How Long Does Coffee Last? (coffee preservation methods)

If you are a coffee lover and have decorated your kitchen with all its essentials, such as coffee beans. And your collection includes all their types, such as light roast coffee, decaff coffee beans, espresso beans, coffee for French press and more. Also, if you picked the best coffee maker to brew them, that’s all good.

But have you ever thought, what if you don’t get the taste and freshness you are desiring about? This happens when you do not store the coffee properly, or it’s done with life span. To tackle these issues, you have to be aware of how long does the coffee last in its different forms. Plus, the information about coffee degrading factors and proper coffee storing methods is worth a lot. So after thorough research of our team, we have concluded the best possible information for you below.

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How long does coffee last in all its forms?

A mind with less knowledge of coffee is always confused with the questions like. How long does brewed coffee last? What will be the whole beans, ground or pre-ground lasting conditions? Does the storage temperature have any impact? And more. So let’s break down all these queries based on different coffee forms for a better understanding.

Whole beans

The coffee form which spends more time in your kitchen compared with all others is Whole bean. According to experts, the best coffee brewing practice is to grind the amount of beans you need for brewing. While let the rest in the whole form, as the whole bean coffee can be used for three or four weeks, which is a lot. So it gets clear that whole beans is the form of coffee which stays intact for a longer period of time.

Ground coffee

As discussed above, grind the amount of coffee you daily need. Don’t just grind all at once; it will not be a good approach. When it comes to how long ground coffee lasts unopened, its duration depends on the expiration date if provided by the brand. But once it is opened, use it within one or two weeks at most for a better taste and flavor.

Brewed coffee

Try and drink freshly brewed coffee. However, the taste and flavor of brewed coffee can last a whole day if kept at room temperature. Whereas talking about how long brewed coffee lasts in the fridge, the duration is almost three to four days.

Instant coffee

Instant coffee is actually the coffee type made from dried coffee through several extraction techniques. So if you are the one whose favorite drink is instant coffee, then use it within two weeks of opening for better results.

Coffee beans degrading factors

Darkness and cool temperatures are coffee’s best companions. Whereas, if you store coffee beans wrongly, they will quickly lose their freshness and taste. We have mentioned some worst enemies of coffee below, so try your best protect the coffee from them.

Oxygen

It is one of the biggest enemies of coffee taste and freshness. It actually stales the coffee beans, which is not good for this drink. Oxygen and coffee do not cooperate well when they get mixed. While exposed to air, coffee beans get degraded within a few days.

Light

If you maintain the kitchen’s decorum by placing coffee maker and all other things properly with coffee beans in a glass jar. Amazing, but there’s one thing the glass jars let the light in. So the roasted coffee beans get staled when the light directly hits them.

Moisture

You have adopted all the other precautions to protect the coffee beans; that’s good. But do one thing more, keep them in a cool and dry place. It would be a good practice because coffee beans go bad if exposed to humid conditions.

Heat

Heat is good for coffee when it’s in the brewing process. Other than this, if it’s exposed to heat, losing taste and flavor are inevitable.

What are the risks of consuming improperly stored coffee?

If you haven’t stored the coffee properly, it’s the first mistake, and then if you are consuming it, that would be a disaster. Drinking coffee, brewed with old or staled beans may affect your health in the shape of foodborne illness. Also, old beans taste bad and are not fresh, whereas they are not dangerous usually. It is still important to use coffee beans before checking some spoiling signs. Mold, discoloration, and foul smell are the signs that indicate you about it’s time to discard them.

Have you ever thought about how long coffee creamer lasts? If not, have a look. While going for coffee added with milk or creamer, you should be very careful. Milk can’t sit at room temperature for more than two hours to avoid bacterial growth. More, drinking spoiled milk increases the risk of foodborne illness. So try to consume those drinks within 2 hours, discard them after this period unless it’s stored in a fridge.

At last, be aware of mycotoxins. They are tiny fungi that may grow on coffee beans stored improperly. You may face chronic health issues with them, so be careful. Mycotoxins have many types, but aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A are specifically related to coffee crops. Each of them can cause severe issues with your health. Don’t worry; you can check for some specific methods that help you keep the mycotoxins content low in coffee.

How to store coffee beans properly?

Besides, all the other discussions such as how long different forms of coffee last? What factors degrade the coffee? And what the risks are? Now, it’s time to check how you can properly store the coffee beans; it’s important. Let’s dive into the methods for storing your coffee correctly.

Seal the coffee properly

All the issues related to coffee storing can be solved if you follow this very first step seriously. Store the coffee beans in an airtight container, such as an opaque container where there is no way for light to penetrate. Also, keep that container in a cool and dark cabinet, so the problem should be solved.

Purchase the right amount

While buying any food or drink items, freshness has its own importance. This is possible when you purchase just the amount you need. It is similar in case of coffee; if you purchase the amount which fulfills your present needs, you will always be entertained with freshness and taste. You can also pick this suggestion, sign up for a subscription service, put purchasing on autopilot, and always enjoy fresh coffee at your doorstep.

Freezing coffee: Is it good?

Coming towards this matter, how long does coffee last in the fridge and whether it is good. You can actually store the coffee in the fridge, and it lasts a long time for you there. But it’s not a recommended option; Why? Have a look. Coffee is soft & porous, so it adopts aroma quickly and easily. Suppose you have frozen other items such as bread, meat, and more. At the same time, coffee is stored there; later on, when you brew it, there will be a funky taste and smell. You will detect a big difference between fresh coffee and frozen one. However, besides all this, you will think about how long vacuum packed coffee lasts in the fridge. Coffee stored in that type of packing will be a good option, it lasts a good time, and there will be no other issues compared to when it’s openly stored.

Final thoughts
This is it. We have tried our best to provide you with a handy guide about how long coffee lasts in all its forms. You will also get enough knowledge about the coffee degrading factors and risks involved in consuming improperly stored coffee. In the end, you will also get knowledge of the right path for storing the coffee properly. Just give this article a good read, and if you have some suggestions or queries, mention them in a comment box! Good luck.