Does Buying and Grinding Coffee Fresh Really Matter?

Why Buy Whole-Bean Coffee?

Whole-bean coffee is actually far less shelf stable than we as consumers have been led to believe. In reality coffee is at its best around five to seven days post-roast, and good for only about a month at that same level of freshness. This is because very similar to an apple, coffee starts to oxidize over time, and eventually the integrity of those beans is compromised. 

But what is actually at stake of losing integrity or quality in the bean? We're glad you asked! There are aromatic compounds in coffee that are extremely volatile. This means that when they are exposed to air (or by means of physically breaking down the bean), that they are more susceptible to oxidizing the bean or those aromatic compounds volatilizing off. When beans are extremely oxidized due to being old and having ambient air hit them, they will taste flat, hollow, and even like stale oil in some cases. This is because oxygen has degraded many of the compounds in the bean. 

Keeping the bean whole assists in staving off this process, however time will always win in the end! Beans left whole are only at their best for around 1 month before they start to degrade in quality, so just imagine how fast coffee degrades when it is ground. 

Why Grind Fresh Coffee? 

To answer this question we will actually be applying the same principle of those beautiful aromatic compounds in coffee previously mentioned! When coffee is broken down by physical or mechanical means, cells in the coffee bean are ruptured which releases aromatic oils and therefore leaves more surface area exposed. This is great news, as more surface area makes for easier extraction (brewing of coffee)! However, when beans are ground and left to sit for a day to weeks on end, the aromatic compounds effectively all volatilize off and out of the beans, leaving them to be a shell of what they once were. Thus, if you are about to brew we recommend grinding your coffee fresh as the oils and other aromatic compounds will be freshly exposed, resulting in a better tasting and smelling cup of coffee. 

How do I know if My Coffee is Fresh? 

We believe that fresh coffee starts with how people go about purchasing coffee! Always look at your coffee bags; If it does not have a roast date we don't recommend drinking it or even thinking about buying it because there is no way to know how long that coffee has been sitting there. So, while it might be slightly less expensive to shop at the grocery store for coffee, there will be a marked difference in quality, and we firmly believe you are getting your money's worth in buying not only our coffee, but any roaster willing to put a roast date on their product. Simply put, we think it is a whole lot more worth your money to have something made fresh specifically for you, as opposed to something mass-produced for anyone. Coffee can be a very personal experience, and is even ritualistic in some regards. Thus, we try to respect the bean throughout the entire process. If care was taken to grow this flowering plant, then we should take the same degree of care when roasting and giving this product to you. 

Check out all of our available coffees HERE!

Don't know what kind of coffee to get yet, or feeling slightly intimidated by all the different beans? Feel free to follow along with our coffee buying guide HERE for a flow chart that’ll push you in the right direction!