How Long Do Coffee Beans Last?

If the question ‘How long do coffee beans last?’ pops up in your mind, then we know you take your coffee seriously. And we’re glad to pull out answers to such queries from our big jar of coffee facts.

In this post, we’ll not only tell you how long coffee lasts but also throw some light on other related questions on coffee longevity. After all, freshness is key to a good cup of coffee.

Coffee time is certainly the best time of the day, and we can make it even better by making sure that the beans are fresh. When brewed with freshly roasted beans, your beverage will hit the right flavors and aromas. So, let’s learn - how long are coffee beans good for?‍

How long do coffee beans last?

Coffee beans generally don’t go bad for six months from a roast date unless they’re exposed to direct sunlight or stored in unusual amounts of humidity. You will find substantial caffeine content in your beans and they will be safe to consume in this time period.

However, if you’re concerned about the richness of flavor, then you would want to use up your coffee a lot sooner than that.

When coffee beans repeatedly interact with air, oxidation occurs which sucks out the flavor and makes the coffee taste unpleasant. So, it is widely accepted that coffee beans remain fresh for up to 2-3 weeks after roasting.

If you wish to increase the shelf life, it would be a good idea to store coffee beans in a sealed vacuum-packed bag. This keeps the coffee fresh for 3-5 months. Further, whole coffee beans will retain flavor for 12 months if kept in a nitrogen-flushed one-way valve bag.

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A popular hack to boost the shelf life of roasted coffee is to properly freeze it. If done meticulously, this can extend the coffee’s springtime to up to 3 years. If you freeze coffee beans, ensure that you place the coffee beans in an airtight container or sealable food bag.

Let us tell you that changes in flavor and aroma are inevitable even if you freeze coffee beans, but this practice is prevalent because it slows down the expiration process to a snail’s speed.

Worried about the freshness of your coffee running out? Have a look at these commonly asked questions and check that you follow the right coffee-storing practices.

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How long do ground coffee beans last?

If kept unopened, ground coffee lasts for 3-4 months after the roast date. But if you start using the package, you can have fresh aromatic coffee for 8-10 days. It is believed that once ground, the coffee flavors start to fly away within 15 minutes only.

How long do coffee beans last in a vacuum-sealed bag?

Generally, vacuum-packed bags of whole-roasted coffee beans have a shelf-life of around six months. Following that, the flavor starts getting altered.

However, the golden rule for roasted coffee is that the sooner you consume it, the better; even when it is safe to consume vacuum-sealed coffee for 6-9 months past the shelf-life.

Now, let’s talk about ground coffee, which bids adieu to freshness much sooner than whole beans because a larger surface area is exposed to oxygen. Thus, even in a vacuum-sealed, the intermittent oxidation shortens the shelf life of coffee grounds to 3-5 months.

How to store coffee beans?

The best way to store coffee is in an airtight, opaque container as it avoids both air and light penetration keeping the coffee fresh. Place this container in a cool, dry, and if possible, in dark space.

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Summing it up

The takeaway here is that coffee should stay good for a long time past its shelf-life, depending on its type. However, the beans begin losing their flavor from the moment they're roasted. So, it is recommended to not buy heaps of coffee in one go. Buy smaller packs and store them right for a good cup of coffee every morning!