Coffee – Can it be stored in the Freezer?
Posted by rashidakay on 22 Jun 2009 | Tagged as: Coffee
How should Coffee beans be stored, so you can enjoy the tastiest coffee from your bean to cup espresso machine One method which we often hear is that of putting the Coffee Beans in the freezer So does storing coffee in your freezer actually work Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Freezing is a traditional method used to preserve food and in todays modern kitchen with a fridge or freezer it is easy and convenient Most food types can be frozen Meat, fruit & even bread can be successfully frozen with no major loss in taste and vitamin content. Coffee, however, isn’t as likely a candidate for storage in the freezer.
Four main elements attack Coffee Beans stealing their freshness (and more importantly its taste. These being air, heat, light and moisture.
But doesn’t Freezing protect Coffee beans from these elements?
One problem is that the Coffee Beans are porous,and unfortunately a freezer can contain many other foods which have odours. The porous beans can absorb the flavors of many other frozen foods. Flavoured coffees can be pleasant, but no one wants to drink seafood or garlic flavored coffee.
Due to their porous nature moisture can also be absorbed by the coffee beans. Moisture attacks the Beans and causes the taste and flavour to be lost The more often you take coffee out of the freezer and put it back in, the more moisture absorption takes place into the bean. The only time you should even consider freezing coffee is if you have too much for normal use, in this situation freeze it only the one time. The more you take it in and out of the freezer, the more damage you do.
Once frozen these oils in the beans begin to break down. The oils contribute to the flavour of the coffee. Breaking down the oils means taking away flavour, and let’s face it, a large part of a good cup of coffee is the flavour.
When it comes down to it, freezing is not the best way to store your coffee. The best results and to ensure coffee retains its taste store coffee in a cool, dry and air tight container away from the light and any source of heat. Freezing coffee is possible, and is best if you only freeze it once. The resulting loss of flavour and quality from repetitive freezing makes it a method of storage to stay away from.
Your best bet is to purchase only enough beans or ground coffee to supply you for 1-2 weeks. That way you will enjoy Coffee from your Expresso Coffee Maker or Coffee machine at its freshiest and best.
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