How long can coffee beans be kept?

Coffee culture is far from popular in China. Many people have "misunderstandings" about coffee and only have a vague understanding of some issues. Let's thoroughly understand these 8 knowledge points through the form of questions and answers. Please share after reading!

Tip 1-What are the small holes on the coffee packaging bag used for?

Have you ever had this experience: when buying coffee beans in a store, you can't help but squeeze the package with your hands, then sniff through the holes on the coffee bean package, and say "Wow - this coffee smells so good" while squeezing? Here I want to remind you that this is actually a wrong example and will affect the flavor of the coffee beans!

The small hole on the coffee bag is called a "one-way exhaust valve". It is to allow the gas in the bag to only go out but not in. The carbon dioxide emitted by the roasted coffee beans will squeeze out the air inside and slow down the oxidation of the coffee beans. So, next time, don't use the one-way exhaust valve as a smelling hole and kill the beans inside.

Tip 2- Should coffee beans be kept in the refrigerator?

Where do the coffee beans you bought or haven't finished drinking live? Does anyone's coffee beans live in the refrigerator? If you still have them in the refrigerator, I remind you to help them move to a new home!

Coffee is very afraid of moisture, oxygen, light and heat. When it is stored in the refrigerator and taken out, condensation will occur due to the large temperature difference. It is easy to absorb the odor of the refrigerator and destroy the flavor of the coffee. Therefore, it is recommended to seal the unfinished coffee beans directly in a coffee bag or sealed can after opening, and store them in a cool and dry place at home. Drink them as soon as possible within one month! (Coffee beans can be frozen, but thawing is very painful, so it is better to follow the principle of buying less and buying more frequently )

Tip 3-Have you ever had fresh coffee? How long can coffee beans be kept?

Generally speaking, food products will look at the shelf life and the best time. Coffee beans belong to the food category. Some large coffee factories use central roasting to mass-produce coffee beans. The shelf life is usually between 12 and 18 months, but the shelf life and freshness are two different things . What actually matters for coffee beans is the best time. The fresher the coffee beans, the better the coffee will taste.

After unpacking the coffee beans, it is recommended to consume them within one month. The best way to taste is to grind as much as you drink, because once the coffee beans are ground into powder, their flavor and taste will decay quickly. Therefore, the best way to preserve them is to... drink them quickly! (Of course, the freshly roasted beans still have strong exhaust, which will affect the perfect extraction of the coffee flavor. It is recommended to start drinking them more than three days after the roasting date; the beans ordered from "Afei's Store" will be roasted after the order is placed, and then delivered to you, and you can start drinking them almost immediately)

Tip 4 – Why do I have palpitations and can’t sleep after drinking coffee?

In addition to being related to personal constitution, the caffeine content is actually closely related to the variety of coffee beans. Generally speaking, the cost price of Robusta beans is lower than that of Arabica beans, so most canned coffee/instant coffee on the market will use or mix Robusta beans. But those who are worried about excessive caffeine should pay attention - although Robusta beans are cheap, the caffeine content is three times that of Arabica beans!

So if you are worried that drinking coffee will make you unable to sleep or cause palpitations, in addition to choosing coffee made from high-quality Arabica beans , we would also like to remind you that if the coffee powder is soaked in water for too long or the coffee powder is too fine, excessive caffeine will be extracted!

Tip 5- How many beans do I need to brew a cup of coffee?

The most objective way is to use a scale. Here is a little secret for delicious coffee: 15 grams of coffee powder with 225 grams of water, and then adjust it slightly according to personal taste. Another little secret: lightly roasted coffee can add a little more water, on the contrary, dark roasted coffee can be reduced.

Tip 6 – What kind of coffee do you like?

Coffee beans themselves are seeds that grow inside fruits on trees. Just like fruits, they have a sour taste. A cup of freshly roasted good coffee will have a rich and balanced taste of sour, sweet and bitter.

There are two types of coffee acidity. Fresh and properly roasted coffee beans will have a layered acidity like citrus or lemon, with a hint of sweetness. If the coffee beans are not fresh or over-extracted, they will have a corrupted acidity or an unpleasant acrid taste on the tongue.

It is recommended that friends who are new to specialty coffee find their favorite coffee flavor by tasting single-origin beans from different production areas/different varieties/different processing methods. Drink more, compare more, communicate more, and have fun!

Tip 7 – How to brew coffee with the best flavor? What is the relationship between roast degree and water temperature?

When brewing coffee, the temperature of the hot water should be changed depending on the extraction tools used and the degree of roasting of the coffee, so that you can drink the best flavor of each coffee bean!

For beans of different roasting degrees and different extraction tools, the water temperature should be adjusted between 85℃ and 95℃ (except for cold brew coffee). Generally speaking, the water temperature for dark roasted coffee should be low. Too high water temperature will easily make the dark roasted beans taste astringent and bitter. On the contrary, the water temperature for light roasted coffee can be slightly higher. If the water temperature is too low, the multi-layered fruity and sour flavor of light roasted coffee will not be brewed.

Tip 8 – Freshly ground is better: What is the trick to mastering the coarseness of the grind?

Just master one principle: "the longer the brewing time, the coarser the coffee powder should be; the shorter the brewing time, the finer the coffee should be". This way you can avoid the bad consequences of grinding the coffee powder too coarsely and resulting in no taste, or grinding the powder too finely and resulting in too much flavor and caffeine.

The coarseness of the grind affects the extraction: the finer the particles, the shorter the extraction time; the coarser the particles, the longer the extraction time.

Finally, I wish everyone can drink delicious coffee.

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I am Afei, I have been engaged in promoting coffee culture for more than 6 years. I have been to coffee farms in Indonesia, Yunnan, Taiwan, and coffee consuming cities in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. I love specialty coffee and want to make friends who love coffee as much as I do. Welcome everyone to follow my Toutiao account and my new book "Fall in Love with Coffee in 3 Minutes", where I will share and exchange knowledge about specialty coffee, latte art, and store opening. Love coffee, let's get together. Share a wonderful life with you every day.