How to Store and Preserve your Coffee

Background

Coffee begins its life growing on a tree. From the moment the beans are picked off that tree, processed (having the outer skin and flesh removed), roasted and packaged for you, the goal at each step is to preserve its best qualities. Coffee is a living product, and just like the fruit and vegetables you eat, it has a limited shelf life. Your goal, like the coffee picker, coffee processor and roaster, is to join in the act of preservation – so that you get the best out of your coffee!

Storing your coffee

Once you have your coffee, store it in an airtight container, or the coffee bag it came in, if that bag has a one-way valve. The valve only releases carbon dioxide out of the bag and does not allow air to get in (Tenth Day Roasters coffee is sold in this kind of bag). Another alternative is to put your coffee into a valve pump canister. It works the same way, only letting air out. The main goal when storing coffee is to allow carbon dioxide to escape, but prevent air from coming into contact with the coffee, as it is air that speeds up the oxidization process. Oxidization causes the coffee to lose its complex aromas and flavours more quickly.

Preserving and using your coffee

Once your coffee is in a suitable storage vessel, store it in a cool, dark and dry place. If possible, store your coffee in a place away from other foods, as it is very absorbent of other aromas. Coffee has a limited shelf life and it should be used within a month from the date it was roasted.

Only put a minimal amount of coffee beans into your grinder. Do not store 250gm in your hopper! This will speed up the release of its coffee oils because the hopper is not an airtight environment. Thus your coffee will deteriorate much more quickly, shortening its shelf life for you.

Ideally, coffee beans should only be ground when required to make coffee immediately. This is known as grinding on demand. Once ground, coffee begins to lose its flavour much more quickly, because the surface area exposed to the air is so much greater. This is why using pre-ground coffee often tastes ‘stale’ compared to a freshly made espresso or cappuccino.

Follow these guidelines for looking after your coffee, and you should always have a fresh and flavoursome brew!

Your Guide to Making Plunger or French Press Coffee

Background Information

Making plunger coffee can be rather rewarding and satisfying, when it is done well. Like all methods of brewing coffee (espresso, filter, syphon) there are a variety of opinions and techniques on how to do it.

Some coffees that are not so suitable for espresso based drinks, may be more enjoyable as a plunger or drip filter coffee. This may be due to the coffee having a high level of acidity and brightness. Too much acidity and brightness is not normally overly desirable in espresso based coffees, but is a very positive and enjoyable attribute in a plunger (or drip filter style) coffee.

This guide is not meant to be seen as a set of absolute ideas – but to provide you a good starting point on how to make great plunger coffee. Always feel free to experiment with these variables: volume of coffee, volume of water, grind setting and steep time (or infusion).

Your Guide:

First, you need to start with freshly roasted coffee – but it should be at least 4 or 5 days after it was roasted.

Second, you will need about 2 tablespoons or 30 grams of freshly ground coffee. It should be ground coarsely. You will also need about 8oz of water or about 225-250 mls. Check out this clip from 49th Parallel Roasters.

Third, preheat your plunger with some hot water. Discard water. Check out this cool little clip from Ritual Roasters, even if it is a bit cheesy!

Fourth, put the coffee into the plunger. Boil the water. You may want to add more water, but this will make the coffee taste ‘weaker’ (unless that is your taste preference). Wait 30 seconds after the kettle has boiled. Saturate the coffee with the water. See that all the coffee grounds are now wet.

Fifth, let the coffee infuse (or steep) for 3-5 minutes. This is a step you can experiment with. If you prefer a coffee that doesn’t taste as bold (or strong) then plunge closer to three minutes. Or if you prefer to have a coffee tasting bolder and fuller, then wait closer to 5 minutes. Note, if the coffee tastes a bit sour it most likely hasn’t been infusing for long enough or if it’s too bitter/harsh then you have let it steep for too long! For a more detailed and technical approach, check out this great clip from CoffeeGeek.

Now, plunger your coffee and enjoy!