Have you ever bought a bag of coffee from your local grocery store and searched for an expiration date – only to find none? How are you supposed to know how long that coffee will last before it expires? Generally, roasters label their coffee bags with a “Roasted On” label to indicate when the beans were roasted. If your coffee beans were roasted a week ago, you’re in luck – that’s very fresh coffee!
But, many times, grocery stores shelve coffee products for a much longer time span, which could leave you stuck with a stale cup of coffee. In this article, we discuss how long coffee grounds and coffee beans last. We also provide tips on how you can store them to maximize their freshness.
Roasted coffee beans last longer than other popular forms of coffee (brewed or ground). One reason is that there’s less surface area exposed to the elements (heat, light, oxygen, moisture). The way you store the beans can make a difference. They will last longer in a cool place than in the cupboard.
Putting coffee beans in an airtight container is crucial because you want to keep as much moisture and oxygen out as possible. Freezing them will preserve them longer, but will also affect the flavor negatively. How long should you store coffee beans to get the best flavor? To get the best flavor, make sure to use the coffee beans as close to the roast date as possible – ideally, within 2 to 3 weeks for a pound of coffee.
Ground coffee typically comes in an airtight packaged – sealed and ready for storage. Unopened and stored in a dry area, a bag of pre-ground coffee can last between 3 to 5 months after the sell-by date. Unopened and in the freezer, it can last 1 to 2 years after the sell-by date while still maintaining a decent level of coffee freshness.
If it’s opened and stored properly, it’s best to consume ground coffee within 1 to 2 weeks, so you can get the freshest, most flavorful taste. If you store ground coffee that’s opened in the freezer, the timeframe is about 1 to 5 months. Another point to remember: your brewed coffee – prepared and ready to drink – has a limited timeframe before it starts to go bad. The quality of your freshly brewed coffee beings to dissipate as soon as it’s exposed to oxygen.
After about 30 minutes, you’ll have a stale, room temperature cup of coffee that has lost its freshness. Around 4 hours after it’s brewed, the oils in the fresh brew will being to degrade, causing the flavor to become acidic. While you can still safely drink stale coffee beyond this point, it’s recommended not to consume it more than 24 hours after brewing.
Among all the different types of coffee, instant coffee is the longest lasting. According to Eat By Date, this type of coffee can last up to around 20 years[1] – and can still taste pretty instant. However, most instant coffee packages have an expiration date ranging from 12 to 18 months.
How does instant coffee last so long? Most instant coffee packages have an aluminum layer – this prevents heat and moisture from seeping in, which in turn blocks mold from growing. If you want to have coffee that can last for a long time, this option might be the best for you.
Can you still drink coffee past its ‘best before date’? In the table below, you can see the shelf life of coffee past its best before date (when stored properly).
(Unopened/Sealed) | Pantry | Freezer |
Past Printed Date | Past Printed Date | |
Ground Coffee lasts for | 3-5 Months | 1-2 Years |
Whole Bean Coffee lasts for | 6-9 Months | 2-3 Years |
Instant Coffee lasts for | 2-20 Years | Indefinite |
(Opened) | Pantry | Freezer |
Once Opened | Once Opened | |
Ground Coffee lasts for | 3-5 Months | 3-5 Months |
Coffee Beans last for | 6 Months | 2 Years |
Instant Coffee (freeze dried) lasts for | 2-20 Years | Indefinite |
(source: http://www.eatbydate.com/drinks/coffee-tea-shelf-life/coffee-shelf-life-expiration-date/)
The best way to tell if the coffee has gone bad is to use your nose. If coffee has gone bad, the pleasant aroma will be gone, as well as much of its taste. While using this coffee won’t necessarily harm you, you will not have much flavor if the smell is gone. It may also lose its deep dark color and appear a lighter brown. Coffee beans start to lose their flavor soon after grinding as the oils start to evaporate.
How long you choose to use your coffee past its ‘best before date’ depends on how particular you are about the taste of your coffee. Some prefer not to use it at all, while some may use it even after the ‘eat by date’ (not recommended) using an increased amount to try and regain a stronger coffee taste. Of course, there are certain health risks associated with spoiled drinks. So, always practice food safety and enjoy your coffee before its ‘best before date’!
Here are some coffee storage tips to make it last longer:
If you’re constantly worrying about how long your coffee will last, you might be buying too much at once. For peace of mind, try purchasing small amounts.
With the present internet technology, it doesn’t matter anymore where you live in the Philippines. Whether you live in the farthest part of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as long as you have access on the internet, you can order our coffee products through our website. Just make sure that your delivery location has the presence of either LBC, J & t, or JAS Intermodal. If one or more of our logistics partners are present in your area, then you are assured that the coffee product/s that you ordered from our website will arrive within our delivery lead-time.
The order process is seamless and simple. Go to the website “Store”, to select the coffee product/s that you want. Once the list of products are displayed, select the product/item and press on the “Add to Cart” button. Check and verify the Item Qty, and price, then click the “Check-out” button, then fill-up the necessary information in the form, and press on the “Place Order” button to complete your order.
One of our Customer Support Staff will call you to confirm the details of your order, particularly the shipping and delivery location. Once everything is confirmed, this will immediately be processed for fulfillment and delivery schedule by our last-mile logistics partner.
CoffeeSmiley.com supports the “Order Now – Pay Later” post-order payment scheme. Or simply put, Cash-On-Delivery. Meaning, all coffee products you ordered on our website will immediately be processed upon confirmation of your shipping and delivery location. Payment will only be collected when you actually receive the products.
We partnered with logistics companies who have been in the industry for years, to make sure that our commitment to fast, efficient, and reliable delivery services will be met. Our logistics partners are:
LBC Express – website: https://www.lbcexpress.com/
JAS Intermodal – website: https://jas.com.ph/
J&T Express – website: https://www.jtexpress.ph/
Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, our standard delivery lead-time is affected particularly those areas with strict rules of lock-down. However, we do our best to meet the 3 – 7 days delivery lead-time despite these issues and challenges.
Tracking code will be sent to you thru text and/or email. You can use the tracking code to track your order on our logistics partners respective website.
You can also track your order on our CoffeeSmiley website through this link.
Yes. Just let us know if you want to make money as a reseller of these coffee products. Please contact us by phone or email, so we can discuss.
Coffee Smiley
Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City
Cebu, Philippines
Contact #: +63 (032) 262-6403
Email: [email protected]
Website: coffeesmiley.com
Subscribe to get the latest promos directly in your inbox!
Copyright © 2020 Coffee Smiley – Powered by ZYNOTEK