Where's the Best Place to Store Bagged Coffee?

Buying coffee is the easy, fun part. Finding the right place to store it is not so easy. You read all these things about "don't keep your coffee here!" or "Don't keep your coffee there!" And it seems like you basically have to have a vault in your basement with a 9-digit code to keep your coffee fresh.

Bottom line, keep your coffee light, air, heat, and moisture. A simple shelf in a cupboard that is not near your stove is a great spot. The cupboard door will shield it from the light, so you just need an airtight container. To shield it from moisture, keep your coffee away from your sink, fridge, and freezer.

For bagged coffee, make sure to keep the top of the bag closed tightly; this can be done with a bag clip,  office clip, or a rubber band. Just make sure that the top of the bag is rolled a couple times and held tightly with one of those options.

Why does it matter to keep it away from light, heat, moisture, and air? All of these things change the cell structure of the coffee. That cell structure change causes a reduced quality in flavor and aroma. Light and heat create higher temperatures in the delicate coffee grounds, which break down the cell structures that hold the great flavor and aroma together. Think of it like a building, if there is a fire (which creates lots of heat), then the structure is broken down and ruined. Specifically for moisture in the coffee, when the moisture from a fridge or freezer gets into the coffee, which it will, it soaks into the grounds and beans. It then absorbs the coffee's flavor and aroma and takes it away when the water evaporates out (when thawed). Think about anything else that you've had when it's watered down; the flavor is reduced, right? That's how it is with coffee.

It would be a real shame to buy great fresh ground coffee and then have it ruined by something like keeping coffee in the wrong place. Especially when that coffee is Starbucks bagged coffee or Marley bagged coffee.