How to Store Coffee Powder So It Stays Fresh

Store coffee powder in an airtight, opaque container in a cool, dark cupboard away from the stove, and try to use it within one to two weeks of opening for the best flavour. Skip the fridge for the pack you use every day, moisture and smells do more harm there than the cold does good.

What makes coffee powder go stale?

• Air. Oxygen breaks down the aromatic oils. This is the biggest factor, and ground coffee has far more surface exposed than whole beans.
• Moisture. Humidity, especially during the monsoon, makes powder clump and taste flat.
• Heat. A tin kept beside the stove or above the fridge loses flavour much faster.
• Light. Clear jars on a sunny counter speed things up.
• Strong smells. Coffee picks up smells from spices, onions and the fridge.

The best way to store it

1. Use an airtight, opaque container, such as a steel tin with a tight lid, or the original resealable pouch with the air pressed out.
2. Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the stove, oven and any spot that gets afternoon sun.
3. Use a dry spoon every time.
4. Close it straight after scooping. A tin left open while the decoction drips is open for 15 minutes.
5. Move to a smaller container as the pack empties, so less air sits on top of the coffee.

Fridge or freezer?

Not for the pack you're using daily. Each time a cold tin comes out, moisture condenses on the coffee, and coffee absorbs fridge smells easily. A cool cupboard works better.

The freezer can help with extra, unopened packs bought ahead. Keep them sealed, and let a pack come to room temperature before opening it. Don't move the same pack in and out of the freezer.

How long does opened coffee stay fresh?

Ground coffee is at its best for roughly one to two weeks after opening at room temperature. After that it's still fine to drink, but the decoction gets flatter and thinner. Buying smaller packs more often gives better coffee than one large pack that lasts two months.

Signs your coffee is past its best

• A weak smell when you open the tin
• A thin, pale decoction even with the usual amount of powder
• Clumps from moisture
• A papery or stale taste
• Any musty smell or visible mould, throw it out

A monsoon tip

In humid months, drop a small food-safe silica gel sachet into the storage tin, outside the coffee pouch, so it never touches the powder. It keeps the air in the tin dry.

Mistakes to avoid

• Keeping coffee on the spice shelf. It picks up the smell of whatever's next to it.
• A clear glass jar on the counter. Pretty, but light and warmth shorten its life.
• Buying the biggest pack for value when your household only drinks one or two cups a day.

Most of the same rules apply to spices, which our guide on how to store spices covers.

Getting the most from your coffee

Our Naadan filter coffee is Wayanad Robusta blended with a little chicory, the way South Indian filter coffee is usually made in homes and hotels here. If you'd rather have coffee with no chicory in it at all, this blend isn't that. Open one pack at a time and store it as above.

Sources

• National Coffee Association (USA): Coffee storage and shelf life