Brewing Coffee - Part 2 - Freshness

Let's get fresh. (coffee, that is)


Its simple- fresher is better. As I tell every barista I train: You can make good coffee bad, but you can't make bad coffee good.


Whatever coffee you use, from a basic blend to Jamaican Blue Mountain, the coffee needs to be fresh. So, what makes fresh coffee? And where can I get it? There are a few factors.. Here are some of the most important:


First - do you know when the coffee was roasted? How long has it been on the grocery store shelf, or in that bin of beans? You want to get coffee that has been sitting on the shelf for the least amount of time. Check with your coffeehouse.. they may offer a Roast to Order program like we at Peaberry's do. This will ensure that your coffee is at the peak of freshness. One of the ways you can tell if the coffee is fresh is by smelling it.. Does it have a good aroma? or does it smell stale or have a weak smell? Is it a good representation of the origin of the coffee? (compare a Kenya AA with a Sumatra Mandheling - there is a big difference) Or simply ask when it was roasted.


Next -keep it whole bean as long as possible. The less surface area that the coffee has, the less flavor will escape. This means having a good grinder, and grinding as close to brewing as possible will help keep it fresh. And never buy pre-ground coffee. Let you coffeehouse grind it for you if you need it that way, but ground coffee significantly reduces the life of the bean.


Third -storage. Keep your coffee out of the freezer! Especially oily & dark roasted coffees. Freezing will damage the delicate flavors of coffee. I recommend keeping it in the bag you bought it in, closed, and in an sealed container away from temperature extremes. Some people will store it in the refrigerator, which is another barier to the air. But coffee is like a sponge and will absorb any flavors that are nearby, so - you have been warned! Don't put it next the the onions or tuna salad!


Storage Part 2- Coffee that is in a sealed contatiner that doesn't have a valve may already be stale. (Coffee Cans.. I'm looking at you) As soon as coffee is roasted, it startes to release its flavor in the form of gases. Presure will build up, and if there is nowhere to go (through the valve) there may be a problem. So any factory sealed container should not be trusted as fresh coffee.


Last - Enjoy a fresh cup shortly after it is brewed. Letting coffee sit in open containers allows the flavors to escape. Also - don't cook your brewed coffee, continued heat applied to brewed coffee will cause it to burn (yuck!).

For more info.. Stop in and talk to me.

See you soon,
Chris