrabassett Coffee tastes so good is that we roast it daily in small batches, so what you get is super fresh, bold, and flavorful. Old coffee grinds go stale, and stale coffee makes a bland, flavorless cup.These are our most frequently asked questions regarding storing coffee to maintain optimum freshness and flavor for drinking.
Q: How long will my coffee stay fresh?
A: Our coffee will have the best flavor when it first arrives. After that, the amount of time before it goes stale depends on a variety of factors: how and where it’s stored and whether it’s ground or whole-bean. All that being said, after 6 months, we’d recommend starting fresh with new coffee. (But, honestly, our coffee is so good, how could you not drink it all up before 6 months?)
Q: Does whole bean coffee stay fresher longer than ground?
A: Yes. If you are able to grind your coffee yourself, ordering whole bean will help to maintain the best coffee flavor for the longest amount of time.
Q: Where is the best place to store my coffee?
A: An air-tight container is the best coffee storage container. (A large canning jar works great!) If storing extra coffee for later, or for non-daily use, we recommend the freezer as a great place to extend your coffee’s freshness. Airtight container + freezer = better flavor for longer.
Q: Can I store my coffee in the fridge?
A: We do not recommend storing your coffee in the refrigerator. Coffee absorbs smells and puts them out again as flavor in your brewed cup. The freezer is a much better place to store coffee than the refrigerator.
Q: What happens if I forgot about a pound of coffee and it’s more than 6 months old?
A: It’s still brewable and drinkable- you just may not have as strong of a flavor. You could try adding more grinds when you brew to increase the strength of the cup. If that doesn’t work, use your old grinds for something else (they work great on icy walkways or in compost!) and order a new pound.
Q: Can I just keep my coffee in the bags it comes in?
A: If you order coffee by the pound right from our website, the foil bags you receive are sealed and have a one-way valve. The valve releases gasses, but doesn’t allow any external air inside. These bags can easily be tossed in the freezer to help maintain the freshness of your coffee. Once opened, you can use the tin-tie to close the bag up again and keep it on the counter for daily use, as long as you’ll be drinking the coffee fairly soon (within a month for ground coffee, or a little longer for whole bean). Otherwise, you can transfer it to a sealable container such as a large canning jar or a coffee storage canister.
If you buy coffee from us directly at the roastery, the 1# paper Kraft bags are not airtight. If you drink your coffee quickly, you can keep it in the bag, or you can transfer it to a sealable container. For freezer storage something like a sealable plastic bag works well. For countertop storage, a large canning jar is great, or you can purchase a coffee storage canister.
If you purchase 12 oz bags of coffee from one of our retailors, you may have noticed the new bags have a “pull to open” tab, which reveals an interior zipper seal, so that you can press the bag closed again. This is a good way to store your coffee, either in the freezer for long-term, or on the countertop if you’ll use it within the month. Again, if you’re worried, transferring the coffee to a separate, sealable container, is always a good option to maintain freshness.