How long do coffee beans last?
A rule of thumb is to store it in a dark, cool place. Light, humidity and heat will spoil it. Continue reading to find out how long do coffee beans last.
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Beans should be brewed within a week of purchasing and ground beans should be used within two weeks.
How long do coffee beans last?
Different kinds of beans have different shelf lives:
- Dark roasts can last about two weeks
- Medium roasts can last about four weeks
- Light roasts can last about a month
To get the most out of your coffee, you should grind it just before brewing.
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Grinding your own beans gives you a fresher cup. It also increases the surface area of the coffee, which means more flavor and aroma.
How to Store Beans
Store your beans in an airtight container.
To maintain freshness, keep the grounds in a sealed, opaque container. Don’t keep your beans in the freezer, or they will get stale. Store beans in a cool, dry place.
The pantry is a good place to store your beans. You can also store them in a cabinet.
Keep the beans away from light and heat.
The refrigerator is not the best place to store your beans.
The beans will take on the flavor of whatever food you store near them.
If you must keep your beans in the refrigerator, put them in a sealed container.
This will keep them fresh longer.
If you like to use the freezer, store your beans in a vacuum-sealed bag.
How to Tell if Coffee Beans Have Gone Bad
Beans will go bad. You can tell your beans have gone bad if they have a strong or musty smell.
When beans age, they go from tasting like coffee to tasting like stale, flat, cardboard. Old beans will appear darker. When coffee beans are old, they taste sour.
If your beans are old, you will notice a drop in flavor. And you will probably have to add a lot more grounds to get the flavor back.
Probably, they have been exposed to too much light, humidity, heat, and air.
You can tell your coffee beans are bad if they have been stored in the refrigerator for a long period of time. If you store your beans in the refrigerator, you will notice that they have lost their flavor.
What to do With Old Coffee Beans
Don’t throw away your old coffee beans. Even if you think they are bad, you can still use them to make compost.
Add the coffee grounds to your compost pile. Coffee grounds are great for composting.
If you don’t have a compost pile, you can mix the grounds with your regular soil in your garden.
Coffee grounds will help your plants grow.
You can also use old coffee beans to make homemade deodorant. Just mix the grounds with coconut oil and a few other ingredients.
How to Dispose of Coffee Beans
If you still have some old coffee beans, you need to dispose of them. You also need to dispose of used coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds can attract fruit flies. They can attract roaches and other bugs.
If you don’t dispose of them properly, they can be a problem for your household.
To dispose of your used coffee grounds and beans, you can compost them. Or you can throw them away in the garbage.
