How to Store Coffee Beans and Keep Them Fresh for Longer?

There’s nothing quite like opening a fresh bag of coffee and getting that gorgeous smell. But once the bag is open, how do you keep your coffee tasting that good?

Coffee is at its best when it’s fresh, but that doesn’t mean you need to panic and drink the whole bag in three days! A few simple storage habits can make a real difference to how your coffee tastes.

What makes coffee lose its freshness?

Once coffee has been roasted, it gradually changes as it comes into contact with oxygen, moisture, heat and light.

That process is completely natural, but over time some of the flavours and aromas we love in freshly roasted coffee begin to fade.

This happens even faster once coffee has been ground because much more of the coffee is exposed to the air.

That’s why, if you have a grinder at home, we generally recommend buying whole beans and grinding only what you need.

What's the best way to store coffee beans?

Keep things simple.

Your coffee is happiest somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from strong smells and big changes in temperature.

A kitchen cupboard away from the oven, hob or direct sunlight is usually absolutely fine.

You don't need lots of specialist equipment either. Our coffee bags are designed to help protect the coffee inside, so you can simply squeeze excess air from the bag and reseal it properly after each use.

If you prefer to use a coffee container, choose a clean, airtight container and keep that somewhere cool and dark too.

Should coffee beans be kept in the fridge?

We generally wouldn't recommend keeping your everyday coffee in the fridge.

Coffee can absorb moisture and surrounding aromas, and repeatedly taking a container in and out of a cold fridge can cause condensation.

Nobody wants their lovely Colombian coffee developing subtle tasting notes of last night's garlic 😂.

A cupboard is normally a much better home for it.

Can you freeze coffee beans?

Yes, freezing coffee can work very well, particularly if you've bought more coffee than you'll use while it's fresh.

The trick is to divide it into airtight portions before freezing so you only take out what you need.

Avoid repeatedly freezing, opening and refreezing the same bag.

For most people buying coffee regularly, though, there's no need to freeze it at all. Buy an amount you'll comfortably use, store it well and enjoy it.

Whole bean or ground coffee: which stays fresh longer?

Whole beans will generally retain their freshness for longer than ground coffee.

Grinding dramatically increases the surface area exposed to oxygen, which means aromas and flavours can fade more quickly.

If you have a good grinder at home, grinding immediately before brewing is ideal.

But if you don't have one, don't worry. We can grind your coffee for your preferred brewing method before dispatch, just choose the appropriate grind when ordering.

How quickly should I use freshly roasted coffee?

Coffee doesn't suddenly become “bad” on a particular day.

It changes gradually.

Different coffees and roast styles can also behave differently after roasting, so we don't think there's much value in pretending every coffee has one magic number of days when it tastes perfect.

Our advice is much simpler: buy freshly roasted coffee in an amount that suits how quickly you drink it, store it properly and enjoy it while it's tasting great.

Fresh coffee without the fuss

Good coffee shouldn't need complicated rules.

Keep it away from heat, light, moisture and too much air, reseal the bag properly, and you're already doing most of what matters.

And if your biggest problem is remembering to order another bag before the last one disappears, a coffee subscription can take care of that bit for you.