Why Is Coffee Freshness So Important?
When it comes to coffee, buying freshly roasted beans is best practise and will transform your brewing at home experience into something special.
Once coffee is roasted it starts to lose the flavours and aromas created in the roasting process, this is what gives you a cup of coffee that is unique and tasty. So, buying freshly roasted coffee is the best way to enhance the flavour of your cup of coffee at home.
Why does coffee lose flavour over time?
At Redber, we love the taste of freshly roasted coffee. But sadly, if it is not stored correctly or kept for a long time the coffee will lose its freshness and flavour.
Coffee goes stale when exposed to oxygen and moisture in the air. So, coffee close to the date of roasting will be fresher because it will have less time exposed to the air and moisture. You will enjoy a more intense flavours in your cup of coffee.
When should you use coffee after roasting?
If you are using fresh coffee with an espresso machine, it’s best to allow the beans to rest for around 2 to 5 days after roasting before brewing with it. A correct extraction will produce a deliciously sweet and balanced espresso.
During roasting, carbon dioxide is naturally produced inside the bean which is slowly released or formally known as “degassed”, from the bean over several days.
A correct espresso extraction should be produced under high pressure of 9 bar and preparing an espresso shot before the coffee has degassed will alter the extraction creating a coffee that lacks any sweetness.
You can use freshly roasted coffee beans for filter brewing one to two days after it has been roasted.
After that, if it is stored correctly, your coffee will be at optimum quality for around four weeks from it being roasted. During this period, you can get the best flavour out the coffee beans through different brewing methods.
At Redber, we always roast coffee to order. So, when you buy coffee with us, or through our subscription service, you are only receiving the freshest roasted coffee you can get anywhere in the UK. Your coffee is roasted on the same day we receive your order, and this freshly roasted coffee is delivered straight to your door.
How to store coffee at home
To keep your coffee as fresh as possible, you need to protect your coffee from air, sunlight, heat, and moisture. These all will contribute to making it stale and lose flavour.
We suggest keeping your coffee in an airtight container, in a cool, dry cupboard. We would recommend using one of our Espresso Gear vacuum storage cans which forces air out and creates a perfect seal.
Do not store your coffee in the fridge. Roasted coffee absorbs moisture from the air and will also take on surrounding aromas. The aromas and moisture levels in the fridge will react with the coffee and the delicate flavours will fade.
You can store your coffee in the freezer. Take out what you need for brewing and quickly roll down the bag to remove any air, then replace back into the freezer before any condensation forms on the beans. You can grind from frozen, no need to thaw the beans.
