Why doesn’t coffee powder smell as good as coffee beans?

Customers often ask me this question: I also like drinking coffee, but should I buy coffee beans or coffee powder?

My answer is: please buy coffee beans as much as possible, then use a grinder (electric or manual), and grind them just before brewing! The simplest reason is: freshly ground coffee is more fragrant!

When coffee beans are ground into coffee powder, the area in contact with the air becomes larger, and the aromatic substances are more easily dissipated. The aroma and flavor of coffee brewed immediately after grinding and coffee brewed ten minutes after grinding are different, not to mention the coffee ground into coffee powder and left for a certain period of time!

Another issue is the storage time. Coffee beans can be stored longer than coffee powder. The longer storage here does not mean a longer shelf life, but that the aroma and flavor will last longer. Coffee beans are afraid of light and water, but what they are most afraid of is oxygen. After roasting, coffee beans will produce carbon dioxide inside and stored inside and outside the cells to form a protective layer to isolate oxygen. As time goes by, the carbon dioxide will gradually disappear and the protective layer will no longer exist.

In the process of grinding coffee beans, about 70% of carbon dioxide will be emitted. The remaining 30% of carbon dioxide evaporates several times faster than unground coffee beans. Carbon dioxide can prevent the environment around coffee beans (moisture, oxygen) from deteriorating. If ground into powder, this effect will be greatly reduced. When carbon dioxide evaporates, it will also take away part of the aroma of coffee. Therefore, the aroma of coffee powder is not as good as that of coffee beans.

Coffee beans are usually packed in bags with one-way exhaust valves. After roasting, single-origin beans can be stored for two weeks, after which the flavor begins to lose its flavor. Beans used for espresso can maintain their best flavor for a month. So if you like coffee, it is recommended that you buy two and a half pounds (1 pound = 454g) of beans of different flavors each time if you drink it yourself, and drink them up as soon as possible.

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I am Afei, I have been engaged in promoting coffee culture for more than 5 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 well. Welcome everyone to follow my Toutiao account, where I will share and exchange knowledge about specialty coffee, latte art, and store opening. Love coffee, let's get together. Share wonderful life with you every day.