How To Store Green Coffee Beans

Green coffee beans are the blank canvas for your final cup of coffee.

They are hard to find in regular stores and it takes some expertise to convert them into a cup of coffee.

But purchasing and storing green coffee beans has definite advantages.

Green coffee beans are ones that have not been roasted and are thus unflavored.

This allows some flexibility. You get to add the flavor you want when you roast them.

But green coffee beans can also absorb the flavor of their environment. That is why it is crucial you know how to store them properly.

And you soon will! Keep reading to learn how to store green coffee beans at home so they stay fresh and ready to be roasted.

 

How To Store Green Coffee Beans

Green coffee beans can last up to 12 months if stored properly. They stay fresh longer than any other form of coffee that is roasted or ground.

That makes them the best option if you aim to have daily fresh brewed coffee. Buy green coffee beans and roast only the amount you are going to consume on that day.

 

Green coffee beans easily absorb and retain moisture and odors because they are porous. They should be segregated from other foods to avoid foreign flavors.

Taking that into account, here are some factors you need to consider, in order to properly store green coffee beans.

 

Moisture

This is the main factor that affects the quality of green coffee beans. Producers reduce the moisture of the coffee beans to about 11% at the time the raw coffee beans are packaged.

11% is the ideal moisture level. Higher humidity will encourage mold to grow on your coffee beans. Lower humidity will result in your beans drying out and losing flavor. The moisture level is significant for quality control.

 

Temperature

Temperature is important because it regulates the moisture in the environment. Warmer air contains more moisture and cooler air contains less.

You definitely don’t want to store green coffee beans in a warm room. A cool environment is better for their storage, as long as it is not too dry. Many experts suggest storing beans at room temperature.

 

Light

Light also affects the level of moisture of the coffee beans. Remember, packed raw coffee beans are already at the ideal moisture percentage.

Additional light exposure will dry out the coffee beans, resulting in less flavor and aroma. This means that green coffee beans should be stored in a dark place or in a dark container.

 

Time

As mentioned above, green coffee beans can be kept fresh for up to 12 months if stored properly. But you have to take into account that green coffee beans are not harvested on the day you buy them from the store.

They are harvested somewhere else and shipped from that country into yours. The coffee beans that you buy might already be a few months old.

 

Container

Luckily, innovation in food containers allows us to keep our organic products fresh for a longer period of time. Certain food containers are your best option for storing green coffee beans because they are easy to find and work pretty well.

• Valved bags. Their seal prevents air from coming in and moisture from escaping. They are opaque as well, which protects the coffee brans from the light. Despite that, you shouldn’t leave the bags with coffee beans exposed to light.
• Airtight containers. These containers work pretty much like the valved bags, except that they are made of plastic, or sometimes glass. We only recommended these containers for storing green coffee beans if they are opaque.
• Vacuum-sealed containers. They look like airtight containers but they allow you to remove excess air with a built-in piston system.
• Airscape containers. These are definitely the best containers for storing green coffee beans because they force the air out and they are usually opaque. But they cost more than the options mentioned above.

 

Related Questions

How Long Can You Store Green Coffee Beans?

There are different opinions on how long you can store green coffee beans. Some experts say between 3 and 5 years, because they think that coffee gets better with time. But others believe that the essential coffee oils get lost over time and with this, many flavors.

In any case, green coffee beans can be stored for up to 12 months without compromising their flavor, as long as you store them properly, taking into account the factors that can negatively affect their flavor.

 

Should You Keep Green Coffee Beans In The Fridge?

The refrigerator is the worst place to keep coffee beans. Green coffee beans easily absorb odors from other things in the fridge.

And even if you keep them in an airtight coffee container in the fridge, the temperatures are too extreme. It is a dry cold pace that will only result in the green coffee beans losing their flavor.

If you live in a hot place, you might want to consider storing the coffee beans in a room with an air conditioner. That is ok because the temperature never gets extremely cold and the air still circulates.

 

Where Is The Best Place To Store Green Coffee Beans?

The best place to store green coffee beans is in an opaque or dark Airscape container. It should be left in a pantry or cupboard, because these locations offer extra protection from the light and they are usually kept at room temperature.

 

Storing Green Coffee Beans: Final Thoughts

If you want to buy green coffee beans it means that you will roast them and grind them at home. Of course you can just buy roasted coffee beans, or even easier, preground coffee. They are easier to turn into a cup of coffee.

But roasted coffee beans or preground coffee don’t last as long as green coffee beans. Knowing how to properly store green coffee beans will guarantee you fresh and delicious coffee every day, for a much longer time.

You don’t need to invest much money in a proper airtight container for the green coffee beans. We recommend roasting only the amount of coffee that you will consume on the same day.

If you do roast too many beans and you have some leftovers, you can use the same type of containers to store your roasted coffee beans. But try to consume them within the next weeks, if you still want to enjoy their full flavor.