How do you keep coffee fresh after opening

10 Jul 2020

Freshness is the core value of coffee, which is also an indicator to present the manufacture process and roast skills. The main ingredient in coffee is caffeine, tannin, fatty acids, protein, sugar, moisture, and other minerals. The ratio of each ingredient is not the same for all coffees. This will vary depending on the type, preparation, storage method, and roast method of coffee. Fresh coffee is extremely sensitive to the storage condition. In recent years, experts have strongly recommended the use of aluminum foil packaging materials (opaque) with one way valve, which are praised and recognized by domestic and international manufacturers. Because it helps to block the intrusion of oxygen and discharge internal carbon dioxide, which have greatly extended the ‘honeymoon period’ in drinking fresh coffee.

Suitable place for storing coffee

Wojin Valve recommends that you should only place coffee in a cool and dry place that is not susceptible to moisture and direct sunlight. Importantly, you should not place coffee in the refrigerator to avoid absorbing moisture. Refrigeration or freezing is not ideal obviously because the following examples would easily affect the taste and flavor of coffee: excessive shrinkage of fiber, condensation of benign fats, odors in the fridge, and the difference between high and low temperature during extraction. Yet, coffee beans and ground coffee can be frozen. The only thing to note is that you should not let the frozen part melts when you take it out from the freezer, which would damp the coffee and affect its status. Americans think it better to store coffee in the fridge, but not over one month. People usually take a small amount of coffee beans from freezer, start to grind before they defrost, and boil them immediately.

Packaging for coffee storage

The tin-can helps to keep the aroma of coffee longer, so does the plastic bag. But the amount of storage in plastic bag is less than that of tin cans. In foreign countries, coffee beans are sold in tin cans or plastic bags sometimes. The vacuum package helps to store the coffee and make the origin flavor lasts longer. However, people usually use the packaging bag with one-way degassing valve to store coffee nowadays. The one-way degassing valve is an accessory installed in the coffee bag. Its function is to discharge the carbon dioxide released by the coffee beans in the bag in time, while the outside air and pollutants cannot enter the bag. Because carbon dioxide and oxygen will seriously affect the quality and taste of coffee beans, which will make the aroma of coffee beans lose easily or oxidize the coffee beans. Therefore, the packaging bag with the one-way degassing valve can keep the coffee beans fresh for a longer time and keep the most original flavor of them at the same time. Therefore, the one-way degassing valve is the "powerful assistant" of coffee and plays an indispensable role. So, how to keep the coffee beans fresh after opening the packaging bag? Wojin Valve recommends that you should seal the coffee bag immediately after you open the foil-wrapped bag and take out the amount you want. That would make the one-way degassing valve continues its degassing job and maintain the freshness of coffee beans in a long time.

Tag: one way valve

Originally published 10 Jul 2020, updated 10 Jul 2020.