One important thing right from the start: coffee is a food. And like any fresh food, specialty coffee is perishable. The moment we roast the coffee for you at Goriffee, the clock starts ticking. Although the beans don’t mould as quickly as bread or fruit, their greatest treasure – the aroma and complex taste – gradually fades away.

We’ve put together a complete guide to coffee storage to help you keep your beans in shape for as long as possible.

4 enemies of freshness

To understand why coffee ages, you need to know the factors that accelerate this process. There are four, and your goal is to protect your coffee from them.

1. Air (oxygen): oxidation is the fastest killer of taste. Oxygen reacts with the oils and aromatics in coffee, leading to weathering and a flat taste.
2. Moisture: The roasted grain is hygroscopic – it acts like a sponge that draws in moisture from its surroundings. With moisture comes odours and, in the worst case, mould.
3. Heat: Higher temperatures accelerate chemical processes, including CO2 release and oxidation. Coffee should be kept cool (but not necessarily refrigerated).
4. Light: UV light degrades grains just like other organic products. Glass jars on the shelf look nice, but if they are in the sun, the coffee in them suffers.

Our Head Roaster, Jakub Jandík, adds:

“At the roastery, we do our best to bring out the best potential in the beans, but the process doesn’t end with the packaging. Coffee is a living raw material, and how you store it at home determines whether you’ll find what we’ve hidden there for you in your cup, or just a flat taste. I always say – the best packaging for coffee is one that will protect it from oxygen, and the best place is a dark dry shelf, not the fridge.”

Basic storage rules

If you want to drink coffee at home that has the same taste as we intended it to have at the roastery, stick to these principles:

Buy beans, not ground

This is the golden rule. Whole grain has a small surface area relative to volume, so it oxidizes slowly. The moment you grind the coffee, you increase its surface area exponentially and the flavor profile starts to break down within minutes to hours. Always grind only as much as you just consume. The best beans for espresso or filter coffee can be found in the Specialty coffee category .

Original packaging is often the best

Our Goriffee packs are not just for decoration. They are made of multi-layered materials that do not transmit light and are equipped with a one-way valve. This allows the coffee to “breathe” (release the CO2 produced during roasting) outwards, but does not let the oxygen in. If you close the container tightly after opening (squeeze out the air and use a zip or clip), the coffee will stay fresh for several weeks.

Vacuum jars for the demanding

If you want to take your storage to the next level, invest in vacuum containers (e.g. Airscape or Fellow Atmos). These jars mechanically push excess air out of the container, minimizing oxidation even when the container is half empty.

Dark and dry place

The ideal place for coffee is a dry pantry or cupboard that is not in close proximity to the oven, stove or window where the sun shines. A stable room temperature is key.

The myth of the fridge and freezer

Does coffee belong in the cold? The answer is not clear-cut, but for the average consumer: the fridge does not, the freezer can.

Why not the fridge: the fridge is humid and coffee likes to absorb the smells of other foods there (the aroma of sausage in espresso is not desired). Plus, every time you take the container out of the cold and into the heat, moisture condenses on the beans, which spoils them.

How to freeze properly: Freezing is only suitable for long-term storage (if you have, for example, 3 packs and you know you won’t be able to drink them in a month).

1. Freeze the coffee in its original unopened container, or divide it into smaller batches and vacuum pack.
2. When you take the coffee out of the freezer, allow it to thaw completely at room temperature before opening the container. This will prevent moisture from condensing directly on the beans.
3. Do not refreeze the coffee.

When is coffee at its peak?

Freshness doesn’t mean you have to drink the coffee the day after it’s been brewed. Coffee needs time to degas (release CO2).

• Filter: the ideal taste usually comes 7-14 days after roasting.
• Espresso: Due to the higher brewing pressure, it needs a longer rest, often best between 14 – 30 days.

FAQ: the 5 most common questions about coffee storage

1. How long does specialty coffee stay fresh? When properly stored in a sealed container, coffee beans will retain their optimum taste for 1-2 months from the roasting date. After this time, it is still drinkable and safe for health, but its flavour profile will be flat and less pronounced.

2. Can I store coffee in a glass container? Yes, but only if you have it in a dark closet. Clear glass won’t trap UV rays, which are harmful to coffee. If you want to keep your coffee on the kitchen counter, choose an opaque (ceramic or stainless steel) container with a seal.

3. Why does the coffee wrapper have a small hole/valve? It is a one-way valve. Freshly roasted coffee releases carbon dioxide (CO2). The valve allows this gas to escape to the outside so the packet doesn’t puff up and burst, but it also prevents oxygen from getting in and ruining the coffee.

4. Is it better to buy smaller or bigger packs? It is always better to buy a quantity that you can use within 3-4 weeks. For a normal household, 250 g or 500 g packs are therefore ideal. A 1 kg pack is only worthwhile if you have a high consumption or if you freeze part of it.

5. What should I do with old coffee? If you find half a year old coffee in the cupboard, don’t throw it away. Although it won’t be ideal for making V60 or espresso, it can still serve well for Cold Brew, where the loss of acidity and subtle notes will be lost, or use it in the home – for example, as an odour absorber in the fridge or as a scrub.

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