This Is The Best Type Of Container For Storing Coffee

If you make your coffee at home in the mornings, you've probably got some sort of system worked out in terms of how you're storing your beans, preparing them, and drinking your cup of joe. Whether you're a fresh press fiend, a pour-over person, a drip diehard, or a simple automatic coffee maker connoisseur, everyone has their own routine. Hopefully, you've graduated from buying Folgers in a plastic bin and have begun to branch out and explore the vast world of coffee bean options, of which there are many. 

If this is the case, and you're starting to splurge a little more on your morning brew, you'll want to know how to properly store your beans to keep them fresh. This ensures your java isn't overly bitter, flat, or otherwise unappealing. There's a lot of depth of flavor and aroma to be found in different coffee beans, and correct storage is part of maintaining those unique tasting profiles.

According to the National Coffee Association, "Your beans' greatest enemies are air, moisture, heat, and light." This means you'll want to keep them stored in a container that protects them from all the elements, meaning an opaque and airtight container. Foodal says there are a few schools of thought behind this, "The first is to use the escaping gases to increase pressure within the container, which serves to hamper the rate of gas escaping from the beans. The second is to include a one-way pressure relief valve, which serves to allow the escaping gases out but no other outside gases in, creating somewhat of a vacuum effect." 

The latter storage method is usually found in bags of packaged fresh coffee, to prevent the seal from breaking from gasses in the bag. That being said, the National Coffee Association says that "coffee's retail packaging is generally not ideal for long-term storage." The best way to keep your coffee as fresh as possible for longer storage periods is to invest in an airtight container and to keep it in a place where it won't receive too much heat. Happy brewing!