Here's one of the secrets to keeping your coffee fresh for a longer period.

As you probably already know, coffee goes through many processes and during them its properties and substances are transformed. Its quality has to do with many procedures that are carried out at the production stage, which includes harvesting the cherries, roasting the seeds and packaging the coffee within a bag of specific material. In the end, all these steps seek to ensure that the coffee, its taste, and aroma can last longer, which may lead you to ask yourself the following question: does the coffee really go bad?

Does Coffee Go Bad?

The reality is that, like any other product with an expiration date, coffee can “go bad.” However, this fact is conceived differently in the world of coffee. Clearly, any product that’s not hermetically sealed and is exposed to very specific moisture conditions may have fungus or mold. But when it comes to bad coffee, it’s not about rottenness.

In general, if the coffee is stored correctly, the fungus will not be a problem. The real question about the coffee duration is: is it possible that this product can be stored “for a lifetime”? Unfortunately, the answer is no. In the end, coffee does go bad, but not like other foods. Over time the coffee may become stale due to factors such as temperature and humidity, but it’s mainly due to oxidation.

As mentioned in the article “Why You Should Care About Roasting Date,” oxidation is the process by which the coffee bean comes into contact with oxygen. This element can degrade the components of the coffee, generating a product not suitable for coffee lovers.

How to tell if your coffee has gone bad

One detail you can’t overlook is the fact that the expiration date won’t really determine whether the coffee is stale or not. You could say that the best resource in these cases is the senses. One of the best ways to detect if your coffee isn't as fresh as you thought it would be, is through its aroma. If you can’t perceive a strong coffee smell when you open the bag, the product probably can no longer be consumed.

The taste will also be an important element in identifying stale coffee. If you are a coffee lover and know the quality of your favorite coffee, you will be able to identify elements that are not typical of the product. Stale coffee usually has a dull and an unpleasant taste.

How to make coffee last longer?

The secret behind coffee duration lies in the type of the coffee you purchase: bean or ground. If you store the coffee in a dry, dark, cool place and in an airtight container, it will last much longer. In this way, ground coffee can maintain its properties for a couple of months after its expiration date, and coffee beans can be consumed up to nine months after expiration.

Clearly, the best thing you can do to prevent a coffee from going bad is to consume it as fresh as possible, which is why it is important to try to locate the roasting date of each bag you buy. The closer you get to that date, the more likely you are to enjoy its good taste and properties.

The coffee industry is a world full of secrets and a lot of science. Only experts such as That Coffee Roasters know all the information needed to produce quality coffee. So what are you waiting for? Follow us through our social networks and get to know more about coffee products and all the processes you need to follow to improve your coffee experience!

Coffee expires in a very different way.

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Why You Should Care About Roasting Date

The roasting date is an advantage when buying coffee as it ensures a fresh coffee with a better-preserved aroma and flavor. 

In general, all types of consumers may think that all the products they buy in a supermarket are fresh and newly delivered. As a rule, every product arrives on the shelves and is sold, then it is replenished, and so the circle continues, preventing any item from being bought after its expiration date. In the world of coffee, this situation also happens. Coffee usually has expiration dates that tell you until when you can consume the drink. However, this indicator does not reflect the real freshness of the coffee. Believe it or not, this is given by another factor: the roasting date.

Why is the roasting date important?

In reality, the roasting date can tell you a lot about coffee, especially about its freshness and flavor. Although making good coffee at home is usually not a very demanding task, you will always need to have the necessary elements to prepare it in the best way. The most important ingredient will always be coffee and its quality; this, as you must imagine, depends on several factors.

Considering the degassing and oxidation

Why should you consider these two concepts? Both processes play a key role in producing and delivering good coffee. As already mentioned in the article “Degassing Roasted Coffee,” degassing is directly related to the rest time between roasting and grinding or packing.

During this degassing process, the roasted coffee releases CO2 that accumulates inside the bean due to the heat. The waiting time can be several days depending on the type of roasting and the type of coffee. If you don’t let this time come to an end, you may witness what is known as “blooming,” a phenomenon that causes coffee to puff like a mushroom when it gets in contact with the hot water. And what happens to brewed coffee when this reaction occurs? It loses taste and body, generating a watery product.

In the end, knowing this detail allows you to have a better discernment when it comes to identifying whether your coffee is stale or not correctly degassed since if the roasting date is near, the chances of the coffee going bad are lower.

Also, understanding the degassing process additionally allows you to know what happens once the coffee is exposed to the environment for too long. Although expiration dates indicate when it is best to consume a product, in the context of coffee it is not a sign of freshness. Many factors can affect the taste and aroma of the coffee, including the oxidation process. Once the carbon dioxide is released, it is replaced by oxygen, an element that can oxidize the coffee beans components, making the product stale.

The further away the roasting date is from the day the coffee is purchased, the more likely it is that the coffee will not have the same properties and quality. Oxidation can begin once the packaging is opened or even while it is on the shelf, as its duration will also depend on the material used and how well sealed it is.

As you can see, the coffee production process is more complex than you can imagine. All variables, including the roasting date, that may influence the quality of the product are taken into account when creating a quality product. That’s why at That Coffee Roasters, we make sure that the roasting, grinding and packaging conditions of our Colombian coffee are adequate to avoid any change in the properties of our products.

Learn more about our coffee variety and all the procedures we perform to give you the best quality, following us through our social networks. If you have any questions, don't forget to comment!

It's all about freshness.

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters