How to Freeze Coffee Beans for Maximum Freshness
Freezing your coffee beans in small quantities can effectively prevent staleness. However, it’s essential to follow key steps to do it correctly.
Why Freeze Coffee Beans?
Freezing coffee often gets a bad rap because many people don’t do it properly. By following the correct methods, you can genuinely extend the life of your specialty coffee for months to come, preserving the nuances and flavours of a two-week-old coffee.
Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself. We stored a beautiful Colombian Geisha in our freezer, and it’s still mesmerising our café visitors eight months later.
The 4 Most Important External Factors to Eliminate
To consider freezing your coffee, you need to eliminate oxygen, water, light, and bacteria. The good news is that freezers are cold and dark, addressing two factors already.
Oxygen Hurts Beans
Oxidation, caused by oxygen, significantly affects the shelf life of coffee. Oxygen pulls electrons from other molecules, creating free radicals that cause staleness in coffee.
Water Causes Staleness
Humidity or moisture leads to staleness and can promote mold and bacterial growth. Keeping your beans dry is crucial for longevity.
UV Light Damages Beans
UV rays break down organic matter, including coffee beans. Although not a major issue in a freezer, choose an opaque storage container to protect your beans from light exposure when opening the freezer.
4 Steps to Properly Freeze Coffee Beans
- Use Fresh Beans Only fresh degassed coffee beans should be frozen. Beans roasted within the last 2-3 weeks are ideal.
- Divide Coffee Beans into Portions Divide your beans into smaller portion sizes you plan to use within 1-2 days.
- Repackage Your Beans Vacuum pack your beans using a vacuum sealing machine and pouches. This is the only effective way to freeze coffee. These are readily available on Amazon , anywhere from AED50 up to AED500
- Post-Freezing Procedures To avoid condensation during thawing, grind the beans immediately after removing them from the freezer. Grinding frozen beans results in a more uniform grind particle size, leading to a higher extraction rate and a sweeter, more balanced coffee.
Bottom Line..
Freezing coffee beans can be a win-win situation when done correctly.
Specialty Batch Coffee is a Dubai-based, homegrown brand backed by a wealth of industry knowledge. With roots in Melbourne, Australia, we bring a solid 30+ years of combined specialty coffee experience & expertise to the table.
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