Recently, everyone has probably been stocking up on beans during Double Eleven, and the questions asked to Qianjie are all things like "how long can coffee beans keep their flavor at most if unopened" and "how to store opened coffee beans to slow down the rate of staling." Today Qianjie will talk about the issue of storing coffee beans.

How long can the flavor of coffee beans be preserved?

Most people who ask this question are friends who pursue coffee flavor, but Qianjie still needs to explain the issue of flavor versus taste. Flavor refers more to aroma, such as the aroma released when grinding coffee powder, and the pleasant aroma wafting from the brewed coffee liquid. After the coffee has gone stale, the aroma when grinding is relatively flat, with some peanut skin and almond notes, and the brewed coffee aroma is also lighter and flatter. However, the general taste of the coffee is still there; these tastes mainly come from the water-soluble substances in the coffee, which themselves do not easily evaporate.

So what we call staling is actually the flavor running out, so it is no longer as good to drink as before, but if it is still within the shelf life (within 12 months), it can still be consumed. The flavor of coffee beans, after roasting, reaches its peak after the resting period, and then the flavor slowly decreases until it all runs out. The length of the resting period and the flavor window (flavor period) varies from bean to bean and is also related to the storage environment, so generally an approximate range is given: the resting period is about 4-7 days, and the flavor window is about 30-45 days.

Does blocking the degassing valve keep it fresh longer?

Some friends, after receiving the beans, immediately seal the degassing valve with tape to prevent the flavor from escaping. In fact, this practice is seemingly reasonable but actually redundant. Because this one-way degassing valve is only there to prevent coffee beans from degassing and bursting the bag; under normal circumstances without external force, the degassing valve does not work, and only when there is too much gas inside the bag will the excess gas be released through the pressure difference. If you seal the degassing valve, the coffee beans will still degas as they should, and the bag will still expand as it should.

Airtight jar & original packaging bag?

Some friends also pour the coffee beans into an airtight jar for storage after opening. In fact, if the jar is well sealed and the original coffee bag has a sealing strip, there is not much difference in how well they preserve the coffee beans. What affects the loss of coffee flavor more is the frequency and length of time the package is opened.

Each time the bag is opened, it is equivalent to connecting the inside with the outside once, and the flavor of the coffee beans will be lost faster. This is also why some coffee beans taste pretty good when first opened and brewed after being stored for 30 days, but when brewed again two days later, the flavor takes a sharp dive.

Storing coffee beans in the freezer?

Some friends, seeing that freezing can slow the loss of coffee flavor, follow suit one after another. But freezing coffee beans also has its own problems, and if they cannot be handled properly, it is actually worse than not freezing them at all.

The first is the problem of odor transfer. If you keep other frozen items in your refrigerator's freezer compartment and then put coffee beans in to freeze, the coffee beans may absorb other odors, or a freezer compartment that has not been cleaned for a long time is also prone to developing a "refrigerator smell," which can easily affect the coffee beans as well.

The second is the problem of thawing. When we take a bottle of drink out of the refrigerator, before long the originally dry plastic bottle is covered with tiny water droplets. The principle is the same for frozen coffee beans: when the coffee beans go from -10 degrees to a room temperature of 28 degrees, the surrounding water vapor condenses into droplets that cling to the beans, causing the coffee beans to become damp.

The Best Way to Preserve Flavor

No matter which method you use, the loss of coffee flavor over time is an unavoidable process, so the best approach is to calculate your own coffee consumption and then buy only the amount you will use in 1 month, and buy freshly roasted coffee beans again when you are almost out. Do not stockpile a large amount of coffee beans just to save a little money, because in the end the flavor will have all faded away, and if you cannot drink it all, it becomes waste.

If the coffee beans have not been opened, just keep them in the original bag in a cool, dry place away from light. After opening, you can use the sealing strip on the original packaging to seal and store them, but after sealing you should check the seal of the packaging. If you find that the bag is torn, you need to use another sealed container to store the coffee beans.

As long as you make sure to keep them sealed as usual and open the bag to take out beans at a normal frequency, the flavor of the coffee beans can be preserved for up to 30 days.

Best Value Everyday Pour-Over Coffee Bean Recommendations: Qianjie Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gutingting, Qianjie Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans

Espresso Coffee Bean Recommendations: Qianjie Classic Blend, Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend

You can now purchase the above coffee beans at the Tmall "Qianjie Flagship Store," where you can also find 60 single-origin pour-over coffee beans and espresso coffee beans from around the world. Qianjie coffee beans are freshly roasted and shipped within 24 hours.

Tmall Qianjie Flagship Store link: https://qianjieshipin.tmall.com

Or you can search for "Qianjie Flagship Store" directly on Taobao

Qianjie Coffee store address: No. 315 Donghuadong Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou