Freshness

After roasting, coffee should be held in airtight containers, away from warm temperatures and light, and consumed within several weeks. Coffee is at its prime within 7 days after roasting, and will ideally be sold to customers within this time frame. Most consumers will notice very little change in quality for 1-3 weeks. Beyond this time frame, the beans will lose much of their aroma and acidity, and can begin to taste tired, boring and stale. Any longer than one month, and the oils within the beans can go rancid, leaving very little left to desire.

If coffee is ground before storing, these changes will proceed much more rapidly. The ground particles have a much greater total surface area than whole bean coffee; Oxygen permeates the coffee much more quickly, while trapped CO2 and aroma molecules rapidly dissipate. Ground coffee will lose a perceptible level of aroma within hours, and will usually begin to taste stale within one day. Coffee should only be ground immediately before brewing.