How to Store Coffee Beans So They Stay Fresh

Before the first sip, there's the aroma. That smell when you open a fresh bag is the coffee at its best — and it is also the first thing to go. Coffee does not spoil the way milk does. It just gets quieter: less aroma, flatter taste. Storing it well is how you keep it loud.

The four things that flatten coffee

Air. Oxygen is the big one. Every time the beans sit open, a little more of the aroma leaves.
Light. A clear jar on a sunny counter looks good and treats coffee badly.
Heat. The cabinet above the stove or next to the oven is the warmest spot in the kitchen. Pick another one.
Moisture. Coffee pulls in moisture and smells from whatever is around it.

Where to keep it

Keep your coffee in the bag it came in. Press the air out, roll the top down tight, and close it. Then put the bag in a cool, dark cupboard away from the stove. If you would rather use a container, choose one that is airtight and that you cannot see through.

Not the fridge

The refrigerator is damp and full of other smells, and a bag that goes in and out of the cold collects condensation every time you open it. A cupboard does a better job.

What about the freezer?

For the bag you are drinking from this week, skip it, for the same reason as the fridge. If you buy a larger size and want to hold some back, divide it into small airtight portions, freeze them once, and take out one portion at a time. Let it come up to room temperature before you open it, and do not put it back.

Whole bean or ground?

Whole beans hold their aroma longer, because grinding opens up far more of the coffee to the air. If you have a grinder, buy whole bean and grind just before you brew. If you do not, that is fine — order the grind that fits your brewer (Standard for drip, Coarse for French press and cold brew, Espresso for espresso) and buy a size you will finish while it still smells the way it did on day one.

Buy what you will drink

The simplest storage tip is to keep less of it around. A 12 oz bag for one coffee drinker, a larger size for a full household. Our coffee is roasted to order, so the bag that reaches you has not been waiting on a shelf — and if you subscribe, you save up to 20%.

The short version

Keep it in the bag, rolled tight. Cool, dark cupboard. Not the fridge. Whole bean if you can. Buy what you will drink.

Not sure which coffee to start with? Try a sample pack — six coffees in one box — or go straight to our French Roast.

Keep reading: which grind fits your brewer and French press coffee, the 4-minute method.

Expect more. Enjoy aroma.