Freshness and Storage

The freshness of coffee beans is extremely important to the taste of your coffee. In fact, as coffee loses it's freshness and becomes stale, even the finest, most expensive estate coffee in the world will begin to taste like any other stale coffee. Stale coffees tend to all taste alike - no matter what the region.



1. Freshness Indicators

There are four indicators that will let you know you are buying fresh coffee. The beans should appear shiny, taste rich and full, have a wonderful aroma and produce a froth, called bloom, when brewed. For tips on how to be sure you are buying fresh beans and how to keep them fresh, see our bean freshness & storage article and take the freshness test.

If you are looking to buy coffee beans online, Peet's delivers fresh coffee that is roasted to order. Try Peet's Coffee & Tea. Deep-roasted, delivered fresh, since 1966.

2. Storage Tips

The way you store your beans can slow the deterioration process. Since the main enemies of fresh beans are oxygen, moisture, heat and light, you should store your beans in an air-tight container (preferably vacuumed) in a cool-dark place. For more storage tips and details on nitrogen-flushed valve packaging see our bean freshness & storage article.