Coffee storage and brewing

Freshness is the key to good coffee. According to my “Coffee Basics” book over 90% of the coffee in this country is sold stale (how very sad). The aromatic oils start to disappear right after roasting. It is best to buy smaller amounts of freshly roasted coffee regularly, rather than large amounts less often.

Think of it as any other fresh food you buy and use it at its peak. Try to buy your coffee during the first week after it is roasted and use it within the second week or so. A month or six weeks after roasting, no matter how wonderful the bean or artful the roast, the coffee is stale.

Ideally, buy whole beans weekly, store them in an airtight container at room temperature, and use them up. If that is not practical, you can buy your coffee in small, sealed, one-way valve bags, and keep these unopened at room temperature.

These will say fresh unopened for three months or so. When you buy coffee beans that have not been immediately packaged in the one-way valve bags or after you open a bag and you want to extend the freshness beyond two weeks, use this method: place the smallest practical amount in a clean (coffee soaks up odors like a sponge) airtight container and freezer them for a maximum of two months.

Of course, this is a last resort method (for people, say, living in the outback and only trekking in for supplies once a month). I have read different methods on using the frozen beans: just take what you need out of the freezer and grind frozen or take out enough for a few days or a week and use thawed.

But all my sources agree on these two things: once coffee has been frozen do not refreeze and never ever store your coffee in the refrigerator.

These are the four main principles that make all the difference in brewing great coffee.

Buy fresh roasted, good quality whole beans and grind them just before brewing.

We are very fortunate in the Northwest to be able to buy fresh roasted coffee directly from local roasters.

The grind should be right for the brewing method you are using.

For the best flavor, coffee needs to be ground so that just the right amount of flavor is extracted into the cup. If the grind is too fine, the water will take forever to make its way through. You will get over extracted, bitter tasting coffee. Too coarse and the grounds and water won’t spend enough time together and the coffee will be under extracted and watery. The shorter the contact time between the water and coffee the finer the grind should be. Espresso machines extract in 25 to 30 seconds, requiring a fine grind. A coffee press steeps for about 4 minutes requiring a coarse grind.

The water should be fresh, free of any “off tastes and odors”, and ideal brewing temperature of 195-205 degrees.

Ninety-eight percent of a cup of coffee is water! Better tasting water will make a better tasting coffee. A simple taste and odor carbon filter is all that is required to produce water suitable for coffee if your water needs it. The water temperature for all brewing methods other than espresso is “just off the boil”. Bring the water to a boil and let it sit for about thirty seconds and the temperature will be just about right.

Use the proper water to coffee ratio.

The correct coffee to water proportions is two heaping tablespoons of coffee to 6 ounces of water. If this is too strong, it is best to dilute it with hot water after brewing.

Hopefully these few tips on storing and brewing coffee will help you make great coffee at home!

Special thanks to Zojo’s Coffee for supplying four FREE drink certificates for our “Find the Bugle” contest.

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