Today, we’re going to walk through the details of how long coffee lasts and how you can store it, in order to maximize the lifetime of that delicious coffee of yours. You know what they say: Life is too short to drink bad coffee.
Coffee Beans
Of course, we have to start with the most basic form of coffee: Coffee beans. Coffee beans are, at the end of the day, the start of all forms of coffee.
How Long are Coffee Beans Good For?
That's a great question! Coffee beans are actually the easiest to store, as well as the type of coffee that can be stored for the longest.
To understand how long coffee beans are good for, we have to understand what oxidation is. Oxidation is when oxygen gets into the coffee beans and breaks down the antioxidants in it. Why is this important? Antioxidants are the way how coffee gets it's flavor!
While coffee beans can still be good for a long time, it starts to lose it's flavor only 2 weeks after they've been brewed. Even the best and most high quality coffee beans will lose most of it's flavor just a month after it's brew date.
How To Store Coffee Beans
The best way to store your coffee beans is in a cool, dry place with little to no light. You can keep your beans stored at room temperature in a cabinet, preferably in an airtight container.
Coffee Grounds
The second most basic form of coffee is coffee grounds. These are beans that have been ground up into a powdered form of coffee called coffee grounds.
How Long Are Coffee Grounds Good For?
Coffee grounds are not good for nearly as long as coffee beans are good for. This is because the grounds have much more surface area, allowing for more oxidation to happen. The more oxidation equals less flavor.
Grounds actually start to oxidize and lose their flavor just hours after being opened or ground. This makes for something of a stale coffee and not the aromatic hot coffee you were hoping for. This is going to cause stale coffee that has little to no flavor.
How To Store Coffee Grounds
Luckily, there is still a lot you can do to slow the aging process. It all comes back to vacuum-sealed or airtight containers. If you can remove most of the air from the grounds while storing them, they can keep for much longer. This is because oxidation won't happen as much.
If you're thinking of storing coffee grounds for an extended amount of time, it’s a great idea to invest in an airtight or vacuum-sealed coffee container.
Brewed Coffee
Now let’s talk about brewed coffee. A pot of fresh coffee is part of the morning routine in American households every morning. Sometimes, those pots go unfinished. What do you do with that extra coffee?
How Long is Brewed Coffee Good For?
The length of time that your coffee lasts is going to depend on a lot of factors. Does your coffee maker keep the coffee hot? Does it have a hot plate?
Hot coffee only stays fresh for about 20 minutes. While this is true, you can also consider turning the hot coffee into iced coffee, where, when stored correctly, can last a day or two.
How To Store Brewed Coffee
The key here is to keep your coffee hot, so an insulated mug is going to be one of your best options. If your coffee maker can heat the coffee pot, then the coffee will be good for around 4 hours after it's been brewed.
Iced Coffee
Is it just me, or does iced coffee seem to be more popular than hot coffee nowadays? I can't lie: I do prefer iced coffee over hot coffee. What's important though is knowing how long it is good for.
How Long Is Iced Coffee Good For?
When stored in the fridge, iced coffee will last for about four days! After that, it starts to develop a sour taste and becomes not safe to drink.
How To Store Iced Coffee
The best place to store your iced coffee is in the fridge in an airtight container. The airtight containers helps prevent oxidation, which breaks down the taste in coffee.
Conclusion
Now you know how to store all the different types of coffee drinks. No matter what coffee you have lying around, you can keep it safe and tasty for as long as possible. Now go and enjoy your properly stored coffee drinks.
