How To Store Ground Coffee For Freshness – 9 Amazing Hacks

Fresh coffee requires fresh ground coffee. But daily, grinding coffee beans is a step too much for a lot of us. Enter our savior, pre-ground coffee. And, when it’s stored correctly, the taste remains as fresh as the day it was ground. So it’s no secret that aspiring coffee connoisseurs and home baristas strive to learn how to store ground coffee in the best possible way to maintain maximum freshness.

Generally, whole beans stay fresh longer than ground coffee. So, it is essential to know how to store ground coffee for freshness. In this article, we’ll cover everything from storage spots to the best storage methods and containers—and much more in between.

Just before you go and get your favorite ground-storing container, wait! We have some tips to share that will ensure the freshness and longevity of your grounds. These rules are applicable to both home and café kitchen setups. So, keep reading!

Refrigeration Of Ground Coffee After Opening Is Criminal

The refrigerator is not the ideal place to store your coffee, whether it’s ground or whole. The reason for this is that refrigerators have a tendency to fluctuate in temperature, which will affect the taste and flavor of your coffee.

Additionally, since coffee works as a deodorizer, it will absorb all the aromas inside your fridge – which will deteriorate the taste of your coffee. If you need to store ground coffee for more than 2 weeks after opening the package, refrigeration is recommended; however, always keep the package airtight and sealed at all times.

Freezing Has Both Advantages And Disadvantages

As we’ve already mentioned, freezing is not ideal because frozen ground coffee loses some of its flavors over time. Also, the freezer temperature fluctuations are out of your control, which affects the freshness of the ground.

Freeze ground coffee in the tightly sealed original package or place it inside a covered airtight container. But if properly stored (dry and airtight sealed), it will last for about 1 month. And freezing ground coffee is only a valid move when you’ve got a lot to store. It’s also fine to freeze, provided you will not be taking them out for a long period.

To maximize the shelf life of your ground coffee (even after opening), keep it in an airtight container that blocks out sunlight.

Mason Jars Are Not As Reliable As You Think

It is okay to store coffee in Mason jars, but you must know that when storing coffee in them, it has to be in an airtight jar. For example, Mason jars may not be airtight enough to keep ground coffee fresh, especially for a long time. Also, most Mason jars are made of glass and transparent. 

As we’ve already mentioned, ground coffee must be kept away from sunlight as it makes the coffee expire faster and disrupts the flavor.

Vacuum VS. Valve Seal: Which One’s Better?

You should know that, immediately after roasting, coffee releases a lot of CO2 gas. And this phenomenon continues over time, albeit at a much slower rate. Coffee needs to degas after being cooked to let it “breathe”.

Now, the vacuum packing protects the coffee from oxygen and light. It’s not wrong, but it’s missing that degassing part. All the gases produced by the coffee are removed in the vacuum package.

The one-way valve seal is a definite step up. Not only does it prevent oxygen and light from tarnishing your coffee, but it also regulates the amount of gas that escapes the package.

#1 – Buy What You Need, Buy Local 

The priority is to manage your buying. You need to have a plan for how much coffee you need to buy.
But it is not possible always, we understand. Try to manage it.

You may buy the best ground coffee online. It’s easy and sometimes cost-effective. But the coffee you get online may have been a little old. It could be a week or a month.

Your preference should be to buy them from your local grocery store to get the freshest beans. But you also have to be very cautious here. May the store also have grounds a little old.

Use your judgment and choice. You might make a mistake one or two times, but after that, you will find your best combination.

#2 – Grind Only What You Need And Just Before Brewing

You may like to buy whole beans and grounds them. Or even you may like to buy green beans, roast them and grind them.

That is very cool. You just have to be a little more careful.

The secret is to grind beans just before the brew. Thus, you will get the maximum level of freshness.

You must clean your grinder properly. Otherwise, old grounds will slightly ruin your freshly roasted ground beans’ freshness. Moreover, you need to know the best way to store whole coffee beans.

To avoid this hassle, you can use a coffee maker with a grinder for making coffee. It will save you time and tension.

#3 – Right Container, Longer Freshness

This is the most important. You should keep your grinds in a perfect container to stay good.

You should have the best container for coffee or the best glass jar for coffee to preserve your ground beans. You can buy the best vacuum-sealed coffee container to be more cautious.

It is widely asked ‘Can you store ground coffee in a mason jar?’, and the answer is yes.

An air-tight container will not allow moisture to play with your bean.

The only reason (except for pre-health conditions), you can not use old beans to make coffee is mold. Without mold, you can brew your old expired coffee, but the delightful taste and the mind-blowing aroma will not be there.

A vacuum container or a mason jar will be of great service if used in the right way.

When you are becoming an expert on how to store ground coffee, you must not compromise here.

#4 – Far from Air

We breathe in oxygen, and breath out carbon dioxide. Who doesn’t love fresh air in the morning? No matter how much we love the air, coffee hates them.

When exposed to air, coffee grounds start staling. Your container should be out of the air no matter where you store it.

Moreover, open air may bring moisture to it. It will completely ruin your coffee grounds.

#5 – Beware of Heat

Another thing we like. We cook with heat; we absorb heat in cold; we even make coffee with heat. But heat is a great foe of coffee.

Coffee starts to turn bad on heat. Heat not only ruins coffee, but it also ruins our cooked foods and many other things.

Keep your coffee grounds out of the heat.

#6 – Love Darkness

You may not realize it, but coffee grounds are actually quite sensitive to light. That’s why it’s important to store them in a dark place. If that’s not possible, make sure to use an airtight container like a glass jar so that only minimal light can get in.

#7 – Like the cold, Like your refrigerator

You must be a little surprised that I am mentioning this so much later.

We have discussed a great deal about the fridge while gaining an understanding of how to store ground coffee long-term.

So why at the bottom?

We will come to that part. First, you can store ground beans in any container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh longer than room temperature.

In a sealed bag or the right container, the refrigerator influences long time coffee freshness.

BUT, and it’s a BIG BUT!!

You can’t start brewing your coffee just after you take out the ground beans from the freezer. You have to wait for a specific time.

That is bad. Isn’t it?? 

There is another reason.

The freezer slowly absorbs the aroma and taste of the coffee grounds. We love the enchanting aroma of coffee. When we take a sip of a perfect cup of coffee after a day’s work, it takes out all our tiredness. So, this is very important to have a beautiful aroma with the perfect taste.

#8 – Bag of Great Service

Usually, coffee bags can’t stay sealed after you open them. But nowadays, some companies manufacture and distribute coffee bags with zipping. The zip will hold off your coffee safe from air, and light.

Though it may not act like a hundred percent airtight container, it will keep you out of harm.
Try to buy coffee grounds with one of those.

Besides, you can wrap the original packaging (after you use some) with grounds and use tape or a stapler to make it tight. It will do some good also.

#9 – No Moisture, No Damp Surface

We have mentioned earlier, mold is the biggest enemy.

Your coffee out-of-date coffee grounds can serve you with less taste and lesser smell, but if the bean has mold, it is ruined.

Keep your coffee grounds out of moisture and damp surfaces. The good idea is to use the dry storing ground to store your coffee beans.

Mold is one type of fungus. Damp surface and moisture accelerate mold.

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Ground coffee is an essential form of coffee. This powdered form is far more pliable and easy to store. The usage of ground coffee from your jar saves you time and keeps you from the same old monotonous coffee routine. It’s the most cost-effective option for you. So, you’re now well set up to start making your own little coffee storage with all the necessary knowledge. Quality coffee is not an uphill battle for you anymore, so thank us later!