FOOD NEWS
Is It Safe To Brew Coffee With Old Beans?
By Aimee Lamoureux
While it's easy to tell when most food items have gone bad, it can sometimes be hard to tell how long items like canned goods and condiments can last as they have a pretty long shelf life. When it comes to coffee, people often need clarification about whether an old container of coffee beans is safe to use.
Even though coffee beans don’t really expire or grow mold, they do lose quality and flavor as time passes, developing a stale, weak taste over time. However, it is essential to keep the beans away from moisture through brewing or exposure, as they can grow rancid.
Coffee beans tend to have a longer life than ground coffee, so for optimal freshness, you should only ground the amount of coffee you plan on consuming that day. Once the beans are ground, a greater amount of the coffee's surface area is exposed to natural elements that can cause the oils in the coffee to evaporate and lose their strength.
Storage is critical when extending the product's shelf life, so you should always store coffee in a sealed, airtight container in a cool, dark place. Generally, sealed, unopened coffee beans can last for up to six months before declining in quality and taste, while ground coffee retains its flavor and freshness for about three to five months when stored properly.