Coffee Bean Storage: To freeze beans or not to freeze beans
by Cory Willins

There are many different suggested ways to store coffee in order to maintain freshness. One of the suggested methods is to put your ground coffee or coffee beans in the freezer. Is storing coffee in the freezer a good way to maintain freshness? Lets look at the pros and cons.

Freezing generally seems to be a good way to keep foods fresher longer. Many of our everyday foods are kept fresh by freezing. Meat, bread, vegetables, fruit and even butter can be frozen to extend shelf life. Many of the vitamins and minerals of the food are retained through freezing. Unfortunately, coffee might not fare as well as other foods when frozen.

Four items affect the quality and taste of stored coffee: light, air, heat and moisture. It does not seem like freezing has many of these qualities, but there are more factors at work which can affect the beans.

Coffee beans have been roasted in order to enhance flavor. The beans are also porous. Unfortunately a freezer can contain many other foods which have odors. The porous beans can absorb the flavors of many other frozen foods. Flavored coffees can be pleasant, but no one wants to drink seafood or garlic flavored coffee.

Moisture can also be absorbed by the coffee beans. Moisture can cause deterioration and loss of flavor. The more often you take coffee out of the freezer and put it back in, the more moisture absorption takes place into the bean. If you absolutely need to freeze some coffee because you have a large excess you would like to keep, only freeze it once. The more you take it in and out of the freezer, the more damage you do.

The oils present in roasted coffee beans are an important part to making a good cup of coffee. Freezing, however, can break down the flavorful oils in roasted coffee beans. When the oils break down, flavor is compromised giving another reason to stay away from putting your coffee in the freezer.

When it comes down to it, freezing is not the best way to store your coffee. Keep coffee stored in a cool, dry, airtight container away from light. Freezing coffee is possible, and is best if you only freeze it once. The resulting loss of flavor 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. Enjoy the coffee at its freshest!

About the Author
Cory Willins writes for many websites including The Coffee Site. You can read more of her articles and information about coffee at http://www.coffee-site.com/