Last Updated on January 28, 2022 by John Moretti
All the coffee lovers wonder how long their coffee will last; as one of them, you’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll help you answer the much-asked question, how long is coffee good for?
This article will answer all your questions about the average shelf life of coffee, storage conditions best suited for different forms of coffee, storage tips to make sure your coffee stays fresh, and how to prolong the shelf life of your coffee.
So read along, and you’ll learn how to prolong the freshness of your coffee like a pro.
How Long Will My Coffee Last?
The shelf-life of coffee is a frequent debate. Giving a standard time frame for the freshness of all forms of coffee isn’t possible. Depending on the form of coffee you are storing, shelf-life will vary.
Here are the shelf-lives of the most common forms of coffee:
Unopened and Sealed Coffee Shelf -Life
As a general rule, unopened or sealed coffee will last a lot longer than opened coffee. However, the coffee’s shelf-life will dramatically decrease once the seal is opened.
It’s also noteworthy to know that coffee can last beyond the date printed on the packaging. As you read along, I have put together details of how long your coffee will last past the expiry date on the package.
Ground Coffee
How long your ground coffee lasts depends a lot on where you store it. If you store it in your freezer, it will last longer than it would in your pantry.
On average, your ground coffee can easily last 3-5 months post expiry in your pantry. But, if you store the same coffee in your freezer, it can go one, maybe even two years past its expiry date before it goes bad.
Whole Bean Coffee
You thought ground coffee lasts long? Wait until you find out how long whole bean coffee can make it past the expiry date without going bad.
Even if you keep your whole bean coffee in your pantry, it can stay fresh for at least six and up to 9 months after the due date has passed. If you store it in the freezer, the shelf-life of whole bean coffee increases to at least 2-3 years past the expiry.
Instant Coffee
When it comes to instant coffee, it won’t be wrong to say that it’s impossible for instant coffee to go bad. As curious as it is, believe it or not, instant coffee has a virtually indefinite shelf-life.
A pack of instant coffee sitting on your shelf can last 2 to 20 years past the printed expiry date. If you think that’s impressive, try keeping your instant coffee in the freezer, and its shelf-life will become indefinite.
Opened Coffee Shelf-Life
As you might expect, the shelf-life of coffee once opened is a lot shorter than that of a sealed pack. So here’s how long you should expect your coffee to last past its shelf-life once the seal is broken.
Ground Coffee
The shelf-life of ground coffee is affected once it’s opened. That’s because moisture in the air can make its way into the coffee, and once the seal is broken, a lot of the aroma begins to escape.
Surprisingly, the shelf-life of ground coffee once opened reduces down to 3 to 5 months whether you store it in a freezer or your pantry.
Whole Bean Coffee
Whole coffee beans also lose quite a few years once you open their seal. But the good thing is that they last a lot longer than ground coffee.
They remain fresh for a good six months.
Instant Coffee
The shelf-life of instant coffee remains unchanged whether it’s opened or sealed.
How to Check the Freshness of Coffee?
Checking the freshness of the coffee involves different steps depending on the type of coffee you are testing. If you’re checking the freshness of beans, the criteria are different than checking whether your pressed coffee is stale or not.
Here’s how to check the freshness of different forms of coffee:
The Freshness of Coffee Beans
The simplest test for checking the freshness of coffee beans requires you to have a ziplock bag.
- Start with half a cup of coffee beans and pour them into your ziplock bag.
- Press all the air out of the bag, making it flat, and seal the bag. Leave the beans in it overnight.
- Check the bag in the morning for any air. If the bag has puffed up with air, then good news, your coffee is fresh. If not, you might want to consider getting yourself a new bag.
The Freshness of Ground Coffee
Checking the freshness of ground coffee is pretty simple. All you need to do is look to see if something feels off.
Changes in aroma, appearance, and texture are all indicators that your coffee isn’t fresh. Other signs include a growing mold or lack of aroma. Just keep an eye out, and you’ll easily spot whether your coffee has gone bad.
The Freshness of Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is perhaps the easiest to judge. The basic step is to check for the expiry date on the packet.
Generally, if the packet hasn’t expired, the coffee is good to go. However, if you’re nearing the expiration date on an open packet, you should check for any problem signs. Anything from a weird smell to a moldy appearance is a red flag.
The 5 Tips On How to Extend Your Coffee Shelf-Life
It’s common knowledge that proper storage is the key to a long shelf-life. And like everything else, there are a few tricks you could use to make sure your coffee is stored in the perfect environment.
Here are a few common storage tips baristas use to make sure they make the most out of their coffee:
1. Storage Location Is Important
Where you store your coffee is one of the most important things to consider. Moisture, dampness, and direct sunlight are the worst enemies of your coffee.
Pick a place in your home that’s cool, dry, and protected from direct sunlight. Normally, kitchen cabinets and pantries do the job. Just try not to keep it close to your stove. You don’t want to keep heating your coffee. It will lose its aroma and freshness a lot faster in a warm area.
2. Choose Good Storage Container
The best storage container for coffee is an air-tight one. An airtight container will keep all the humidity and moisture out of it. This way, mold won’t have the ideal conditions to fester and grow upon your coffee.
On the other hand, if your container isn’t air-tight, your coffee will be at the risk of going stale a lot faster. Additionally, its rich natural aroma will start to fade a lot sooner than expected.
3. Think About Light Protection
Another noteworthy tip is to make sure your coffee isn’t in direct sunlight.
The best way to prevent this is by picking a translucent or opaque container. And no, don’t store your coffee in mason jars. While it’s aesthetically pleasing, it’s not the best idea if you want to prolong your coffee’s shelf-life. Mason jars are made of glass, and they will allow light to pass through.
You can always use containers made out of china or opaque plastic as good alternatives.
4. Try With Smaller Batches
You’ve probably also heard the phrase – less is always more – right? The same goes for coffee. Store your coffee in a smaller container in smaller batches.
Suppose you have more than what fits a small jar or container. Store most of your coffee in a bigger jar and the rest in a smaller one. Use all the coffee from the smaller jar before refilling it.
The theory is that the more frequently the jar is opened, the more essential oils and aromatics escape from the coffee.
5. Buy Unroasted Coffee
The best hack to keeping your coffee fresh is purchasing unroasted coffee. Unfortunately, they lose their flavor and aroma once the beans are roasted.
Buy unroasted coffee and roast whatever you need in batches. This way, most of your coffee is going to remain fresh for long.
Should I Refrigerate My Coffee?
While refrigerating coffee does extend its shelf-life, it’s not always recommended. That’s because the moisture in the freezer might end up ruining it after all.
Besides, frequent freezing and defrosting the coffee means changing the storage environment dramatically. And that will affect the overall taste and aroma of your coffee.
Conclusion
There are a lot of ways to make sure your coffee stays fresh. Most of them don’t even require much effort. With just a few simple steps, you can prolong the shelf-life of your coffee by months and even years.
Similarly, being reckless in storing your coffee can dramatically reduce your coffee shelf-life. So make sure you have your coffee stored in the most appropriate conditions to make the most out of it.
