Coffee is a non-perishable product. A bag of whole bean or ground coffee found at your grandparents' house can be consumed without risk of poisoning. However, the taste will be dreadful, and we wouldn't wish that experience on you.
So, how long can your coffee be drunk without losing its intrinsic aromas, and what do we mean by coffee freshness?
When we talk about fresh coffee, we're not referring to a cold brew but rather a freshly harvested and/or roasted product. Indeed, coffee has several stages of freshness, stemming from:
Harvest - n.f.
Where the coffee is still unroasted: after the harvest date, "green" coffee remains fresh for about 1 year before its natural aromas gradually decline. Beyond that, it will develop woody or parchment notes, typical of overly aged coffee. Depending on production conditions, climate, transport, or even storage in the consuming country, this period can be considerably shortened. For example, we have sometimes noticed signs of aging during cuppings shortly after receiving certain bags, less than 6 months after harvest. Conversely, we have also had the pleasant surprise of seeing green coffees age gracefully.
As roasters, we can estimate the longevity of certain coffees, depending on the country of origin, drying method, transportation, and especially the coffee's moisture content. Overly moist coffee (trending towards 12%) will generally be more fragile.
Roasting - n.f.
Once roasted and thus brown in color (to learn more about coffee roasting), coffee should ideally be consumed within a period of a few days to 4 months. When coffee beans have just been roasted, they naturally release CO2 for several weeks. This is called "degassing." This gas helps protect the bean from oxidation. So the more CO2 the bean releases, the more fragile it will be and the faster it will lose its aromas and freshness.
With filter methods, coffee that is too fresh can also seem muted, not very expressive. It is therefore very easy to miss out on an excellent coffee if you don't wait long enough.
In espresso, coffee that is too fresh will be noticeable by a significant crema (coffee foam) and a metallic or vegetal taste.
We recommend waiting 1 month to taste our coffees, as our roaster's technology tends to make coffees degas for longer. We observe it every week: just after roasting (1 or 2 days), the coffees are bright, very pleasant, then a "closed phase" occurs, similar to certain wines, which lasts several weeks, to the point of not recognizing the coffee previously tasted. The opening happens gradually to reach an aromatic plateau at 1 month.
So know this! At Celsius, don't necessarily rush for ultra-fresh roasts; you'll get much more flavor from a one-month-old bag, and up to 4 months.
Grinding - n.f.
When coffee is ground, the contact surface with the air is considerably higher than with whole beans. Thus, it will quickly oxidize and develop undesirable aromatic notes. It is estimated that 20 to 30 minutes after grinding, coffee has already lost part of its aromas if left exposed to air. From experience, we notice that, even when stored in its bag protected from air and light, one week is enough to severely degrade your precious dark powder.
Coffee storage is a topic as vast as it is crucial. If you had to remember only a few numbers, here are our recommendations for consuming our coffees:
- Your espresso: from 2-3 weeks after the roasting date
- Your filter coffee: from 3-4 weeks after the roasting date
- An unopened bag retains its freshness for up to 4 months
- An opened bag maintains its aromatic complexity for 3 to 4 weeks.
- Finally, it is best to consume coffee within one year after the roasting date to avoid having a completely flat and insipid coffee.
For all these reasons, Celsius is committed to respecting these 3 freshness cycles by:
I) Offering specialty coffees from the current year's harvest and adhering to the specific harvest calendar for each country
II) Providing bags equipped with a valve allowing gas to escape while preventing oxygen from entering. This prevents the beans from oxidizing and secures your coffee's freshness for longer.
III) Encouraging the purchase of our coffees in whole beans rather than ground, for the greatest pleasure of your taste buds