How to Store Coffee Grounds

The origin of drinking coffee dates back to the early 15th Century, yet coffee remains one of the most popular beverages in the world, with an estimated 2.25 billion cups of coffee bean freshness being consumed every day. Whilst Australia is nowhere near the top ten countries with the highest coffee consumption, market survey shows that 27% of the country’s adult population are avid coffee drinkers.  About 88% like drinking coffee to some extent.

Who drinks coffee?

Apparently, almost everyone drinks coffee in Australia. According to research, 4 out of 5 Aussies are more than willing to spend money to drink a cup of joe at least once a day. Surprisingly, the same research found that Aussies prefer to enjoy their own cup of coffee bean freshness at home, instead of buying it from a café.

If you prefer coffee grounds to instant coffee, you probably spend a significant amount of money purchasing your espresso from local cafés instead of grinding your own beans. The main reason for this is simple: the wrong storage of coffee grounds can lead to a variety of problems, including spoilage.

Why do coffee grounds go bad?

Commercially-available coffee grounds have a shelf-life of 3 to 5 months, depending on how it’s stored.  Whole beans can last longer at 6 to 9 months. If you want to enjoy the full-body flavours of coffee, it is best to buy and grind your own beans when preparing a cup. Because coffee grinding can be tedious, you might want to measure the amount of coffee beans you need to grind to enjoy the week. Usually, ground coffee can last up to five days.

Coffee grounds may have a much shorter lifespan especially if they are exposed to any of the following: heat, air, or moisture.

Heat

Australia is well-known for its sweltering weather, which makes coffee storage a huge challenge for most households. When heated or roasted, the beans break down into oils, which compose the flavour and aroma of your coffee. Whilst this process is highly desirable when brewing, it will impair the coffee grounds when it happens during storage. Coffee grounds usually sweat when the storage temperature is higher than 25°C. As the oils evaporate rather quickly, you’ll be left with bland-tasting coffee grounds. You might end up just throwing the rest of your coffee grounds away due to its unusual taste.

Air

If you tried walking in front of your local café, you probably noticed the aromatic scent permeating from that area. The phenomenon is scientifically called oxidation, which happens when coffee is exposed to oxygen. When ground coffee gets into direct contact with air, it immediately oxidises numerous oils which then turns your coffee rancid and stale. To prevent this from happening, always store your freshly ground coffee in airtight jars or sealed bags. This can keep your coffee grounds fresh for as long as three weeks before you would need to grind some coffee beans again.  

Moisture

Ground coffee is highly absorbent, which means that when left in the open, it absorbs moisture from the air that causes its essential oils to leach out. Thus, storing your ground coffee inside the freezer is a big no-no. Doing so only generates moisture, which ultimately destroys the taste and odour of your coffee grounds. Just imagine storing your coffee inside the fridge next to last night’s pizza. You’ll probably end up with some pizza-flavoured coffee to jolt you awake in the morning.

Where to store your coffee

The best place to store your coffee grounds is probably your pantry, provided that the area is cool, dry, and far from all possible sources of heat (i.e. stove, direct sunlight). Storing your coffee inside the pantry or a kitchen cabinet can make it more accessible in case you want to brew a cup. The coffee grounds container must be sealed airtight to prevent moisture and air from contaminating its taste and aroma.

Don’t have enough space to store your coffee beans?

Keeping either coffee grounds or beans inside your pantry only works if you consume a small amount every week. For serial and heavy coffee drinkers, you might want to store coffee beans in bulk. However, buying huge quantities might mean running out of ideal storage space. Whilst we don’t store perishables, Spacer can help you make more room in your home. We are a growing space-sharing community that offers convenient and affordable storage solutions. Just contact the Spacer team by visiting our website. We will be more than happy to help you address your storage concerns.