Coffee Storing Basics

Gourmet Coffee

Coffee has three enemies that you must protect it from: moisture, light and, above all, air. Always keep your coffee (beans or ground) in an air tight, opaque container.

There are many schools of thought on where and how to store coffee for extended periods of time. From our experience, freezing coffee in an air tight container, in small lots, and bringing it out as needed, works wonderfully. But NEVER bring it out and then return to the freezer, as this lets in both air and moisture (by way of condensation), deteriorating the coffee.

Coffee Characteristics

The terms used to describe the taste and aromatic qualities of the coffees we carry are mostly definable characteristics of your coffee experience along with trade definitions.

• Acidity: Not to be confused with bitterness, acidity in coffee brings a pleasant liveliness, sparkle, or snap that is experienced around the edges of the tongue and towards the back of the mouth. Acidity may be experienced as flat or dull, lively or moderate. A pleasant, lively acidity is a desirable aspect of coffee.
• Aroma: In coffee, this is the bouquet or smell. Each coffee’s aroma is unique and distinguishable. A delicious, complex aroma is a sign of a good specialty coffee.
• Body: This refers to the “mouth feel” of coffee. It is the impression of lightness or thickness one feels from the front to the back of the mouth. It can be described in many terms such as: thin or thick, watery, light, medium, full, rich, smooth, etc.
• Flavour: This is simply the taste of the coffee. It can be referred to as straight or one dimensional, or, rich and complex. Specific elements are described as winey, sweet, earthy, spicy, smoky, nutty, etc.
• Mild: Refers to light, airy-flavoured coffee.
• Sharp, Spicy and Sweet: Refers to flavour and aromatic characteristics that reflect the different personalities of the coffees.
• Green Coffee: The term “green” refers to coffee that is not roasted. Green coffee is not like green tea as it cannot be brewed. To be brewed, coffee must be first roasted which allows the sugars to caramelize.