For more coffee buying advice, discover our guides to the best espresso machines, best bean-to-cup machines, best coffee grinders, best filter coffee machines, and best cafetieres – not to mention our picks of the best coffee beans, best coffee subscriptions, and gifts for coffee lovers.
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How long do coffee beans last?
Roasted coffee beans stay fresh for around a week after they’re exposed to moisture, light, air, or heat, after which they’ll start to degrade. However, with proper care, you’ll find they remain fresh for up to a month, resulting in a more aromatic, robust flavour profile. You can check the date on the coffee beans’ packaging to find out when they were roasted. Supermarket coffee beans that have a best-before date tend to last up to a year, but bear in mind that these won’t be freshly roasted.
It can be more convenient to buy larger bags of coffee beans, simply to save yourself the trouble of frequently reordering. However, unless you plan on drinking multiple cups a day, try purchasing small batches more often instead – this will help you to reduce waste and achieve better tasting results.
What happens to coffee beans after they are roasted?
Roasted coffee beans go through a process called ‘degassing’, which means they release carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen. Too much carbon dioxide in the coffee can give it a sour, acidic taste, which is why most roasters recommend waiting at least a few days from the roast date before brewing – three days is generally the minimum, but some suggest holding off for up to two weeks.
Darker roasts tend to degas more quickly than lighter roasts, as there are more cracks in the beans that allow carbon dioxide to escape. Too much oxygen, though, and the coffee beans will start to go stale.
Do coffee beans go bad?
Coffee beans are seeds, and like any seed, they degrade in quality over time – particularly when exposed to oxygen, moisture, warmth, and light. That said, there are steps you can take to slow this process down.
A good rule of thumb is to brew your beans as close to the roasting date as possible. You can usually find the date on the packaging (if you can only see a ‘best before’, it means your beans aren’t fresh), and between five and thirty days from the roast date is recommended by most roasters.
How to store coffee beans
Most coffee bean bags may look like they’d do a decent job keeping your coffee beans fresh, as they have a zip-lock-style opening and waterproof exterior. But this packaging isn’t an ideal long-term storage solution, as even when sealed, moisture and oxygen can still creep in.
Instead, keep your beans in a dark, cool, and dry spot that’s at or below room temperature, like a cupboard or pantry. Try to avoid choosing an area that gets warm, like a cabinet next to your oven or a sunny spot in your kitchen. Light exposure can also impact the taste of your coffee, so store the beans in an opaque container rather than a clear one.
If you want to go a step further, consider investing in an airtight storage container like the Fellow Atmos vacuum canister. These canisters have a vacuum seal and integrated hand pump that removes excess air, helping to keep your beans fresher for longer.
Can you freeze coffee beans?
Whether or not you should put your coffee beans in the fridge or freezer is a long-standing debate among coffee enthusiasts. Some say that it prolongs the freshness and keeps the beans at a consistent low temperature. However, others argue that, when you remove the beans from the cold environment, you risk the chance of condensation forming in the container, which could degrade the aroma and flavour of the coffee.
It’s better to stick with a dark, dry location like the back of a cupboard, but if you do want to refrigerate or freeze your beans, use a fully airtight container that keeps out as much oxygen and moisture as possible.
How to grind coffee beans
The most efficient way to grind coffee beans is with a coffee grinder, sometimes referred to as a coffee mill. These appliances use a seamless mechanism that transforms the beans into grounds, which can then be used to make coffee.
Grinders tend to fall into two camps: burr and blade. Blade grinders are cheaper and use a rotating blade to cut through the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, grind coffee between a pair of revolving abrasive surfaces and produce more uniform results. There are electric models and manual options, depending on your budget, space, and how much versatility and control you want over the process.
If you want to be able to grind coffee without a traditional grinder, food processors and blenders are often suggested as alternative solutions. However, these are generally made from plastic, which can absorb oils from the beans and potentially ruin your appliance – not to mention, the grounds will likely be inconsistent. A mortar and pestle should do a better job, but requires more time and elbow grease.
Where to buy coffee beans
With more of us striving to become baristas in our own homes, finding a good coffee roaster near you has never been easier. There are a range of local roasting companies across the UK that offer one-off purchases or coffee subscriptions, so you never need to worry about running out.
You can find suggestions from our top-rated favourites in our guides to the best coffee beans and best coffee subscriptions, but we’ve picked out a few below to help you get started.
Origin Coffee
After moving to Shoreditch in East London from Cornwall in 2015, B-Corp roastery Origin Coffee has won several UK coffee competitions and is home to some of the country’s most respected baristas and roasters. It offers a range of coffee bean subscriptions, whether you prefer espresso, cafetière, or filter coffee, delivered either on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis. Choose from fixed subscriptions of classics like Origin’s Resolute beans, or get experimental and sign up to try a new coffee each week.
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Kiss the Hippo
London-based roasters Kiss the Hippo launched in 2018, with ethical practices (like paying at least 50 per cent above the Fair Trade price for coffee) at the fore of the business. Its offering includes single bags of coffee beans, pods, and cold brew, as well as a flexible subscription service. Deliveries range from one to eight weeks, with the option of whole beans or – if you’d prefer ground coffee – French press, drip filter, or espresso. Choose from the house blend or receive a surprise each time with the Roaster’s Choice single-origin subscription, curated by Kiss the Hippo’s in-house team.
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Pact Coffee
As one of the biggest roasters in the UK, Pact Coffee has been around since 2012 and achieved B-Corp company status, too. Its subscriptions vary from the simplest ‘House Plan’, featuring staples and classics, to the ‘Micro-lot Plan’, which promises more unusual offerings for a slightly higher price. Deliveries are super-flexible, and you can choose to the day how regularly you receive your coffee (e.g. your beans could arrive every nine or 13 days, rather than just weekly or monthly). You can also purchase limited-edition releases, as well as the traditional house blend, decaf options, coffee pods, and two, three, and four-pack bundles.
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