Coffee is a fragile food which deserves all your attention for its conservation, especially if your coffee is artisan roasted, we therefore recommend that you read this article which will allow you to dispel certain beliefs and adopt good habits:


Air, humidity and light, time and temperature are the great enemies of coffee beans and even more so of ground coffee.

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The chemical compounds in roasted coffee are complex, but it is proven that air that contains oxygen reacts with the compounds in coffee, and alters it. This leads to unflattering results, we often speak of a rancid smell and taste and a harsh impression. It is therefore advisable to buy your coffee in packages that are well sealed by your seller.

Coffee is a hygroscopic food , meaning that it retains moisture from the air through absorption. This humidity will attack the flavors and in particular alter the essential oils of the coffee for a degraded result in the cup.

Do not consider storing your coffee in the refrigerator, even in a box, it is too humid an environment, which also encourages the migration of odorous molecules from other foods into the coffee, it will then be undrinkable in a few hours.

Light emits electromagnetic radiation in particular due to photons which participate in the photodegradation of organic compounds and odorous molecules in coffee.

Coffees left in the light therefore lose their organoleptic qualities and oxidize even more quickly, their color can also change.

This phenomenon is accelerated by storage in transparent containers which cause photons to pass through the container.
Avoid coffee sold in bulk in large transparent containers, the coffee is often undrinkable, unless your retailer has just put it on display.

We often hear about specialists who freeze coffee. This is true and is valid for very small quantities of vacuum-packed coffee. When using, the coffee must be used very quickly because defrosting causes a rise in temperature and an increase in humidity which will of course deteriorate if it is not consumed immediately. So do not consider practicing this method.

Unopened coffee can be kept for a long period because its shelf life is often between 12 and 18 months.
However, coffee retains its best taste qualities for up to around 60 days, but it can be kept well beyond that without any real perception of deterioration.
As soon as the package is opened, it is advisable to consume it quickly, ideally within a period of less than 7 days, respecting the recommendations above.

How can coffee be better preserved in these conditions?

Don't panic, simple solutions exist, but remember that light, air and humidity quickly deteriorate coffee.

Freshly roasted coffee:

The ideal is to buy your coffee in opaque, airtight packages (hermetically sealed or sealed and also equipped with a zip closure) equipped with decompression valves or one-way valves, the advantage of this valve is to allow the air contained in the package to escape when the package is pressed, but without the possibility of air entering to replace the evacuated one. This is the solution that MAPALGA chose.

When the package is opened and started:

Use the zip and squeeze the package to release the air. If the package does not have a ZIP closure, then fold it firmly and use an elastic band to keep it closed, or use pliers. Then store the package in an airtight box in a cupboard to avoid light and humidity.

You can also use an opaque (non-transparent) box made of metal, plastic or bamboo to protect your coffee beans from light and air, and always choose a box that screws on or has seals.

In conclusion, be sure to protect your coffee from air, humidity and light and if you consume ground coffee, then consider buying a manual or electric grinder to grind it on demand, because ground coffee deteriorates much more quickly due to the fact that air and humidity build up even more quickly.